Polybius, Histories

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Book 9 - Chapter 2

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<w lemma="%2Apollw%3Dn">Πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pollaxw%3Ds">πολλαχῶς</w> <w lemma="e%29chriqmhme%2Fnwn">ἐξηριθμημένων</w> <w lemma="ta%2F">τά</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="genealogi%2Fas">γενεαλογίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mu%2Fqous">μύθους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="a%29poiki%2Fas">ἀποικίας</w>,
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="suggenei%2Fas">συγγενείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kti%2Fseis">κτίσεις</w>, <w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="a%29llo%2Ftria">ἀλλότρια</w> <w lemma="dei%3D">δεῖ</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgein">λέγειν</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="i%29%2Fdia">ἴδια</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="pragmateuo%2Fmenon">πραγματευόμενον</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5Cn">ἐστὶν</w> <w lemma="ai%29%2Fsxiston">αἴσχιστον</w>, <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="boulo%2Fmenon">βουλόμενον</w> <w lemma="prodh%2Flws">προδήλως</w> <w lemma="mataioponei%3Dn">ματαιοπονεῖν</w>, <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="o%28mologou%3Dnta">ὁμολογοῦντα</w> <w lemma="sunta%2Fttesqai">συντάττεσθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="fronti%2Fzein">φροντίζειν</w>, <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="progeneste%2Frwn">προγενεστέρων</w> <w lemma="i%28kanw%3Ds">ἱκανῶς</w> <w lemma="dedh%2Flwtai">δεδήλωται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parade%2Fdotai">παραδέδοται</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29piginome%2Fnois">ἐπιγινομένοις</w>.
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<w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="parelei%2Ffqh">παρελείφθη</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fneka">ἕνεκα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pleio%2Fnwn">πλειόνων</w> <w lemma="e%28te%2Frwn:">ἑτέρων·</w>
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<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pragmatiko%5Cs">πραγματικὸς</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpos">τρόπος</w> <w lemma="e%29nekri%2Fqh">ἐνεκρίθη</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kainopoiei%3Dsqai">καινοποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="sunexw%3Ds">συνεχῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kainh%3Ds">καινῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29chgh%2Fsews">ἐξηγήσεως</w> <w lemma="dei%3Dsqai">δεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="sumbato%5Cn">συμβατὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29rxai%2Fois">ἀρχαίοις</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29piginome%2Fnas">ἐπιγινομένας</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w> <w lemma="e%29caggei%3Dlai">ἐξαγγεῖλαι</w>,
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<w lemma="deu%2Fteron">δεύτερον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="w%29felimw%2Ftaton">ὠφελιμώτατον</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fn">μέν</w>, <w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w>, <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeiri%2Fas">ἐμπειρίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fxnas">τέχνας</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="prokoph%5Cn">προκοπὴν</w> <w lemma="ei%29lhfe%2Fnai">εἰληφέναι</w> <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28ma%3Ds">ἡμᾶς</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Fste">ὥστε</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dn">πᾶν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="parapi%3Dpton">παραπῖπτον</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kairw%3Dn">καιρῶν</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="meqodikw%3Ds">μεθοδικῶς</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnasqai">δύνασθαι</w> <w lemma="xeiri%2Fzein">χειρίζειν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="filomaqou%3Dntas">φιλομαθοῦντας</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="te%2Fryews">τέρψεως</w> <w lemma="stoxazo%2Fmenoi">στοχαζόμενοι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagnwsome%2Fnwn">ἀναγνωσομένων</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="w%29felei%2Fas">ὠφελείας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="prosexo%2Fntwn">προσεχόντων</w>, <w lemma="ta%29%2Flla">τἄλλα</w> <w lemma="pare%2Fntes">παρέντες</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="kathne%2Fxqhmen">κατηνέχθημεν</w>.
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<w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="sunefista%2Fnontes">συνεφιστάνοντες</w> <w lemma="e%29pimelw%3Ds">ἐπιμελῶς</w> <w lemma="h%28mw%3Dn">ἡμῶν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28pomnh%2Fmasi">ὑπομνήμασι</w> <w lemma="bebaio%2Ftata">βεβαιότατα</w> <w lemma="marturh%2Fsousi">μαρτυρήσουσι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="legome%2Fnois">λεγομένοις</w>.
Since genealogies, myths, the planting of colonies, the foundations of cities and their ties of kinship have been recounted by many writers and in many different styles,
an author who undertakes at the present day to deal with these matters must either represent the work of others as being his own, a most disgraceful proceeding, or if he refuses to do this, must manifestly toil to no purpose, being constrained to avow that the matters on which he writes and to which he devotes his attention have been adequately narrated and handed down to posterity by previous authors. So omitting these things for the above and various other reasons, I decided on writing a history of actual events; firstly, because there is always some novelty to them which demands novel treatment — since it was not in the power of the ancients to narrate events subsequent to their own time — and secondly, owing to the great practical utility of such a history, both formerly and especially at the present day, when the progress of the arts and sciences has been so rapid, that those who study history are, we may almost say, provided with a method for dealing with any contingency that may arise.
My aim, therefore, being not so much to entertain readers as to benefit those who pay careful attention, I disregarded other matters and was led to write this kind of history.
The best testimony to the truth of what I say will be that of those who study this work with due application.