Polybius, Histories

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Book 4 - Chapter 42

1
<w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>. <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%5Cs">εἰκὸς</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fzein">θαυμάζειν</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="thlikou%3Dtoi">τηλικοῦτοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toiou%3Dtoi">τοιοῦτοι</w> <w lemma="potamoi%5C">ποταμοὶ</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w> <w lemma="r%28e%2Fontes">ῥέοντες</w> <w lemma="a%29perga%2Fzontai%2F">ἀπεργάζονταί</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="e%29kplhrou%3Dsi">ἐκπληροῦσι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fnton">Πόντον</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Fs">εἰκός</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29nagkai%3Don">ἀναγκαῖον</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto%2F">τοῦτό</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="profai%2Fnetai">προφαίνεται</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="o%29rqo%5Cn">ὀρθὸν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>.
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<w lemma="shmei%3Don">σημεῖον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllontos:">μέλλοντος·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fsw%7C">ὅσῳ</w> <w lemma="ga%2Fr">γάρ</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="%2Amaiw%3Dtis">Μαιῶτις</w> <w lemma="glukute%2Fra">γλυκυτέρα</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Apontikh%3Ds">Ποντικῆς</w> <w lemma="qala%2Ftths">θαλάττης</w>, <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="qewrei%3Dtai">θεωρεῖται</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Frousa">διαφέρουσα</w> <w lemma="profanw%3Ds">προφανῶς</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="%2Apontikh%5C">Ποντικὴ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28ma%3Ds">ἡμᾶς</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnos">χρόνος</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="w%28%3D%7C">ᾧ</w> <w lemma="peplhrw%3Dsqai">πεπληρῶσθαι</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnei">συμβαίνει</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Amaiw%3Dtin">Μαιῶτιν</w>, <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="la%2Fbh%7C">λάβῃ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="koilw%2Fmatos">κοιλώματος</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="koi%2Flwma">κοίλωμα</w>, <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="sumbh%2Fsetai">συμβήσεται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fnton">Πόντον</w> <w lemma="tenagw%2Fdh">τεναγώδη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gluku%5Cn">γλυκὺν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="limnw%2Fdh">λιμνώδη</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fws">παραπλησίως</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="%2Amaiw%2Ftidi">Μαιώτιδι</w> <w lemma="li%2Fmnh%7C">λίμνῃ</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qa%3Dtton">θᾶττον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="u%28polhpte%2Fon">ὑποληπτέον</w>. <w lemma="o%28%2Fsw%7C">ὅσῳ</w> <w lemma="mei%2Fzous">μείζους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="ei%29si%5Cn">εἰσὶν</w> <w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="r%28u%2Fseis">ῥύσεις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="e%29kpipto%2Fntwn">ἐκπιπτόντων</w> <w lemma="potamw%3Dn">ποταμῶν</w>.
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<w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29rh%2Fsqw">εἰρήσθω</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29pi%2Fstws">ἀπίστως</w> <w lemma="diakeime%2Fnous">διακειμένους</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fnnusqai">χώννυσθαι</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xwsqh%2Fsesqai%2F">χωσθήσεσθαί</w> <w lemma="pote">ποτε</w> <w lemma="sumbh%2Fsetai">συμβήσεται</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fnton">Πόντον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="li%2Fmnh">λίμνη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fnagos">τέναγος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstai">ἔσται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="thlikou%3Dton">τηλικοῦτον</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flagos">πέλαγος</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="ei%29rh%2Fsqw">εἰρήσθω</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ploi+zome%2Fnwn">πλοϊζομένων</w> <w lemma="yeudologi%2Fas">ψευδολογίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="teratei%2Fas">τερατείας</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="panti%5C">παντὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="legome%2Fnw%7C">λεγομένῳ</w> <w lemma="proskexhne%2Fnai">προσκεχηνέναι</w> <w lemma="paidikw%3Ds">παιδικῶς</w> <w lemma="a%29nagkazw%2Fmeqa">ἀναγκαζώμεθα</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29peiri%2Fan">ἀπειρίαν</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontes">ἔχοντες</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fxnh">ἴχνη</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqei%2Fas">ἀληθείας</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="poso%5Cn">ποσὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pikri%2Fnein">ἐπικρίνειν</w> <w lemma="dunw%2Fmeqa">δυνώμεθα</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="lego%2Fmenon">λεγόμενον</w> <w lemma="u%28po%2F">ὑπό</w> <w lemma="tinwn">τινων</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqw%3Ds">ἀληθῶς</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon">τοὐναντίον</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%5Cs">συνεχὲς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="eu%29kairi%2Fas">εὐκαιρίας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Abuzanti%2Fwn">Βυζαντίων</w> <w lemma="e%29pa%2Fnimen">ἐπάνιμεν</w>.
We should not therefore be surprised if such great rivers flowing continuously produce some such effect as I have stated, and finally fill up the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a>;
we must indeed anticipate this not as a probability but as a certainty if we reason rightly.
The following is an indication of what may be expected. The <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Palus&groupId=830&placeId=1500">Palus</a> Maeotis is at present less salt than the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a>, and we find that the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a> correspondingly is decidedly less salt than the Mediterranean. From which it is evident that when a period has elapsed which stands to the time it takes to fill up the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Palus&groupId=830&placeId=1500">Palus</a> Maeotis in the same proportion as the cubic capacity of the larger basin to that of the smaller, the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a> will become, like the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Palus&groupId=830&placeId=1500">Palus</a> Maeotis, a shallow fresh-water lake.
We must indeed anticipate this result still earlier, since the rivers that fall into the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a> are larger and more numerous.
What I have said may suffice to satisfy the doubts of those who are unwilling to believe that the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a> is filling up and will be filled up, and that so large a sea will be converted into a shallow lake.
But I speak especially in view of the falsehoods and sensational tales of seafarers, so that we may not be obliged owing to ignorance to listen greedily like children to anything that is told us, but having now some traces of the truth in our minds may be more or less able to form an independent judgement as to the truth or falsehood of the reports made by this or that person.