Polybius, Histories

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Book 4 - Chapter 47

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<w lemma="agwgia%2Fzein">αγωγιάζειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fnton">Πόντον</w> <w lemma="ple%2Fontas">πλέοντας</w>. <w lemma="mega%2Flhs">μεγάλης</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29lusitelei%2Fas">ἀλυσιτελείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dusxrhsti%2Fas">δυσχρηστίας</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsin">πᾶσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fttein">πράττειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Abuzanti%2Fous">Βυζαντίους</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29cagome%2Fnwn">ἐξαγομένων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Apo%2Fntou">Πόντου</w>, <w lemma="deino%5Cn">δεινὸν</w> <w lemma="h%28gou%3Dnto">ἡγοῦντο</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="e%29neka%2Floun">ἐνεκάλουν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="ploi+zo%2Fmenoi">πλοϊζόμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fois">Ῥοδίοις</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="dokei%3Dn">δοκεῖν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftous">τούτους</w> <w lemma="proesta%2Fnai">προεστάναι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="qa%2Flattan">θάλατταν</w>. <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbh">συνέβη</w> <w lemma="fu%3Dnai">φῦναι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w>,
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<w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="i%28storei%3Dn">ἱστορεῖν</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllomen">μέλλομεν</w>. <w lemma="%2Aoi%28">Οἱ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w>,
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<w lemma="sunecegerqe%2Fntes">συνεξεγερθέντες</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="sfete%2Fran">σφετέραν</w> <w lemma="bla%2Fbhn">βλάβην</w>, <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pe%2Flas">πέλας</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fttwsin">ἐλάττωσιν</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="paralabo%2Fntes">παραλαβόντες</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="summa%2Fxous">συμμάχους</w> <w lemma="e%29pre%2Fsbeuon">ἐπρέσβευον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Abuzanti%2Fous">Βυζαντίους</w>, <w lemma="a%29ciou%3Dntes">ἀξιοῦντες</w> <w lemma="katalu%2Fsein">καταλύσειν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="paragw%2Fgion:">παραγώγιον·</w>
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<w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29ntrepome%2Fnwn">ἐντρεπομένων</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flois">ὅλοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="pepeisme%2Fnwn">πεπεισμένων</w> <w lemma="di%2Fkaia">δίκαια</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29ntikatasta%2Fsews">ἀντικαταστάσεως</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ekato%2Fdwron">Ἑκατόδωρον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29olumpio%2Fdwron">Ὀλυμπιόδωρον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fwn">Ῥοδίων</w> <w lemma="presbeuta%2Fs">πρεσβευτάς</w> —
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<w lemma="ou%28%3Dtoi">οὗτοι</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="proe%2Fsthsan">προέστησαν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2Abuzanti%2Fwn">Βυζαντίων</w> <w lemma="politeu%2Fmatos">πολιτεύματος</w> — <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29phlla%2Fghsan">ἀπηλλάγησαν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w> <w lemma="pera%2Fnantes">περάναντες</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fn">οὐδέν</w>,
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<w lemma="e%29panelqo%2Fntes">ἐπανελθόντες</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon">πόλεμον</w> <w lemma="e%29yhfi%2Fsanto">ἐψηφίσαντο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Abuzanti%2Fois">Βυζαντίοις</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnas">προειρημένας</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parauti%2Fka">παραυτίκα</w> <w lemma="presbeuta%5Cs">πρεσβευτὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29cape%2Fstellon">ἐξαπέστελλον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="%2Aprousi%2Fan">Προυσίαν</w>, <w lemma="parakalou%3Dntes">παρακαλοῦντες</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flemon:">πόλεμον·</w> <w lemma="h%29%2F%7Cdesan">ᾔδεσαν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aprousi%2Fan">Προυσίαν</w> <w lemma="paratribo%2Fmenon">παρατριβόμενον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fk">ἔκ</w> <w lemma="tinwn">τινων</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w>
When general inconvenience and loss of profit was caused by the Byzantines levying duties on exports from the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pontus&groupId=910&placeId=1634">Pontus</a>, all the traders were aggrieved and brought their complaint before the Rhodians who were considered the supreme authority in maritime matters.
This was the origin of the war the history of which I am about to tell.
For the Rhodians, roused to action by the loss they suffered themselves and the detriment to neighbouring states, at first together with their allies sent an embassy to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Byzantium&groupId=415&placeId=767">Byzantium</a> demanding the abolition of the duty.
The Byzantines were not disposed to make any concession, being convinced of the justice of their cause by the terms in which Hecatodorus and Olympiodorus, their chief magistrates at the time, replied to the Rhodian envoys. The Rhodians therefore took their departure without having accomplished anything, and on their return war was declared by <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rhodes&groupId=931&placeId=1665">Rhodes</a> on <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Byzantium&groupId=415&placeId=767">Byzantium</a> for the reasons above stated.
They at once sent envoys to Prusias pressing him to take part in the war, for they knew that for various reasons he was offended with the Byzantines.