Polybius, Histories

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Book 6 - Chapter 38

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<w lemma="%2A%29ea%5Cn">Ἐὰν</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="pote">ποτε</w> <w lemma="tau%29ta%5C">ταὐτὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="sumbh%3D%7C">συμβῇ</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="shmai%2Fas">σημαίας</w> <w lemma="tina%5Cs">τινὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerw%3Ds">ὁλοσχερῶς</w> <w lemma="piesqei%2Fsas">πιεσθείσας</w> <w lemma="lipei%3Dn">λιπεῖν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpous">τόπους</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpantas">ἅπαντας</w> <w lemma="culokopei%3Dn">ξυλοκοπεῖν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="foneu%2Fein">φονεύειν</w> <w lemma="a%29podokima%2Fzousi">ἀποδοκιμάζουσι</w>, <w lemma="lu%2Fsin">λύσιν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmatos">πράγματος</w> <w lemma="eu%28ri%2Fskontai">εὑρίσκονται</w> <w lemma="sumfe%2Frousan">συμφέρουσαν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kataplhktikh%2Fn">καταπληκτικήν</w>.
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<w lemma="sunaqroi%2Fsas">συναθροίσας</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="strato%2Fpedon">στρατόπεδον</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="xili%2Farxos">χιλίαρχος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="proagagw%5Cn">προαγαγὼν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="me%2Fson">μέσον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="leloipo%2Ftas">λελοιπότας</w>, <w lemma="kathgorei%3D">κατηγορεῖ</w> <w lemma="pikrw%3Ds">πικρῶς</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="pe%2Fnte">πέντε</w>, <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%29ktw%2F">ὀκτώ</w>, <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fkosi">εἴκοσι</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flon">ὅλον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="ai%29ei%5C">αἰεὶ</w> <w lemma="stoxazo%2Fmenos">στοχαζόμενος</w>, <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="de%2Fkaton">δέκατον</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnesqai">γίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="h%28marthko%2Ftwn">ἡμαρτηκότων</w>, <w lemma="tosou%2Ftous">τοσούτους</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="klhrou%3Dtai">κληροῦται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29podedeiliako%2Ftwn">ἀποδεδειλιακότων</w>,
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="laxo%2Fntas">λαχόντας</w> <w lemma="culokopei%3D">ξυλοκοπεῖ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frti">ἄρτι</w> <w lemma="r%28hqe%2Fnta">ῥηθέντα</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="a%29paraith%2Ftws">ἀπαραιτήτως</w>, <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="loipoi%3Ds">λοιποῖς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Ftrhma">μέτρημα</w> <w lemma="kriqa%5Cs">κριθὰς</w> <w lemma="dou%5Cs">δοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29nti%5C">ἀντὶ</w> <w lemma="purw%3Dn">πυρῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fcw">ἔξω</w> <w lemma="keleu%2Fei">κελεύει</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frakos">χάρακος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29sfalei%2Fas">ἀσφαλείας</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="parembolh%2Fn">παρεμβολήν</w>.
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<w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="kindu%2Fnou">κινδύνου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fo%2Fbou">φόβου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="klh%3Dron">κλῆρον</w> <w lemma="e%29p%27">ἐπ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fson">ἴσον</w> <w lemma="e%29pikremame%2Fnou">ἐπικρεμαμένου</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsin">πᾶσιν</w>, <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="a%29dh%2Flou">ἀδήλου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="sumptw%2Fmatos">συμπτώματος</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxontos">ὑπάρχοντος</w>, <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="paradeigmatismou%3D">παραδειγματισμοῦ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="kriqofagi%2Fan">κριθοφαγίαν</w> <w lemma="o%28moi%2Fws">ὁμοίως</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnontos">συμβαίνοντος</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntas">πάντας</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="dunato%5Cn">δυνατὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29qismw%3Dn">ἐθισμῶν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Flhptai">εἴληπται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="kata%2Fplhcin">κατάπληξιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dio%2Frqwsin">διόρθωσιν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="sumptwma%2Ftwn">συμπτωμάτων</w>.
If the same thing ever happens to large bodies, and if entire maniples desert their posts when exceedingly hard pressed, the officers refrain from inflicting the bastinado or the death penalty on all, but find a solution of the difficulty which is both salutary and terror-striking.
The tribune assembles the legion, and brings up those guilty of leaving the ranks, reproaches them sharply, and finally chooses by lots sometimes five, sometimes eight, sometimes twenty of the offenders, so adjusting the number thus chosen that they form as near as possible the tenth part of those guilty of cowardice.
Those on whom the lot falls are bastinadoed mercilessly in the manner above described; the rest receive rations of barley instead of wheat and are ordered to encamp outside the camp on an unprotected spot.
As therefore the danger and dread of drawing the fatal lot affects all equally, as it is uncertain on whom it will fall; and as the public disgrace of receiving barley rations falls on all alike, this practice is that best calculated both the inspire fear and to correct the mischief.