Polybius, Histories

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Book 16 - Chapter 32

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<w lemma="%2A%29ec">Ἐξ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%2Fpoi">εἴποι</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="legome%2Fnhn">λεγομένην</w> <w lemma="%2Afwkikh%5Cn">Φωκικὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%2Fnoian">ἀπόνοιαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29akarna%2Fnwn">Ἀκαρνάνων</w> <w lemma="eu%29yuxi%2Fan">εὐψυχίαν</w> <w lemma="u%28perhrke%2Fnai">ὑπερηρκέναι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29abudhnw%3Dn">Ἀβυδηνῶν</w> <w lemma="to%2Flman">τόλμαν</w>.
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<w lemma="%2Afwkei%3Ds">Φωκεῖς</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="dokou%3Dsi">δοκοῦσι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsia">παραπλήσια</w> <w lemma="bouleu%2Fsasqai">βουλεύσασθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagkai%2Fwn">ἀναγκαίων</w>, <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="a%29phlpisme%2Fnas">ἀπηλπισμένας</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontes">ἔχοντες</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="nika%3Dn">νικᾶν</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fdas">ἐλπίδας</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllein">μέλλειν</w> <w lemma="poiei%3Dsqai">ποιεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fndunon">κίνδυνον</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2Aqettalou%5Cs">Θετταλοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28pai%2Fqrois">ὑπαίθροις</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="parata%2Fcews:">παρατάξεως·</w> <w lemma="o%28moi%2Fws">ὁμοίως</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29akarna%2Fnwn">Ἀκαρνάνων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqnos">ἔθνος</w>,
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<w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="proido%2Fmenoi">προιδόμενοι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29twlw%3Dn">Αἰτωλῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ffodon">ἔφοδον</w>, <w lemma="e%29bouleu%2Fsanto">ἐβουλεύσαντο</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsia">παραπλήσια</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29nestw%2Ftwn:">ἐνεστώτων·</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fros">μέρος</w> <w lemma="h%28mei%3Ds">ἡμεῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="pro%5C">πρὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="i%28storh%2Fkamen">ἱστορήκαμεν</w>.
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<w lemma="%2A%29abudhnoi%5C">Ἀβυδηνοὶ</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w>, <w lemma="sugkekleisme%2Fnoi">συγκεκλεισμένοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sxedo%5Cn">σχεδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29phlpiko%2Ftes">ἀπηλπικότες</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="swthri%2Fan">σωτηρίαν</w>, <w lemma="pandhmei%5C">πανδημεὶ</w> <w lemma="proei%2Flonto">προείλοντο</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ei%28marme%2Fnhs">εἱμαρμένης</w> <w lemma="tuxei%3Dn">τυχεῖν</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="te%2Fknwn">τέκνων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="gunaikw%3Dn">γυναικῶν</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="zw%3Dntes">ζῶντες</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="pro%2Flhyin">πρόληψιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="pesei%3Dsqai">πεσεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="sfe%2Ftera">σφέτερα</w> <w lemma="te%2Fkna">τέκνα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="gunai%3Dkas">γυναῖκας</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29xqrw%3Dn">ἐχθρῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fan">ἐξουσίαν</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</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="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29abudhnw%3Dn">Ἀβυδηνῶν</w> <w lemma="peripetei%2Fas">περιπετείας</w> <w lemma="me%2Fmyaito">μέμψαιτο</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxh%7C">τύχῃ</w>, <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w> <w lemma="sumfora%5Cs">συμφορὰς</w> <w lemma="oi%28%3Don">οἷον</w> <w lemma="e%29leh%2Fsasa">ἐλεήσασα</w> <w lemma="parauti%2Fka">παραυτίκα</w> <w lemma="diwrqw%2Fsato">διωρθώσατο</w>, <w lemma="periqei%3Dsa">περιθεῖσα</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ni%2Fkhn">νίκην</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fma">ἅμα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="swthri%2Fan">σωτηρίαν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29phlpisme%2Fnois">ἀπηλπισμένοις</w>, <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="%2A%29abudhnw%3Dn">Ἀβυδηνῶν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29nanti%2Fan">ἐναντίαν</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dxe">εἶχε</w> <w lemma="dia%2Flhyin">διάληψιν</w>.
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<w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndres">ἄνδρες</w> <w lemma="a%29pe%2Fqanon">ἀπέθανον</w>, <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flis">πόλις</w> <w lemma="e%28a%2Flw">ἑάλω</w>, <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="te%2Fkna">τέκνα</w> <w lemma="su%5Cn">σὺν</w> <w lemma="au%29tai%3Ds">αὐταῖς</w> <w lemma="mhtra%2Fsin">μητράσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29ge%2Fneto">ἐγένετο</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29xqroi%3Ds">ἐχθροῖς</w> <w lemma="u%28poxei%2Fria">ὑποχείρια</w>.
<head>Courage of the Abydenians</head>This would justify us in saying that the gallantry of the<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note47">Comparison of this resolution of the Abydenians with similar ones of the Phocians and Acarnanians.</note>Abydenians outdid the proverbial Phocian recklessness and Acarnanian courage.<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note48">For the Phocians see<bibl n="Paus. 10.1.6" default="NO" valid="yes">Pausan. 10.1.6</bibl>. For the Acarnanians see<foreign lang="la">supra.</foreign><ref target="b9c40" targOrder="U">9, 40</ref>.</note>For the Phocians have the reputation of having adopted<pb n="198" />a similar resolution as to their families, but not because they despaired of victory, for they were about to fight a pitched battle with the Thessalians in the open field. So too the Acarnanians, upon the mere prospect of an Aetolian invasion, adopted a like resolution; the details of which I have already narrated. But the Abydenians, at a time when they were closely invested and in all but complete despair of being saved, elected by a unanimous resolution to meet their fate along with their children and wives, rather than to live any longer with the knowledge that their children and wives would fall into the power of the enemy. Therefore one might justly complain of Fortune for having, in the former cases, given victory and safety to those who despaired of them, while she adopted the opposite decision in regard to the Abydenians. For the men were killed, and the city was taken, but the children with their mothers fell into the hands of the enemy.