Polybius, Histories

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Book 4 - Chapter 45

1
<w lemma="a%29kairi%2Fan">ἀκαιρίαν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllonta">μέλλοντα</w> <w lemma="r%28hqh%2Fsesqai">ῥηθήσεσθαι</w>. <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="%2Aqra%2F%7Ckhs">Θρᾴκης</w> <w lemma="ku%2Fklw%7C">κύκλῳ</w> <w lemma="periexou%2Fshs">περιεχούσης</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fst%27">ὥστ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="qala%2Ftths">θαλάττης</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="qa%2Flattan">θάλατταν</w> <w lemma="kaqh%2Fkein">καθήκειν</w>, <w lemma="a%29i%2Fdion">ἀίδιον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxousi">ἔχουσι</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dusxerh%3D">δυσχερῆ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%29%2Fte">οὔτε</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="paraskeuasa%2Fmenoi">παρασκευασάμενοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="krath%2Fsantes">κρατήσαντες</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29sa%2Fpac">εἰσάπαξ</w> <w lemma="a%29potri%2Fyasqai">ἀποτρίψασθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Doi%2F">οἷοί</w> <w lemma="t%27">τ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29si%5C">εἰσὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fxlwn">ὄχλων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="dunastw%3Dn:">δυναστῶν·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29a%5Cn">ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%28no%5Cs">ἑνὸς</w> <w lemma="perige%2Fnwntai">περιγένωνται</w>, <w lemma="trei%3Ds">τρεῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29pibai%2Fnousin">ἐπιβαίνουσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Flloi">ἄλλοι</w> <w lemma="baru%2Fteroi">βαρύτεροι</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fstai">δυνάσται</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fcantes">εἴξαντες</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sugkataba%2Fntes">συγκαταβάντες</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="fo%2Frous">φόρους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunqh%2Fkas">συνθήκας</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="poiou%3Dsi">ποιοῦσι</w> <w lemma="ple%2Fon:">πλέον·</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%28ni%5C">ἑνὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fwntai%2F">πρόωνταί</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w>, <w lemma="pentaplasi%2Fous">πενταπλασίους</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5C">αὐτὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="polemi%2Fous">πολεμίους</w> <w lemma="eu%28ri%2Fskousi">εὑρίσκουσι</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="a%29idi%2Fw%7C">ἀιδίῳ</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fxontai">συνέχονται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dusxerei%3D">δυσχερεῖ</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmw%7C:">πολέμῳ·</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29pisfale%2Fsteron">ἐπισφαλέστερον</w> <w lemma="a%29stugei%2Ftonos">ἀστυγείτονος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="barba%2Frou">βαρβάρου</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmou">πολέμου</w>;
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<w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="deino%2Fteron">δεινότερον</w>; <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fpan">παράπαν</w> <w lemma="kakoi%3Ds">κακοῖς</w> <w lemma="palai%2Fontes">παλαίοντες</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="gh%3Dn">γῆν</w>, <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="parepome%2Fnwn">παρεπομένων</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="pole%2Fmw%7C">πολέμῳ</w> <w lemma="kakw%3Dn">κακῶν</w>, <w lemma="u%28pome%2Fnousi%2F">ὑπομένουσί</w> <w lemma="tina">τινα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="timwri%2Fan">τιμωρίαν</w> <w lemma="%2Atanta%2Fleion">Ταντάλειον</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="poihth%2Fn:">ποιητήν·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fxontes">ἔχοντες</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w> <w lemma="gennaiota%2Fthn">γενναιοτάτην</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="diaponh%2Fswsi">διαπονήσωσι</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fthn">ταύτην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnhtai">γένηται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="karpw%3Dn">καρπῶν</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fllei">κάλλει</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Fron">διαφέρον</w>, <w lemma="ka%29%2Fpeita">κἄπειτα</w> <w lemma="paragenhqe%2Fntes">παραγενηθέντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="ba%2Frbaroi">βάρβαροι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="katafqei%2Frwsi">καταφθείρωσι</w>, <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="sunaqroi%2Fsantes">συναθροίσαντες</w> <w lemma="a%29pofe%2Frwsi">ἀποφέρωσι</w>,
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<w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frgwn">ἔργων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="dapa%2Fnhs">δαπάνης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="katafqora%5Cn">καταφθορὰν</w> <w lemma="qew%2Fmenoi">θεώμενοι</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fllos">κάλλος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="karpw%3Dn">καρπῶν</w> <w lemma="sxetlia%2Fzousi">σχετλιάζουσι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="bare%2Fws">βαρέως</w> <w lemma="fe%2Frousi">φέρουσι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sumbai%3Dnon">συμβαῖνον</w>.
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%29all%27">Ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Aqra%7Ckw%3Dn">Θρᾳκῶν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="sunh%2Fqeian">συνήθειαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nafe%2Frontes">ἀναφέροντες</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fmenon">ἔμενον</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="dikai%2Fwn">δικαίων</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhnas:">Ἕλληνας·</w>
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<w lemma="prosepigenome%2Fnwn">προσεπιγενομένων</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Agalatw%3Dn">Γαλατῶν</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Akomonto%2Frion">Κομοντόριον</w>
As <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Thrace&groupId=1030&placeId=509">Thrace</a> encompasses their territory so effectually as to extend from one sea to the other, they are engaged in perpetual and most difficult warfare with its inhabitants.
They cannot on the one hand rid themselves of the war once for all by a carefully prepared attack resulting in victory, owing to the number of the chieftains and their followers.
For if they get the better of one, three other more powerful chieftains are sure to invade their territory.
Nor are they at all better off if they give way and agree to terms and the payment of tribute; for the very fact of their making concessions to one chief raises against them enemies many times more numerous.
So that they are, as I said, involved in a warfare both perpetual and most difficult; for what can be more full of peril, what more terrible than a war with near neighbours who are at the same time barbarians? Nay, such being in general the adverse circumstances against which they have to struggle on land, they have in addition to the other evils attendant on war to suffer too something like the torments of Tantalus that Homer describes; for, owners as they are of a fertile country, when they have carefully cultivated it and a superb harvest is the result, and when the barbarians now appear and destroy part of the crops, collecting and carrying off the rest, then indeed, apart from their lost toil and expense, the very beauty of the harvest when they witness its destruction adds to their indignation and distress.
In spite of all, however, they continued to bear the burden to which they had grown accustomed of the war with the Thracians, without departing from their ancient engagements to the Greek states. But when they were attacked also by the Gauls under Comontorius, they found themselves in very grave danger.