Polybius, Histories

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Book 5 - Chapter 32

1
<w lemma="taton">τατον</w>. <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxai%3Doi">ἀρχαῖοι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Fmisu">ἥμισυ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="panto%5Cs">παντὸς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="fa%2Fskontes">φάσκοντες</w> <w lemma="megi%2Fsthn">μεγίστην</w> <w lemma="parh%2F%7Cnoun">παρῄνουν</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="spoudh%5Cn">σπουδὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstois">ἑκάστοις</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frcasqai:">ἄρξασθαι·</w>
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<w lemma="dokou%3Dntes">δοκοῦντες</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolikw%3Ds">ὑπερβολικῶς</w> <w lemma="e%29llipe%2Fstero%2Fn">ἐλλιπέστερόν</w> <w lemma="moi">μοι</w> <w lemma="fai%2Fnontai">φαίνονται</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqei%2Fas">ἀληθείας</w> <w lemma="ei%29rhke%2Fnai">εἰρηκέναι</w>. <w lemma="qarrw%3Dn">θαρρῶν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fpeien">εἴπειεν</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="h%28%2Fmisu">ἥμισυ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="panto%2Fs">παντός</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="diatei%2Fnein">διατείνειν</w>.
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<w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frcasqai%2F">ἄρξασθαί</w> <w lemma="tinos">τινος</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="properilabo%2Fnta">προπεριλαβόντα</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="nw%3D%7C">νῷ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="sunte%2Fleian">συντέλειαν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pibolh%3Ds">ἐπιβολῆς</w> <w lemma="mhde%5C">μηδὲ</w> <w lemma="ginw%2Fskonta">γινώσκοντα</w> <w lemma="pou%3D">ποῦ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fnos">τίνος</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="e%29piba%2Flletai">ἐπιβάλλεται</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w>;
4
<w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="sugkefalaiw%2Fsasqai">συγκεφαλαιώσασθαι</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmata">πράγματα</w> <w lemma="deo%2Fntws">δεόντως</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="sunanafe%2Fronta">συναναφέροντα</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="po%2Fqen">πόθεν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ti%2F">τί</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29nestw%2Fsas">ἐνεστώσας</w> <w lemma="a%29fi%3Dktai">ἀφῖκται</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w>;
5
<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fsou">μέσου</w> <w lemma="nomi%2Fzontas">νομίζοντας</w> <w lemma="diatei%2Fnein">διατείνειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29rxa%2Fs">ἀρχάς</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fws">ἕως</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flous">τέλους</w>, <w lemma="plei%2Fsthn">πλείστην</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Ftas">ταύτας</w> <w lemma="poihte%2Fon">ποιητέον</w> <w lemma="spoudh%5Cn">σπουδὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgontas">λέγοντας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fontas">ἀκούοντας</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flwn">ὅλων</w>. <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="peiraso%2Fmeqa">πειρασόμεθα</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dn">ποιεῖν</w>.
For the ancients, saying that the beginning is half the whole, advised that in all matters the greatest care should be taken to make a good beginning.
And although this dictum is thought to be exaggerated, in my own opinion it falls short of the truth. One may indeed confidently affirm that the beginning is not merely half of the whole, but reaches as far as the end.
For how is it possible to begin a thing well without having present in one's mind the completion of one's project, and without knowing its scope, its relation to other things, and the object for which one undertakes it?
And again how is it possible to sum up events properly without referring to their beginnings, and understanding whence, how, and why the final situation was brought about?
So we should think that beginnings do not only reach half way, but reach to the end, and both writers and readers of a general history should pay the greatest attention to them. And this I shall endeavour to do.