<w lemma="%2Aei%29">Εἰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="h%28mw%3Dn">ἡμῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagra%2Ffousi">ἀναγράφουσι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="paralelei%3Dfqai">παραλελεῖφθαι</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="au%29th%3Ds">αὐτῆς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fas">ἱστορίας</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpainon">ἔπαινον</w>, <w lemma="i%29%2Fsws">ἴσως</w> <w lemma="a%29nagkai%3Don">ἀναγκαῖον</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="protre%2Fpesqai">προτρέπεσθαι</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntas">πάντας</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ai%28%2Fresin">αἵρεσιν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paradoxh%5Cn">παραδοχὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="u%28pomnhma%2Ftwn">ὑπομνημάτων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="mhdemi%2Fan">μηδεμίαν</w> <w lemma="e%28toimote%2Fran">ἑτοιμοτέραν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpois">ἀνθρώποις</w> <w lemma="dio%2Frqwsin">διόρθωσιν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="progegenhme%2Fnwn">προγεγενημένων</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%2Fmhs">ἐπιστήμης</w>.
<w lemma="e%29pei%5C">ἐπεὶ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="tine%5Cs">τινὲς</w> <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="poso%2Fn">ποσόν</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpos">ἔπος</w> <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3D%7C">ἀρχῇ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flei">τέλει</w> <w lemma="ke%2Fxrhntai">κέχρηνται</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftw%7C">τούτῳ</w>, <w lemma="fa%2Fskontes">φάσκοντες</w> <w lemma="a%29lhqinwta%2Fthn">ἀληθινωτάτην</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="paidei%2Fan">παιδείαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gumnasi%2Fan">γυμνασίαν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="politika%5Cs">πολιτικὰς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="i%28stori%2Fas">ἱστορίας</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fqhsin">μάθησιν</w>, <w lemma="e%29nargesta%2Fthn">ἐναργεστάτην</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnhn">μόνην</w> <w lemma="dida%2Fskalon">διδάσκαλον</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnasqai">δύνασθαι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxhs">τύχης</w> <w lemma="metabola%5Cs">μεταβολὰς</w> <w lemma="gennai%2Fws">γενναίως</w> <w lemma="u%28pofe%2Frein">ὑποφέρειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29llotri%2Fwn">ἀλλοτρίων</w> <w lemma="peripeteiw%3Dn">περιπετειῶν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%2Fmnhsin">ὑπόμνησιν</w>,
<w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ou%29deni%5C">οὐδενὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcai">δόξαι</w> <w lemma="kaqh%2Fkein">καθήκειν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kalw%3Ds">καλῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polloi%3Ds">πολλοῖς</w> <w lemma="ei%29rhme%2Fnwn">εἰρημένων</w> <w lemma="tautologei%3Dn">ταυτολογεῖν</w>, <w lemma="h%28%2Fkista">ἥκιστα</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28mi%3Dn">ἡμῖν</w>. <w lemma="au%29to%5C">αὐτὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fdocon">παράδοξον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w>,
<w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="proh%7Crh%2Fmeqa">προῃρήμεθα</w> <w lemma="gra%2Ffein">γράφειν</w>, <w lemma="i%28kano%2Fn">ἱκανόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="prokale%2Fsasqai">προκαλέσασθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parormh%3Dsai">παρορμῆσαι</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ne%2Fon">νέον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="presbu%2Fteron">πρεσβύτερον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fnteucin">ἔντευξιν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pragmatei%2Fas">πραγματείας</w>.
<w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxei">ὑπάρχει</w> <w lemma="fau%3Dlos">φαῦλος</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="r%28a%2F%7Cqumos">ῥᾴθυμος</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpwn">ἀνθρώπων</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="bou%2Floito">βούλοιτο</w> <w lemma="gnw%3Dnai">γνῶναι</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fni">τίνι</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnei">γένει</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="e%29pikrathqe%2Fnta">ἐπικρατηθέντα</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpanta">ἅπαντα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="oi%29koume%2Fnhn">οἰκουμένην</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flois">ὅλοις</w> <w lemma="penth%2Fkonta">πεντήκοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="trisi%5Cn">τρισὶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ftesin">ἔτεσιν</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fan">μίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpese">ἔπεσε</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>, <w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="eu%28ri%2Fsketai">εὑρίσκεται</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Fs">γεγονός</w>,
<w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws">οὕτως</w> <w lemma="e%29kpaqh%5Cs">ἐκπαθὴς</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="qeama%2Ftwn">θεαμάτων</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="maqhma%2Ftwn">μαθημάτων</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cs">ὃς</w> <w lemma="prourgiai%2Fteron">προυργιαίτερον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsaito">ποιήσαιτο</w> <w lemma="th%3Dsde">τῆσδε</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeiri%2Fas">ἐμπειρίας</w>;
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<head>Introduction</head><note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note1">Introduction. The importance and magnitude of the subject.</note>Had the praise of History been passed over by former Chroniclers it would perhaps have been incumbent upon me to urge the choice and special study of records of this sort, as the readiest means men can have of correcting their knowledge of the past. But my predecessors have not been sparing in this respect. They have all begun and ended, so to speak, by enlarging on this theme: asserting again and again that the study of History is in the truest sense an education, and a training for political life; and that the most instructive, or rather the only, method of learning to bear with dignity the vicissitudes of fortune is to recall the catastrophes of others. It is evident, therefore, that no one need think it his duty to repeat what has been said by many, and said well. Least of all myself: for the surprising nature of the events which I have undertaken to relate is in itself sufficient to challenge and stimulate the attention of every one, old or young, to the study of my work. Can any one be so indifferent or idle as not to care to know by what means, and under what kind of polity, almost the whole inhabited world was conquered and<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note2">B. C. 219-167.</note>brought under the dominion of the single city of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>, and that too within a period of not quite fifty-three years? Or who again can be so completely absorbed in other subjects of contemplation or study, as to think any of them superior in importance to the accurate understanding of an event for which the past affords no precedent.<pb n="2" />
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Walbank Commentary