Polybius, Histories

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Book 4 - Chapter 46

1
<w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dlqon">ἦλθον</w> <w lemma="perista%2Fsews">περιστάσεως</w>. <w lemma="ou%28%3Dtoi">οὗτοι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29ki%2Fnhsan">ἐκίνησαν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Abre%2Fnnon">Βρέννον</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%2Fas">οἰκείας</w>, <w lemma="diafugo%2Fntes">διαφυγόντες</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Adelfou%5Cs">Δελφοὺς</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parageno%2Fmenoi">παραγενόμενοι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fsponton">Ἑλλήσποντον</w>, <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29asi%2Fan">Ἀσίαν</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29peraiw%2Fqhsan">ἐπεραιώθησαν</w>, <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kate%2Fmeinan">κατέμειναν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="filoxwrh%3Dsai">φιλοχωρῆσαι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="%2Abuza%2Fntion">Βυζάντιον</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpois">τόποις</w>.
2
<w lemma="oi%28%5C">οἳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="krath%2Fsantes">κρατήσαντες</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Aqra%7Ckw%3Dn">Θρᾳκῶν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kataskeuasa%2Fmenoi">κατασκευασάμενοι</w> <w lemma="basi%2Fleion">βασίλειον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Atu%2Flin">Τύλιν</w>, <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerh%3D">ὁλοσχερῆ</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dgon">ἦγον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Abuzanti%2Fous">Βυζαντίους</w>.
3
<w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29rxa%5Cs">ἀρχὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29fo%2Fdois">ἐφόδοις</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="%2Akomonto%2Frion">Κομοντόριον</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="basileu%2Fsanta">βασιλεύσαντα</w> <w lemma="dw%3Dra">δῶρα</w> <w lemma="diete%2Floun">διετέλουν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2Abuza%2Fntioi">Βυζάντιοι</w> <w lemma="dido%2Fntes">διδόντες</w> <w lemma="a%29na%5C">ἀνὰ</w> <w lemma="trisxili%2Fous">τρισχιλίους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pentakisxili%2Fous">πεντακισχιλίους</w>, <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="muri%2Fous">μυρίους</w> <w lemma="xrusou%3Ds">χρυσοῦς</w>, <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3D%7C">ᾧ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="katafqei%2Frein">καταφθείρειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xw%2Fran">χώραν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w>.
4
<w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29nagka%2Fsqhsan">ἠναγκάσθησαν</w> <w lemma="o%29gdoh%2Fkonta">ὀγδοήκοντα</w> <w lemma="ta%2Flanta">τάλαντα</w> <w lemma="sugxwrh%3Dsai">συγχωρῆσαι</w> <w lemma="fo%2Fron">φόρον</w> <w lemma="telei%3Dn">τελεῖν</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29niauto%5Cn">ἐνιαυτὸν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Akau%2Faron">Καύαρον</w>, <w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="katelu%2Fqh">κατελύθη</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fa">βασιλεία</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnos">γένος</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29cefqa%2Frh">ἐξεφθάρη</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w>, <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="%2Aqra%7Ckw%3Dn">Θρᾳκῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="metabolh%3Ds">μεταβολῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pikrathqe%2Fn">ἐπικρατηθέν</w>.
5
<w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="kairoi%3Ds">καιροῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="fo%2Frwn">φόρων</w> <w lemma="piezou%2Fmenoi">πιεζούμενοι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="e%29pre%2Fsbeuon">ἐπρέσβευον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhnas">Ἕλληνας</w>, <w lemma="deo%2Fmenoi">δεόμενοι</w> <w lemma="sfi%2Fsi">σφίσι</w> <w lemma="bohqei%3Dn">βοηθεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sugxorhgei%3Dn">συγχορηγεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="periestw%3Dtas">περιεστῶτας</w> <w lemma="kairou%2Fs:">καιρούς·</w>
6
<w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fstwn">πλείστων</w> <w lemma="paroligwrou%2Fntwn">παρολιγωρούντων</w>, <w lemma="e%29nexei%2Frhsan">ἐνεχείρησαν</w> <w lemma="a%29panagkasqe%2Fntes">ἀπαναγκασθέντες</w> <w lemma="par">παρ</w>
These Gauls had quitted their homes together with Brennus and his Gauls, and after escaping from the disaster at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Delphi&groupId=534&placeId=363">Delphi</a> reached the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Hellespont&groupId=620&placeId=1141">Hellespont</a>, where instead of crossing to Asia, they remained on the spot, as they took a fancy to the country near <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Byzantium&groupId=415&placeId=767">Byzantium</a>.
Here when they had conquered the Thracians and had established their capital at Tylis, they placed the Byzantines in extreme danger.
At first, during the inroads made under Comontorius the first king, the Byzantines continued to pay on each occasion three thousand, five thousand, and sometimes even ten thousand gold pieces to save their territory from being laid waste,
and finally they were compelled to consent to pay an annual tribute of eighty talents down to the reign of Cavarus, during which the kingdom came to an end and the whole tribe were in their turn conquered by the Thracians and annihilated.
It was in these times that, being hard pressed by the tribute, they at first send embassies to the Greeks imploring them in their distress and danger.
But when most states paid no attention to their solicitations they were driven by sheer necessity to begin exacting duties from vessels trading with the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a>.