Polybius, Histories

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Book 21 - Chapter 38

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<w lemma="%2Axioma%2Fran">Χιομάραν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbh">συνέβη</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29ortia%2Fgontos">Ὀρτιάγοντος</w> <w lemma="ai%29xma%2Flwton">αἰχμάλωτον</w> <w lemma="gene%2Fsqai">γενέσθαι</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllwn">ἄλλων</w> <w lemma="gunaikw%3Dn">γυναικῶν</w>, <w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Agna%2Fios">Γνάιος</w> <w lemma="e%29ni%2Fkhsan">ἐνίκησαν</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fxh%7C">μάχῃ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29asi%2Fa%7C">Ἀσίᾳ</w> <w lemma="%2Agala%2Ftas">Γαλάτας</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="labw%5Cn">λαβὼν</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="taci%2Farxos">ταξίαρχος</w> <w lemma="e%29xrh%2Fsato">ἐχρήσατο</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="tu%2Fxh%7C">τύχῃ</w> <w lemma="stratiwtikw%3Ds">στρατιωτικῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="kath%2F%7Csxunen">κατῄσχυνεν</w>.
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<w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fra">ἄρα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="h%28donh%5Cn">ἡδονὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29rgu%2Frion">ἀργύριον</w> <w lemma="a%29maqh%5Cs">ἀμαθὴς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29krath%5Cs">ἀκρατὴς</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fnqrwpos">ἄνθρωπος</w>, <w lemma="h%28tth%2Fqh">ἡττήθη</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="filarguri%2Fas">φιλαργυρίας</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xrusi%2Fou">χρυσίου</w> <w lemma="suxnou%3D">συχνοῦ</w> <w lemma="diomologhqe%2Fntos">διομολογηθέντος</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="gunaiko%5Cs">γυναικὸς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dgen">ἦγεν</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29polutrw%2Fswn">ἀπολυτρώσων</w>, <w lemma="potamou%3D">ποταμοῦ</w> <w lemma="tinos">τινος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="me%2Fsw%7C">μέσῳ</w> <w lemma="diei%2Frgontos">διείργοντος</w>.
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<w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="diaba%2Fntes">διαβάντες</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2Agala%2Ftai">Γαλάται</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="xrusi%2Fon">χρυσίον</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdwkan">ἔδωκαν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="parela%2Fmbanon">παρελάμβανον</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Axioma%2Fran">Χιομάραν</w>, <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29po%5C">ἀπὸ</w> <w lemma="neu%2Fmatos">νεύματος</w> <w lemma="prose%2Ftacen">προσέταξεν</w> <w lemma="e%28ni%5C">ἑνὶ</w> <w lemma="pai%3Dsai">παῖσαι</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Don">Ῥωμαῖον</w> <w lemma="a%29spazo%2Fmenon">ἀσπαζόμενον</w> <w lemma="au%29th%5Cn">αὐτὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="filofronou%2Fmenon">φιλοφρονούμενον</w>,
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<w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnou">ἐκείνου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="peisqe%2Fntos">πεισθέντος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="kefalh%5Cn">κεφαλὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29poko%2Fyantos">ἀποκόψαντος</w>, <w lemma="a%29rame%2Fnh">ἀραμένη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peristei%2Flasa">περιστείλασα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ko%2Flpois">κόλποις</w> <w lemma="a%29ph%2Flaunen">ἀπήλαυνεν</w>.
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<w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dlqe">ἦλθε</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="kefalh%5Cn">κεφαλὴν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3D%7C">αὐτῷ</w> <w lemma="prou%2Fbalen">προύβαλεν</w>, <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnou">ἐκείνου</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fsantos">θαυμάσαντος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ei%29po%2Fntos">εἰπόντος</w> "<w lemma="%2A%29%3Dw">Ὦ</w> <w lemma="gu%2Fnai">γύναι</w>, <w lemma="kalo%5Cn">καλὸν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="pi%2Fstis">πίστις</w>" "<w lemma="nai%2F">ναί</w>", <w lemma="ei%29%3Dpen">εἶπεν</w> "<w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fllion">κάλλιον</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fna">ἕνα</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="zh%3Dn">ζῆν</w> <w lemma="e%29moi%5C">ἐμοὶ</w> <w lemma="suggegenhme%2Fnon">συγγεγενημένον</w>".
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<w lemma="tau%2Fth%7C">ταύτῃ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbio%2Fs">Πολύβιός</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgwn">λόγων</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2Asa%2Frdesi">Σάρδεσι</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenos">γενόμενος</w> <w lemma="qauma%2Fsai">θαυμάσαι</w> <w lemma="to%2F">τό</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="fro%2Fnhma">φρόνημα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="su%2Fnesin">σύνεσιν</w>. —
<head>A Gallic Woman Takes Vengeance</head>It chanced that among the prisoners made when<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note74">The vengeance of Chiomara, wife of the Gallic chief Ortiago. See<bibl n="Liv. 38.24" default="NO" valid="yes">Livy, 38, 24</bibl>.</note>the Romans won the victory at Olympus over the Gauls of Asia, was Chiomara, wife of Ortiago. The centurion who had charge of her availed himself of his chance in soldierly fashion, and violated her.He was a slave indeed both to lust and money: but eventually his love of money got the upper hand; and, on a large sum of gold being agreed to be paid for the woman, he led her off to put her to ransom. There being a river between the two camps, when the Gauls had crossed it, paid the man the money, and received the woman, she ordered one of them by a nod to strike the Roman as he was in the act of taking a polite and affectionate farewell of her. The man obeyed, and cut off the centurion's head, which she picked up and drove off with, wrapped in the folds of her dress: On reaching her husband she threw the head at his feet; and when he expressed astonishment and said: "Wife to keep faith is a good thing," she replied: "Yes; but it is a better thing that there should be only one man alive who has lain with me!" [Polybius says that he conversed with the<pb n="294" />woman at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sardis&groupId=948&placeId=1686">Sardis</a>, and was struck with her dignified demeanour and intelligence.]<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note75">This is really Plutarch's version of a story he found in Polybius, and, to judge from<bibl n="Liv. 38.24" default="NO" valid="yes">Livy, 38, 24</bibl>, not a very complete one. It took place near Ancyra. Plutarch<title lang="la">de mulierum virtutibus.</title></note>. . .