Polybius, Histories

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Book 39 - Chapter 5

1
<w lemma="%2Atau%3Dta">Ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="dioikh%2Fsantes">διοικήσαντες</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="e%28%5Cc">ἓξ</w> <w lemma="mhsi%5Cn">μησὶν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="de%2Fka">δέκα</w> [<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w>] <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29arinh%3Ds">ἐαρινῆς</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fras">ὥρας</w> <w lemma="e%29nistame%2Fnhs">ἐνισταμένης</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fpleusan">ἀπέπλευσαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fan">Ἰταλίαν</w>, <w lemma="kalo%5Cn">καλὸν</w> <w lemma="dei%3Dgma">δεῖγμα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="proaire%2Fsews">προαιρέσεως</w> <w lemma="a%29poleloipo%2Ftes">ἀπολελοιπότες</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsi">πᾶσι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhsin">Ἕλλησιν</w>.
2
<w lemma="e%29netei%2Flanto">ἐνετείλαντο</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolubi%2Fw%7C">Πολυβίῳ</w> <w lemma="xwrizo%2Fmenoi">χωριζόμενοι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="po%2Fleis">πόλεις</w> <w lemma="e%29piporeuqh%3Dnai">ἐπιπορευθῆναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fnqrwpoi">ἄνθρωποι</w> <w lemma="a%29mfiba%2Fllousi">ἀμφιβάλλουσι</w> <w lemma="dieukrinh%3Dsai">διευκρινῆσαι</w>, <w lemma="me%2Fxris">μέχρις</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="sunh%2Fqeian">συνήθειαν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxwsi">ἔχωσι</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fa%7C">πολιτείᾳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmois">νόμοις</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="meta%2F">μετά</w> <w lemma="tina">τινα</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fhse">ἐποίησε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpous">ἀνθρώπους</w> <w lemma="ste%2Frcai">στέρξαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="dedome%2Fnhn">δεδομένην</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fan">πολιτείαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mhde%5Cn">μηδὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%2Frhma">ἀπόρημα</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29di%2Fan">ἰδίαν</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="koino%5Cn">κοινὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmwn">νόμων</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="mhdeno%2Fs">μηδενός</w>.
4
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29podexo%2Fmenoi">ἀποδεχόμενοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="timw%3Dntes">τιμῶντες</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w>, <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29sxa%2Ftous">ἐσχάτους</w> <w lemma="kairou%5Cs">καιροὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnas">προειρημένας</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="eu%29dokou%2Fmenoi">εὐδοκούμενοι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="megi%2Fstais">μεγίσταις</w> <w lemma="timai%3Ds">τιμαῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29ti%2Fmhsan">ἐτίμησαν</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fleis">πόλεις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="zw%3Dnta">ζῶντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="metalla%2Fcanta">μεταλλάξαντα</w>.
5
<w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fkrinan">ἔκριναν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn:">ποιεῖν·</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29cergasame%2Fnou">ἐξεργασαμένου</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gra%2Fyantos">γράψαντος</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="koinh%3Ds">κοινῆς</w> <w lemma="dikaiodosi%2Fas">δικαιοδοσίας</w> <w lemma="no%2Fmous">νόμους</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fkrita">ἄκριτα</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pollh%3Ds">πολλῆς</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fmonta">γέμοντα</w> <w lemma="taraxh%3Ds">ταραχῆς</w>.
6
<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="ka%2Flliston">κάλλιστον</w> <w lemma="%2Apolubi%2Fw%7C">Πολυβίῳ</w> <w lemma="pepra%3Dxqai">πεπρᾶχθαι</w> <w lemma="nomiste%2Fon">νομιστέον</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w>. —
The ten commissioners, having settled these matters in six months, left for <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> in the spring, leaving behind them a good example to the whole of Greece of the policy of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>.
On quitting Polybius, they enjoined him to visit the cities, and clear up any matters about which people were doubtful, until they grew accustomed to the constitution and laws;
and after a certain time he succeeded in making people accept the constitution granted to them, and saw to it that no difficulty on any subject arose either in public or in private due to the laws.
So that while they had from the first generally approved and honoured Polybius, in this latter period, and in their satisfaction with what he advised as I above narrated, each city now took every means to confer the highest honours on him during his life and after his death.
And this was universally thought to be fully justified; for had he not perfected and drawn up the laws on the subject of common jurisdiction, all would have remained undecided and in the utmost confusion.
So we should consider this to be the most brilliant achievement of Polybius among all those I mentioned.