Polybius, Histories

Layout
Translation

Book 27 - Chapter 10

1
<w lemma="%2Atou%2Ftw%7C">Τούτῳ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aperse%2Fa">Περσέα</w> <w lemma="sumbai%3Dnon">συμβαῖνον</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fxlous:">ὄχλους·</w>
2
<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="ga%2Fr">γάρ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%2Fsas">ἐπιστήσας</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="h%29%2Freto">ἤρετο</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="parrhsi%2Fas">παρρησίας</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="bou%2Floint%27">βούλοιντ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="e%28%2Fna">ἕνα</w> <w lemma="pesei%3Dn">πεσεῖν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="thlikau%2Fthn">τηλικαύτην</w> <w lemma="u%28peroxh%5Cn">ὑπεροχὴν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="labei%3Dn">λαβεῖν</w> <w lemma="monarxikh%3Ds">μοναρχικῆς</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="e%29cousi%2Fas">ἐξουσίας</w>, <w lemma="a%29nupeuqu%2Fnou">ἀνυπευθύνου</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="tro%2Fpon">τρόπον</w>, <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnw">ὑπολαμβάνω</w> <w lemma="sunnoh%2Fsantas">συννοήσαντας</w> <w lemma="palinw%7Cdi%2Fan">παλινῳδίαν</w> <w lemma="poih%3Dsai">ποιῆσαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="metapesei%3Dn">μεταπεσεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tou%29nanti%2Fon:">τοὐναντίον·</w>
3
<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="braxe%2Fa">βραχέα</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fmnhse">ὑπέμνησε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="gegono%2Ftwn">γεγονότων</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedo%2Fnwn">Μακεδόνων</w> <w lemma="oi%29ki%2Fas">οἰκίας</w> <w lemma="dusko%2Flwn">δυσκόλων</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhsin">Ἕλλησιν</w>, <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="a%29rxh%3Ds">ἀρχῆς</w> <w lemma="sumfero%2Fntwn">συμφερόντων</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="li%2Fan">λίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="po%2Fdas">πόδας</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%5Cs">αὐτοὺς</w> <w lemma="u%28polamba%2Fnw">ὑπολαμβάνω</w> <w lemma="metamelhqh%3Dnai">μεταμεληθῆναι</w>.
4
<w lemma="plh%5Cn">πλὴν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29nepi%2Fstaton">ἀνεπίστατον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prw%2Fthn">πρώτην</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%5Cn">ὁρμὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29kfanh%5Cs">ἐκφανὴς</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="eu%29do%2Fkhsis">εὐδόκησις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="prosaggellome%2Fnois">προσαγγελλομένοις</w>, <w lemma="a%29smenizo%2Fntwn">ἀσμενιζόντων</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fdocon">παράδοξον</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="kaqo%2Flou">καθόλου</w> <w lemma="pe%2Ffhne%2F">πέφηνέ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="i%28kano%5Cs">ἱκανὸς</w> <w lemma="a%29ntagwnisth%5Cs">ἀνταγωνιστὴς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fois">Ῥωμαίοις</w>.
5
<w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="proh%2Fxqhn">προήχθην</w> <w lemma="ei%29pei%3Dn">εἰπεῖν</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%2F">μή</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29kri%2Ftws">ἀκρίτως</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="a%29xaristi%2Fan">ἀχαριστίαν</w> <w lemma="o%29neidi%2Fzh%7C">ὀνειδίζῃ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhsi">Ἕλλησι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w>, <w lemma="a%29gnow%3Dn">ἀγνοῶν</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="parepo%2Fmena">παρεπόμενα</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpois">ἀνθρώποις</w>. —
<head>The Unthinking Multitude</head>What happened in the case of Perseus in regard to the feeling of the multitude was very similar to this. For if any one had pulled them up and asked them plainly, in so many words, whether they wished such great power to fall to one man, and were desirous of trying the effect of an utterly irresponsible despotism,<pb n="366" />I presume that they would have promptly bethought themselves, recanted all they had said, and gone to the other extreme of feeling. Or if some one had briefly recalled to their recollection all the tyrannical acts of the royal house of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Macedonia&groupId=723&placeId=428">Macedonia</a> from which the Greeks had suffered, and all the benefits they had received from the Romans, I imagine they would have at once and decisively changed their minds. However, for the present, at the first burst of thoughtless enthusiasm, the people showed unmistakable signs of joy at the news, being delighted at the unlooked-for appearance of a champion able to cope with <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a>. I say this much to prevent any one, in ignorance of human nature, from bringing a rash charge of ingratitude against the Greeks for the feelings which they displayed at that time. . . .