Polybius, Histories

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Book 3 - Chapter 78

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<w lemma="%2A%29exrh%2Fsato">Ἐχρήσατο</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="tini">τινι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Afoinikikw%3D%7C">Φοινικικῷ</w> <w lemma="strathgh%2Fmati">στρατηγήματι</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftw%7C">τοιούτῳ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="paraxeimasi%2Fan">παραχειμασίαν</w>.
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<w lemma="a%29gwniw%3Dn">ἀγωνιῶν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29qesi%2Fan">ἀθεσίαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Akeltw%3Dn">Κελτῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29piboula%5Cs">ἐπιβουλὰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sw%3Dma">σῶμα</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fsfaton">πρόσφατον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="susta%2Fsews">συστάσεως</w> <w lemma="kateskeua%2Fsato">κατεσκευάσατο</w> <w lemma="periqeta%5Cs">περιθετὰς</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fxas">τρίχας</w>, <w lemma="a%28rmozou%2Fsas">ἁρμοζούσας</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerei%3Ds">ὁλοσχερεῖς</w> <w lemma="diafora%5Cs">διαφορὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%28likiw%3Dn">ἡλικιῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29piprepei%2Fais">ἐπιπρεπείαις</w>,
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftais">ταύταις</w> <w lemma="e%29xrh%3Dto">ἐχρῆτο</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w> <w lemma="metatiqe%2Fmenos:">μετατιθέμενος·</w> <w lemma="o%28moi%2Fws">ὁμοίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29sqh%3Dtas">ἐσθῆτας</w> <w lemma="metela%2Fmbane">μετελάμβανε</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="kaqhkou%2Fsas">καθηκούσας</w> <w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="periqetai%3Ds">περιθεταῖς</w>.
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<w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ai%29fnidi%2Fws">αἰφνιδίως</w> <w lemma="i%29dou%3Dsi">ἰδοῦσι</w> <w lemma="du%2Fsgnwstos">δύσγνωστος</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="sunhqei%2Fa%7C">συνηθείᾳ</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Fsin">γεγονόσιν</w>.
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Aqewrw%3Dn">Θεωρῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Akeltou%5Cs">Κελτοὺς</w> <w lemma="dusxerai%2Fnontas">δυσχεραίνοντας</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tw%3Dn">αὑτῶν</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fra%7C">χώρᾳ</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnein">λαμβάνειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tribh%2Fn">τριβήν</w>, <w lemma="speu%2Fdontas">σπεύδοντας</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="metew%2Frous">μετεώρους</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fntas">ὄντας</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fan">πολεμίαν</w>, <w lemma="profa%2Fsei">προφάσει</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fous">Ῥωμαίους</w> <w lemma="o%29rgh%2Fn">ὀργήν</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="plei%3Don">πλεῖον</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="w%29felei%2Fas">ὠφελείας</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fkrine">ἔκρινε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="taxi%2Fsthn">ταχίστην</w> <w lemma="a%29nazeugnu%2Fein">ἀναζευγνύειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunekplhrou%3Dn">συνεκπληροῦν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmewn">δυνάμεων</w> <w lemma="o%28rma%2Fs">ὁρμάς</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fran">ὥραν</w> <w lemma="metaba%2Fllein">μεταβάλλειν</w> <w lemma="punqano%2Fmenos">πυνθανόμενος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fras">χώρας</w> <w lemma="dokou%2Fntwn">δοκούντων</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeirei%3Dn">ἐμπειρεῖν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllas">ἄλλας</w> <w lemma="e%29mbola%5Cs">ἐμβολὰς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fan">πολεμίαν</w> <w lemma="makra%5Cs">μακρὰς</w> <w lemma="eu%28%2Friske">εὕρισκε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prodh%2Flous">προδήλους</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28penanti%2Fois">ὑπεναντίοις</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28lw%3Dn">ἑλῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Aturrhni%2Fan">Τυρρηνίαν</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frousan">φέρουσαν</w> <w lemma="dusxerh%3D">δυσχερῆ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="su%2Fntomon">σύντομον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fdocon">παράδοξον</w> <w lemma="fanhsome%2Fnhn">φανησομένην</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aflami%2Fnion">Φλαμίνιον</w>.
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<w lemma="a%29ei%5C">ἀεὶ</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="pws">πως</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%3Dos">οἰκεῖος</w> <w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Frous">μέρους</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fth%7C">ταύτῃ</w> <w lemma="proe%2Fqeto">προέθετο</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fan">πορείαν</w>.
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<w lemma="diadoqei%2Fshs">διαδοθείσης</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="fh%2Fmhs">φήμης</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="stratope%2Fdw%7C">στρατοπέδῳ</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllei">μέλλει</w> <w lemma="dia%2F">διά</w> <w lemma="tinwn">τινων</w> <w lemma="e%28lw%3Dn">ἑλῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgein">ἄγειν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="strathgo%2Fs">στρατηγός</w>, <w lemma="pa%3Ds">πᾶς</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="eu%29labw%3Ds">εὐλαβῶς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fan">πορείαν</w>, <w lemma="u%28forw%2Fmenos">ὑφορώμενος</w> <w lemma="ba%2Fraqra">βάραθρα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w>
During this winter he also adopted a truly Punic artifice. Fearing the fickleness of the Celts and possible attempts on his life, owing to his establishment of the friendly relations with them being so very recent, he had a number of wigs made, dyed to suit the appearance of persons differing widely in age, and kept constantly changing them, at the same time also dressing in a style that suited the wig, so that not only those who had seen him but for a moment, but even his familiars found difficulty in recognizing him.
Observing that the Celts were dissatisfied at the prosecution of the war in their own territory, but were eagerly looking forward to an invasion of that of the enemy, professedly owing to their hatred of the Romans, but as a fact chiefly in hope of booty, he decided to be on the move as soon as possible and satisfy the desire of his troops. As soon, then, as the weather began to change he ascertained by inquiring from those who knew the country best that the other routes for invading the Roman territory were both long and obvious to the enemy, but that the road through the marshes to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Etruria&groupId=582&placeId=1089">Etruria</a> was difficult indeed but expeditious and calculated to take Flaminius by surprise. As he was by nature always inclined to such expedients, he decided to march by this road. When the news spread in the camp that the general was going to lead them through marshes, everyone was very reluctant to start, imagining that there would be deep bogs and quagmires.