Polybius, Histories

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Book 30 - Chapter 10

1
<w lemma="%2A%29ec">Ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="kati%2Fdoi">κατίδοι</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%29cu%2Fthta">ὀξύτητα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29bebaio%2Fthta">ἀβεβαιότητα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxhs">τύχης</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flist%27">μάλιστ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%3D">αὑτοῦ</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="oi%29%2Fhtai">οἴηται</w> <w lemma="diaponei%3Dn">διαπονεῖν</w>, <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fdas">πόδας</w> <w lemma="eu%28ri%2Fskhtai">εὑρίσκηται</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29xqroi%3Ds">ἐχθροῖς</w> <w lemma="kataskeua%2Fzwn:">κατασκευάζων·</w>
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<w lemma="ki%2Fonas">κίονας</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kateskeu%2Faze">κατεσκεύαζε</w> <w lemma="%2Aperseu%2Fs">Περσεύς</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftas">ταύτας</w> <w lemma="katalabw%5Cn">καταλαβὼν</w> <w lemma="a%29telei%3Ds">ἀτελεῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Aleu%2Fkios">Λεύκιος</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29mi%2Flios">Αἰμίλιος</w> <w lemma="e%29telei%2Fwse">ἐτελείωσε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fas">ἰδίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Fnas">εἰκόνας</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fsthsen">ἐπέστησεν</w>. —
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fsas">θαυμάσας</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="qe%2Fsin">θέσιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29kropo%2Flews">ἀκροπόλεως</w> <w lemma="eu%29kairi%2Fan">εὐκαιρίαν</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29nto%5Cs">ἐντὸς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29isqmou%3D">Ἰσθμοῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29polambanome%2Fnous">ἀπολαμβανομένους</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>. —
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%29epishmhna%2Fmenos">Ἐπισημηνάμενος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Asikuw%3Dnos">Σικυῶνος</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="o%29xuro%2Fthta">ὀχυρότητα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Fros">βάρος</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29argei%2Fwn">Ἀργείων</w> <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dlqen">ἦλθεν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29epi%2Fdauron">Ἐπίδαυρον</w>. —
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Apa%2Flai">Πάλαι</w> <w lemma="mete%2Fwros">μετέωρος</w> <w lemma="w%29%5Cn">ὢν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29olumpi%2Fas">Ὀλυμπίας</w> <w lemma="qe%2Fan">θέαν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhse">ὥρμησε</w>. — <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios:">Πολύβιος·</w>
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<w lemma="%2Aleu%2Fkios">Λεύκιος</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29mi%2Flios">Αἰμίλιος</w> <w lemma="parh%3Dn">παρῆν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fmenos">τέμενος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29olumpi%2Fa%7C">Ὀλυμπίᾳ</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fgalma">ἄγαλμα</w> <w lemma="qeasa%2Fmenos">θεασάμενος</w> <w lemma="e%29cepla%2Fgh">ἐξεπλάγη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dpen">εἶπεν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnos">μόνος</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="dokei%3D">δοκεῖ</w> <w lemma="%2Afeidi%2Fas">Φειδίας</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%28omh%2Frw%7C">Ὁμήρῳ</w> <w lemma="%2Adi%2Fa">Δία</w> <w lemma="memimh%3Dsqai">μεμιμῆσθαι</w>, <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="mega%2Flhn">μεγάλην</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxwn">ἔχων</w> <w lemma="prosdoki%2Fan">προσδοκίαν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29olumpi%2Fas">Ὀλυμπίας</w> <w lemma="mei%2Fzw">μείζω</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="prosdoki%2Fas">προσδοκίας</w> <w lemma="eu%28rhkw%5Cs">εὑρηκὼς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fh">εἴη</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lh%2Fqeian">ἀλήθειαν</w>. —
We can most clearly perceive both the abruptness and the uncertainty of Fortune from those instances where a man who thinks that he is undoubtedly labouring at certain objects for his own benefit suddenly finds out that he is preparing them for his enemies.
For Perseus was constructing columns, and Lucius Aemilius, finding them unfinished, completed them and set statues of himself on them.
He admired the situation of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Corinth&groupId=493&placeId=928">Corinth</a> and the favourable position of its acropolis as regards the command of both districts, that inside the Isthmus and that outside.
After noting the strength of the fortifications of Sicyon and the power of the city of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Argos&groupId=361&placeId=689">Argos</a>, he came to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Epidaurus&groupId=572&placeId=1070">Epidaurus</a>.
He hastened now to pay the visit to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a> to which he had long looked forward.
Lucius Aemilius visited the temple in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a>, and when he saw the statue of Zeus was awestruck, and said simply that Pheidias seemed to him to have been the only artist who had made a likeness of Homer\'s Zeus; for he himself had come to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a> with high expectations but the reality had far surpassed his expectations.