Polybius, Histories

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Book 9 - Chapter 13

1
<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="katorqou%3Dn">κατορθοῦν</w> <w lemma="mo%2Flis">μόλις</w> <w lemma="i%28kana%5C">ἱκανὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w>. <w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="xrh%5C">χρὴ</w> <w lemma="mhdeno%5Cs">μηδενὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29frontistei%3Dn">ἀφροντιστεῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Ftais">τοιαύταις</w> <w lemma="e%29pibolai%3Ds">ἐπιβολαῖς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%28goume%2Fnous">ἡγουμένους</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fsti">ἔστι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5C">ἀρχὴ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="siga%3Dn">σιγᾶν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="xara%5Cn">χαρὰν</w> <w lemma="parado%2Fcou">παραδόξου</w> <w lemma="profainome%2Fnhs">προφαινομένης</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdos">ἐλπίδος</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="fo%2Fbon">φόβον</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="sunh%2Fqeian">συνήθειαν</w> <w lemma="mh%2Fte">μήτε</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="filostorgi%2Fan">φιλοστοργίαν</w> <w lemma="metadido%2Fnai">μεταδιδόναι</w> <w lemma="mhdeni%5C">μηδενὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%2Fs">ἐκτός</w>, <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="koinou%3Dsqai">κοινοῦσθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>,
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<w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="proteqe%5Cn">προτεθὲν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="a%29gagei%3Dn">ἀγαγεῖν</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstou">ἑκάστου</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fas">χρείας</w> <w lemma="kairo%5Cs">καιρὸς</w> <w lemma="e%29panagka%2Fzh%7C">ἐπαναγκάζῃ</w>.
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<w lemma="xrh%5C">χρὴ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="siga%3Dn">σιγᾶν</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="glw%2Ftth%7C">γλώττῃ</w>, <w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3D%7C:">ψυχῇ·</w>
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<w lemma="polloi%5C">πολλοὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="kru%2Fyantes">κρύψαντες</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgous">λόγους</w> <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29th%3Ds">αὐτῆς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifa%2Fsews">ἐπιφάσεως</w>, <w lemma="pote%5C">ποτὲ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prattome%2Fnwn">πραττομένων</w> <w lemma="fanera%5Cs">φανερὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fhsan">ἐποίησαν</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%28autw%3Dn">ἑαυτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pinoi%2Fas">ἐπινοίας</w>.
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<w lemma="deu%2Fteron">δεύτερον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pegnwke%2Fnai">ἐπεγνωκέναι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="h%28merhsi%2Fous">ἡμερησίους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nukterina%5Cs">νυκτερινὰς</w> <w lemma="porei%2Fas">πορείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="dianu%2Fsmata">διανύσματα</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w>, <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="gh%3Dn">γῆν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="qa%2Flattan">θάλατταν</w>.
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<w lemma="tri%2Fton">τρίτον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgiston">μέγιστον</w>, <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="perie%2Fxontos">περιέχοντος</w> <w lemma="kairw%3Dn">καιρῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fnnoian">ἔννοιαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnasqai">δύνασθαι</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kriqe%5Cn">κριθὲν</w> <w lemma="eu%29stoxei%3Dn">εὐστοχεῖν</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mh%5Cn">μὴν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcews">πράξεως</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="mikrw%3D%7C">μικρῷ</w> <w lemma="qete%2Fon">θετέον</w>, <w lemma="e%29peidh%5C">ἐπειδὴ</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29du%2Fnata">ἀδύνατα</w> <w lemma="dokou%3Dnt%27">δοκοῦντ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="dunata%2F">δυνατά</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="dunata%5C">δυνατὰ</w> <w lemma="pe%2Ffhnen">πέφηνεν</w> <w lemma="a%29du%2Fnata">ἀδύνατα</w>.
9
<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="teleutai%3Don">τελευταῖον</w> <w lemma="sunqhma%2Ftwn">συνθημάτων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parasunqhma%2Ftwn">παρασυνθημάτων</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29klogh%3Ds">ἐκλογῆς</w>, <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="meq%27">μεθ᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="e%29nerghqh%2Fsetai">ἐνεργηθήσεται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kriqe%2Fn">κριθέν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="o%29ligwrhte%2Fon">ὀλιγωρητέον</w>.
Therefore in such enterprises commanders must be careful about every detail.
The first and foremost requisite is to keep silence, and never either from joy if some unexpected hope shall present itself, or from fear, or from familiarity with or affection for certain persons, to reveal one's design to anyone unconcerned in it,
but to communicate it only to those without whom it cannot be put in execution, and even to these not earlier than when the need of their services renders it imperative.
And we must keep not only our tongues tied but even more so our minds.
For many who have kept their own counsel have revealed their projects either by the expression of their faces or by their actions.
The second requisite is to be well versed in the question of night and day movements and voyages, knowing exactly how far they will bring us, not only by land but also by sea.
The third and most important is to have a notion of time and season and to be able to hit on the right ones for our design.
Nor is the place fixed for the intended coup de main a matter of small importance; for often this shows seemingly possible ones to be impossible.
Finally, we must pay due attention to signals and counter signals, and to the choice of those by whose agency and in whose company our project is to be executed.