Polybius, Histories

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Book 7 - Chapter 10

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<w lemma="%2Aou%29%2Fshs">Οὔσης</w> <w lemma="dhmokrati%2Fas">δημοκρατίας</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2Amesshni%2Fois">Μεσσηνίοις</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29ciolo%2Fgwn">ἀξιολόγων</w> <w lemma="a%29ndrw%3Dn">ἀνδρῶν</w> <w lemma="pefugadeume%2Fnwn">πεφυγαδευμένων</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="katakeklhrouxhme%2Fnwn">κατακεκληρουχημένων</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="ou%29si%2Fas">οὐσίας</w> <w lemma="e%29pikratou%2Fntwn">ἐπικρατούντων</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w>, <w lemma="dusxerw%3Ds">δυσχερῶς</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fferon">ὑπέφερον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="i%29shgori%2Fan">ἰσηγορίαν</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fnontes">μένοντες</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxai%2Fwn">ἀρχαίων</w> <w lemma="politw%3Dn">πολιτῶν</w>. [<foreign lang="la">Suidas v.</foreign><w lemma="%2A%29ishgorei%3D">Ἰσηγορεῖ</w>.]
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2Ago%2Frgos">Γόργος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Amessh%2Fnios">Μεσσήνιος</w> <w lemma="ou%29deno%5Cs">οὐδενὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="deu%2Fteros">δεύτερος</w> <w lemma="%2Amesshni%2Fwn">Μεσσηνίων</w> <w lemma="plou%2Ftw%7C">πλούτῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnei">γένει</w>, <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fqlhsin">ἄθλησιν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29kmh%5Cn">ἀκμὴν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="e%29ndoco%2Ftatos">ἐνδοξότατος</w> <w lemma="e%29gego%2Fnei">ἐγεγόνει</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="gumnikou%5Cs">γυμνικοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29gw%3Dnas">ἀγῶνας</w> <w lemma="filostefanou%2Fntwn">φιλοστεφανούντων</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29pifa%2Fneian">ἐπιφάνειαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="loipou%3D">λοιποῦ</w> <w lemma="bi%2Fou">βίου</w> <w lemma="prostasi%2Fan">προστασίαν</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="plh%3Dqos">πλῆθος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="stefa%2Fnwn">στεφάνων</w>, <w lemma="ou%29deno%5Cs">οὐδενὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29lei%2Fpeto">ἐλείπετο</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28to%2Fn">αὑτόν</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="katalu%2Fsas">καταλύσας</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fqlhsin">ἄθλησιν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="politeu%2Fesqai">πολιτεύεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fttein">πράττειν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="patri%2Fdos">πατρίδος</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhse">ὥρμησε</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="e%29la%2Fttw">ἐλάττω</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcan">δόξαν</w> <w lemma="e%29cefe%2Freto">ἐξεφέρετο</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="u%28parxou%2Fshs">ὑπαρχούσης</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w>,
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<w lemma="plei%3Dston">πλεῖστον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fxein">ἀπέχειν</w> <w lemma="dokw%3Dn">δοκῶν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29qlhtai%3Ds">ἀθληταῖς</w> <w lemma="parepome%2Fnhs">παρεπομένης</w> <w lemma="a%29nagwgi%2Fas">ἀναγωγίας</w>, <w lemma="praktikw%2Ftatos">πρακτικώτατος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nounexe%2Fstatos">νουνεχέστατος</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="nomizo%2Fmenos">νομιζόμενος</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fan">πολιτείαν</w>. [<foreign lang="la">Exc. Peir. p. 13. Suidas v.</foreign><w lemma="%2Ago%2Frgos">Γόργος</w>.]
<head>Messene and Philip V</head>Democracy being established at Messene, the principal men having been banished and the government being in the hands of those to whom their property had been allotted, those of the old citizens who remained found it difficult to brook the equality which these men had assumed. . . .
Gorgus of Messene was second to none at Messene in wealth and birth, and by his athletic achievements in the season of his prime had become the most famous of all competitors in gymnastic contests.
Indeed in personal beauty, in general dignity of bearing, and in the number of the prizes he had won he was inferior to none of his contemporaries.
And when he had given up athletics and taken to politics and the service of his country, he gained in this sphere a reputation in no way beneath his former one, being very far removed from that boorishness which is apt to characterize athletes and being looked upon as a most able and level-headed politician. . . .