Polybius, Histories

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Book 13 - Chapter 1a

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2A%29ale%2Fcandros">Ἀλέξανδρος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29twlo%5Cs">Αἰτωλὸς</w> <w lemma="nomoqetou%3Dntos">νομοθετοῦντος</w> <w lemma="%2Adwrima%2Fxou">Δωριμάχου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Asko%2Fpa">Σκόπα</w> <w lemma="a%29nte%2Flege">ἀντέλεγε</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="grafome%2Fnois">γραφομένοις</w>, <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pideiknu%2Fmenos">ἐπιδεικνύμενος</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="par%27">παρ᾽</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Ds">οἷς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffu">ἔφυ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="futo%2Fn">φυτόν</w>, <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fpote">οὐδέποτε</w> <w lemma="kate%2Flhce">κατέληξε</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fteron">πρότερον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="mega%2Flois">μεγάλοις</w> <w lemma="kakoi%3Ds">κακοῖς</w> <w lemma="peribalei%3Dn">περιβαλεῖν</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fpac">ἅπαξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="xrhsame%2Fnous:">χρησαμένους·</w> <w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="h%29ci%2Fou">ἠξίου</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="paro%5Cn">παρὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29poble%2Fpein">ἀποβλέπειν</w>,
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<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="koufisqh%2Fsontai">κουφισθήσονται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29nestw%2Ftwn">ἐνεστώτων</w> <w lemma="sunallagma%2Ftwn">συναλλαγμάτων</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllon:">μέλλον·</w>
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<w lemma="a%29%2Ftopon">ἄτοπον</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="polemou%3Dntas">πολεμοῦντας</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pneu%3Dma">πνεῦμα</w> <w lemma="proi+%2Fesqai">προΐεσθαι</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="te%2Fknwn">τέκνων</w> <w lemma="a%29sfalei%2Fas">ἀσφαλείας</w>, <w lemma="bouleuome%2Fnous">βουλευομένους</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mhde%2Fna">μηδένα</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnou">χρόνου</w>. —
<head>The Aetolians</head>FROM the unbroken continuity of their wars, and the extravagance of their daily lives, the Aetolians became involved<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note1">Straitened finances in Aetolia cause a revolution, B. C. 204.</note>in debt, not only without others noticing it, but without being sensible of it themselves. therefore naturally disposed to a change in their constitution, they elected Dorimachus and Scopas to draw out a code of laws, because they saw that they were not only innovators by disposition, but were themselves deeply involved in private debt. These men accordingly were admitted to the office and drew up the laws.When they produced them they were opposed by Alexander of Aetolia, who tried to show by many instances that innovation was a dangerous growth which could not be checked, and invariably ended by inflicting grave evils upon those who fostered it. He urged them therefore not to look solely to the exigencies of the hour, and the relief from their existing contracts, but to the future also. For it was a strange inconsistency to be ready to forfeit their very lives in war to preserve their children, and yet in their deliberations to be entirely careless of the future.