Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 16 - Chapter 10

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="suntelesqh%3Dnai">συντελεσθῆναι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Ala%2Fdhn">Λάδην</w> <w lemma="naumaxi%2Fan">ναυμαχίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fous">Ῥοδίους</w> <w lemma="e%29kpodw%5Cn">ἐκποδὼν</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29%2Fattalon">Ἄτταλον</w> <w lemma="mhde%2Fpw">μηδέπω</w> <w lemma="summemixe%2Fnai">συμμεμιχέναι</w>, <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="e%29ch%3Dn">ἐξῆν</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="telei%3Dn">τελεῖν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="%2Afili%2Fppw%7C">Φιλίππῳ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="plou%3Dn">πλοῦν</w>. <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="ou%28%3D">οὗ</w> <w lemma="dh%5C">δὴ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ma%2Flist%27">μάλιστ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="katama%2Fqoi">καταμάθοι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="maniw%2Fdh">μανιώδη</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenon">γενόμενον</w> <w lemma="%2Afi%2Flippon">Φίλιππον</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="pra%3Dcai">πρᾶξαι</w>. — <w lemma="%2Ati%2F">Τί</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%3Ds">ὁρμῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pilabo%2Fmenon">ἐπιλαβόμενον</w>;
2
<w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fteron">ἕτερον</w> <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsis">φύσις</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>.
3
<w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="pollou%3D">πολλοῦ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29ni%2Fote">ἐνίοτε</w> <w lemma="polloi%5C">πολλοὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29duna%2Ftwn">ἀδυνάτων</w> <w lemma="e%29fi%2Fentai">ἐφίενται</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgeqos">μέγεθος</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="profainome%2Fnwn">προφαινομένων</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdwn">ἐλπίδων</w>, <w lemma="kratou%2Fshs">κρατούσης</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29piqumi%2Fas">ἐπιθυμίας</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%28ka%2Fstou">ἑκάστου</w> <w lemma="logismw%3Dn:">λογισμῶν·</w>
4
<w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29ggi%2Fswsi">ἐγγίσωσι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Frgois">ἔργοις</w>, <w lemma="ou%29deni%5C">οὐδενὶ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgw%7C">λόγῳ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="a%29fi%2Fstantai">ἀφίστανται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proqe%2Fsewn">προθέσεων</w>, <w lemma="e%29piskotou%2Fmenoi">ἐπισκοτούμενοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paralogizo%2Fmenoi">παραλογιζόμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="logismoi%3Ds">λογισμοῖς</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29mhxani%2Fan">ἀμηχανίαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="dusxrhsti%2Fan">δυσχρηστίαν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29pantwme%2Fnwn">ἀπαντωμένων</w>. —
<head>The Indecisive Battle of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Chios&groupId=462&placeId=863">Chios</a> Was Followed by Another Off <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lade&groupId=663&placeId=1213">Lade</a>, in Which Philip Was Partly Successful<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified"><quote lang="la">Jam cum Rhodiis et Attalo navalibus certaminibus, neutro feliciter, vires expertus.</quote><bibl n="Liv. 31.14" default="NO" valid="yes">Livy, 31, 14</bibl>.</note></head>After the battle of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Lade&groupId=663&placeId=1213">Lade</a>, the Rhodians being out of his way, and Attalus not having yet appeared on the scene, it is clear that Philip might have accomplished his voyage to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>. And here we have evidence stronger than any other of Philip's infatuation in acting as he did. What, then, prevented his design? Nothing in the world but what always occurs in the natural course of affairs. For at a distance many men at times desire the impossible from the extravagant prospects it holds out, their ambition over-mastering their reason;<pb n="180" />but when they approach the moment of action they quite as irrationally abandon their purpose, because their calculations are obscured and confused by the embarrassments and difficulties which meet them.