Polybius, Histories

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Book 1 - Chapter 5

1
<w lemma="%2A%28upoqhso%2Fmeqa">Ὑποθησόμεθα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="bu%2Fblou">βύβλου</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fthn">πρώτην</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fbasin">διάβασιν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fas">Ἰταλίας</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w>. <w lemma="au%28%2Fth">αὕτη</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstin">ἔστιν</w> <w lemma="sunexh%5Cs">συνεχὴς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29f%27">ἀφ᾽</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="%2Ati%2Fmaios">Τίμαιος</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Flipen">ἀπέλιπεν</w>, <w lemma="pi%2Fptei">πίπτει</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29na%2Fthn">ἐνάτην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ei%29kosth%5Cn">εἰκοστὴν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="e%28kato%5Cn">ἑκατὸν</w> <w lemma="o%29lumpia%2Fda">ὀλυμπιάδα</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="r%28hte%2Fon">ῥητέον</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fh">εἴη</w> <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fte">πότε</w> <w lemma="susthsa%2Fmenoi">συστησάμενοι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fan">Ἰταλίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fsin">τίσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29formai%3Ds">ἀφορμαῖς</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="xrhsa%2Fmenoi">χρησάμενοι</w> <w lemma="diabai%2Fnein">διαβαίνειν</w> <w lemma="w%28%2Frmhsan">ὥρμησαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asikeli%2Fan:">Σικελίαν·</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fth%7C">ταύτῃ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="gh%3D%7C">γῇ</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="e%29pe%2Fbhsan">ἐπέβησαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29itali%2Fas">Ἰταλίας</w>.
3
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="r%28hte%2Fon">ῥητέον</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="diaba%2Fsews">διαβάσεως</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="yilw%3Ds">ψιλῶς</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pizhtou%2Fshs">ἐπιζητούσης</w> <w lemma="a%29nupo%2Fstatos">ἀνυπόστατος</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flhs">ὅλης</w> <w lemma="u%28poqe%2Fsews">ὑποθέσεως</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5C">ἀρχὴ</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnhtai">γένηται</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="qewri%2Fa">θεωρία</w>.
4
<w lemma="lhpte%2Fon">ληπτέον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kairoi%3Ds">καιροῖς</w> <w lemma="o%28mologoume%2Fnhn">ὁμολογουμένην</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gnwrizome%2Fnhn">γνωριζομένην</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%5Cn">ἀρχὴν</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpasi">ἅπασι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fgmasi">πράγμασι</w> <w lemma="duname%2Fnhn">δυναμένην</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%28th%3Ds">αὑτῆς</w> <w lemma="qewrei%3Dsqai">θεωρεῖσθαι</w>, <w lemma="ka%29%5Cn">κἂν</w> <w lemma="de%2Fh%7C">δέῃ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnois">χρόνοις</w> <w lemma="braxu%5C">βραχὺ</w> <w lemma="prosanadramo%2Fntas">προσαναδραμόντας</w> <w lemma="kefalaiw%2Fdh">κεφαλαιώδη</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="metacu%5C">μεταξὺ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="poih%2Fsasqai">ποιήσασθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fmnhsin">ἀνάμνησιν</w>.
5
<w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29gnooume%2Fnhs">ἀγνοουμένης</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="nh%5C">νὴ</w> <w lemma="%2Adi%2F%27">Δί᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29mfisbhtoume%2Fnhs">ἀμφισβητουμένης</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5C">οὐδὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28ch%3Ds">ἑξῆς</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Do%2Fn">οἷόν</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="paradoxh%3Ds">παραδοχῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29ciwqh%3Dnai">ἀξιωθῆναι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstews:">πίστεως·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w> <w lemma="o%28mologoume%2Fnh">ὁμολογουμένη</w> <w lemma="paraskeuasqh%3D%7C">παρασκευασθῇ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fca">δόξα</w>, <w lemma="to%2Ft%27">τότ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Fdh">ἤδη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Ds">πᾶς</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="sunexh%5Cs">συνεχὴς</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgos">λόγος</w> <w lemma="a%29podoxh%3Ds">ἀποδοχῆς</w> <w lemma="tugxa%2Fnei">τυγχάνει</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29kou%2Fousin">ἀκούουσιν</w>.
<head>The Romans in Sicily</head>I shall adopt as the starting-point of this book the first occasion on which the Romans crossed<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note10">B. C. 264-261. I begin my preliminary account in the 129th Olympiad, and with the circumstances which took the Romans to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a>.</note>the sea from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a>. This is just where the History of Timaeus left off; and it falls in the 129th Olympiad. I shall accordingly have to describe what the state of their affairs in <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> was, how long that settlement had lasted, and on what resources they reckoned, when they resolved to invade <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sicily&groupId=973&placeId=1724">Sicily</a>. For this was the first place outside <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Italy&groupId=656&placeId=1199">Italy</a> in which they set foot. The precise cause of their thus crossing I must state without comment; for if I let one cause lead me back to another, my point of departure will always elude my grasp, and I shall never arrive at the view of my subject which I wish to present. As to dates, then, I must fix on some era agreed upon and recognised by all: and as to events, one that admits of distinctly separate treatment; even though I may be obliged to go back some short way in point of time, and take a summary review of the intermediate transactions. For if the facts with which one starts are unknown, or even open to controversy, all that comes after will fail of approval and belief. But opinion being once formed on that point, and a general assent obtained, all the succeeding narrative becomes intelligible.<pb n="6" />