Polybius, Histories

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Book 30 - Chapter 20

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<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aqhnai%3Doi">Ἀθηναῖοι</w> <w lemma="parege%2Fnonto">παρεγένοντο</w> <w lemma="presbeu%2Fontes">πρεσβεύοντες</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28aliarti%2Fwn">Ἁλιαρτίων</w> <w lemma="swthri%2Fas">σωτηρίας</w>,
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<w lemma="parakouo%2Fmenoi">παρακουόμενοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Frous">μέρους</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="metaqe%2Fsews">μεταθέσεως</w> <w lemma="diele%2Fgonto">διελέγοντο</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Adh%2Flou">Δήλου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Alh%2Fmnou">Λήμνου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28aliarti%2Fwn">Ἁλιαρτίων</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fras">χώρας</w>, <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="e%28autou%5Cs">ἑαυτοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29caitou%2Fmenoi">ἐξαιτούμενοι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="kth%3Dsin:">κτῆσιν·</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxon">εἶχον</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ditta%5Cs">διττὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29ntola%2Fs">ἐντολάς</w>.
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<w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Adh%3Dlon">Δῆλον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Alh%3Dmnon">Λῆμνον</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29pitimh%2Fseie">ἐπιτιμήσειε</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="a%29ntipepoih%3Dsqai">ἀντιπεποιῆσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="nh%2Fswn">νήσων</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w>, <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28aliarti%2Fwn">Ἁλιαρτίων</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fras">χώρας</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws">εἰκότως</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="katame%2Fmyaito">καταμέμψαιτο</w>.
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flin">πόλιν</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxaiota%2Fthn">ἀρχαιοτάτην</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aboiwti%2Fan">Βοιωτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29ptaikui%3Dan">ἐπταικυῖαν</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="sunepanorqou%3Dn">συνεπανορθοῦν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29nanti%2Fon">ἐναντίον</w> <w lemma="e%29calei%2Ffein">ἐξαλείφειν</w>, <w lemma="a%29fairoume%2Fnous">ἀφαιρουμένους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllon">μέλλον</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdas">ἐλπίδας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%29klhrhko%2Ftwn">ἠκληρηκότων</w>,
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<w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ou%29deni%5C">οὐδενὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcai">δόξαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fnwn">Ἑλλήνων</w> <w lemma="kaqh%2Fkein">καθήκειν</w>, <w lemma="h%28%2Fkista">ἥκιστα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aqhnai%2Fois">Ἀθηναίοις</w>.
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fan">ἰδίαν</w> <w lemma="patri%2Fda">πατρίδα</w> <w lemma="koinh%5Cn">κοινὴν</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpasin">ἅπασιν</w>, <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="a%29nairei%3Dn">ἀναιρεῖν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29damw%3Ds">οὐδαμῶς</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%3Don">οἰκεῖον</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="fanei%2Fh">φανείη</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="po%2Flews">πόλεως</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fqous">ἤθους</w>.
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<w lemma="plh%5Cn">πλὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28%2F">ἥ</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="su%2Fgklhtos">σύγκλητος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Adh%3Dlon">Δῆλον</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdwke">ἔδωκε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Alh%3Dmnon">Λῆμνον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28aliarti%2Fwn">Ἁλιαρτίων</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w>. <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aqhnai%2Fous">Ἀθηναίους</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fsxe">ἔσχε</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w>. —
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2Akai%5C">Καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Alh%3Dmnon">Λῆμνον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Adh%3Dlon">Δῆλον</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="paroimi%2Fan">παροιμίαν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="lu%2Fkon">λύκον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="w%29%2Ftwn">ὤτων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Flabon:">ἔλαβον·</w>
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<w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fmeinan">ὑπέμειναν</w> <w lemma="dusklhrh%2Fmata">δυσκληρήματα</w> <w lemma="sumpleko%2Fmenoi">συμπλεκόμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Adhli%2Fois:">Δηλίοις·</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28aliarti%2Fwn">Ἁλιαρτίων</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fras">χώρας</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fneidos">ὄνειδος</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="karpo%2Fs">καρπός</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="sunechkolou%2Fqhsen">συνεξηκολούθησεν</w>. —
<head>The Embassy from Athens</head>The embassy from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a> had come in the first place to beg that the people of Haliartus might be spared;
but when this request was ignored, they changed the subject and spoke about <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delos&groupId=533&placeId=1004">Delos</a>, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lemnos&groupId=676&placeId=1237">Lemnos</a>, and the territory of Haliartus, begging to be placed in possession of those places, for they had received a double set of instructions.
We cannot blame them for asking for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delos&groupId=533&placeId=1004">Delos</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lemnos&groupId=676&placeId=1237">Lemnos</a>, as they had previously laid claim to these islands; but as for the territory of Haliartus we are justified in finding fault with them.
For not to strive by every means to retrieve the fallen fortunes of a city almost the most ancient in Boeotia, but on the contrary to erase it from the map, by depriving its unhappy inhabitants of all hope for the future,
was evidently conduct unworthy of any Greek state and especially unworthy of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a>.
For now, while they were making their own country the common refuge of all who wished to be citizens of it, to destroy thus the countries of others was by no means consonant with the traditions of the city.
The senate, however, gave them, both <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delos&groupId=533&placeId=1004">Delos</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lemnos&groupId=676&placeId=1237">Lemnos</a> as well as this territory of Haliartus. Such was the decision about <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Athens&groupId=379&placeId=715">Athens</a>.
In taking <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lemnos&groupId=676&placeId=1237">Lemnos</a> and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delos&groupId=533&placeId=1004">Delos</a> they were, as the proverb has it, taking the wolf by the ears.
For their connexion with the Delians had many unpleasant consequences, and from their possession of the territory of Haliartus they reaped more reproach than profit.