Polybius, Histories

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Book 33 - Chapter 17

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w> <w lemma="dusqetou%2Fmenoi">δυσθετούμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnousin">συμβαίνουσιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="paralo%2Fgous">παραλόγους</w> <w lemma="tina%5Cs">τινὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fpesan">ἐνέπεσαν</w> <w lemma="o%28rma%5Cs">ὁρμὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paraskeua%5Cs">παρασκευὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fan">παραπλησίαν</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dlqon">ἦλθον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="poluxroni%2Fois">πολυχρονίοις</w> <w lemma="a%29rrwsti%2Fais">ἀρρωστίαις</w> <w lemma="duspotmou%3Dsi">δυσποτμοῦσι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnoi">ἐκεῖνοι</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w>, <w lemma="e%29peida%5Cn">ἐπειδὰν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="poiou%3Dntes">ποιοῦντες</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="qerapei%2Fas">θεραπείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peiqarxou%3Dntes">πειθαρχοῦντες</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="i%29atroi%3Ds">ἰατροῖς</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnwntai">δύνωνται</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="be%2Fltion">βέλτιον</w> <w lemma="prokoph%3Ds">προκοπῆς</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fyasqai">ἅψασθαι</w>, <w lemma="dusqetou%2Fmenoi">δυσθετούμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnousin">συμβαίνουσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29poduspetei%3Dn">ἀποδυσπετεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagka%2Fzontai">ἀναγκάζονται</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tine%5Cs">τινὲς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="qu%2Ftais">θύταις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fntesi">μάντεσι</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fxein">προσέχειν</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fnioi">ἔνιοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fshs">πάσης</w> <w lemma="e%29pw%7Cdh%3Ds">ἐπῳδῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="panto%5Cs">παντὸς</w> <w lemma="peria%2Fmmatos">περιάμματος</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnein">λαμβάνειν</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fous">Ῥοδίους</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine:">συνέβαινε·</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcan">δόξαν</w> <w lemma="a%29pantwme%2Fnwn">ἀπαντωμένων</w>, <w lemma="h%29nagka%2Fzonto">ἠναγκάζοντο</w> <w lemma="panti%5C">παντὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="legome%2Fnw%7C">λεγομένῳ</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fxein">προσέχειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fda">ἐλπίδα</w> <w lemma="swmatopoiei%3Dn">σωματοποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prosde%2Fxesqai">προσδέχεσθαι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dt%27">τοῦτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29do%2Fkoun">ἐδόκουν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fsxein">πάσχειν</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws:">εἰκότως·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="mhde%5Cn">μηδὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29nu%2Fhtai">ἀνύηται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>, <w lemma="de%2Fh%7C">δέῃ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkhn">ἀνάγκην</w> <w lemma="e%29nergei%3Dsqai">ἐνεργεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%2Fs">συνεχές</w>, <w lemma="a%29pa%2Fgkh">ἀπάγκη</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnein">λαμβάνειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeso%2Fntes">ἐμπεσόντες</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fhsa%2Fn">ἐποίησάν</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ginome%2Fnwn">γινομένων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="a%29pedoki%2Fmasan">ἀπεδοκίμασαν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frxonta">ἄρχοντα</w>, <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="ei%28%2Flonto">εἵλοντο</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frxonta">ἄρχοντα</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Flla">ἄλλα</w> <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="para%2Floga">παράλογα</w>.
The Rhodians, dissatisfied with the turn of events, adopted strange resolutions and expedients, and fell into a condition like that of those afflicted by chronic sickness.
For such men, when, after following scrupulously all the treatment imposed on them and obeying the orders of their physician, they fail to see any sign of improvement, are often dissatisfied with the result and give up the treatment perforce, some of them taking the advice of performers of sacrifice and of soothsayers, and others resorting to all kinds of charms and amulets.
The same thing happened to the Rhodians. For when everything had turned out contrary to their expectations, they listened perforce to all kinds of advice and gave substance and welcome to every kind of hope.
And this seems quite natural; for when all reasonable action has failed and we are still compelled to go on doing something, we must perforce resort to unreasonable courses.
The Rhodians, therefore, having reached this condition acted as often happens in such cases, choosing magistrates whom they had rejected and acting unreasonably in other respects.