Polybius, Histories

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Book 28 - Chapter 21

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<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29lai%3Dos">Εὐλαῖος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="eu%29nou%3Dxos">εὐνοῦχος</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fpeise">ἔπεισε</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="a%29nalabo%2Fnta">ἀναλαβόντα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="xrh%2Fmata">χρήματα</w>, <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fan">βασιλείαν</w> <w lemma="proie%2Fmenon">προιέμενον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29xqroi%3Ds">ἐχθροῖς</w>, <w lemma="u%28poxwrei%3Dn">ὑποχωρεῖν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="%2Asamoqra%2F%7Ckhn:">Σαμοθρᾴκην·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29f%27">ἐφ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%28%5C">ἃ</w> <w lemma="ti%2Fs">τίς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%5Cn">ἂν</w> <w lemma="e%29pisth%2Fsas">ἐπιστήσας</w> <w lemma="o%28mologh%2Fseien">ὁμολογήσειεν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="me%2Fgista">μέγιστα</w> <w lemma="kaka%5C">κακὰ</w> <w lemma="poiou%3Dsin">ποιοῦσιν</w> <w lemma="ai%28">αἱ</w> <w lemma="kakai%5C">κακαὶ</w> <w lemma="suntrofi%2Fai">συντροφίαι</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="a%29nqrw%2Fpous">ἀνθρώπους</w>;
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<w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="mhd%27">μηδ᾽</w>, <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenon">γενόμενον</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="deinw%3Dn">δεινῶν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%3Dton">τοσοῦτον</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpon">τόπον</w> <w lemma="a%29posta%2Fnta">ἀποστάντα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29xqrw%3Dn">ἐχθρῶν</w>, <w lemma="o%28rmh%3Dsai">ὁρμῆσαι</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kaqhko%2Fntwn">καθηκόντων</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Fllws">ἄλλως</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="thlikau%2Ftas">τηλικαύτας</w> <w lemma="a%29forma%5Cs">ἀφορμὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxonta">ἔχοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="to%2Fpwn">τόπων</w> <w lemma="kurieu%2Fonta">κυριεύοντα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tosou%2Ftwn">τοσούτων</w> <w lemma="plhqw%3Dn">πληθῶν</w>, <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="eu%29qe%2Fws">εὐθέως</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fqen">αὐτόθεν</w> <w lemma="a%29koniti%5C">ἀκονιτὶ</w> <w lemma="paraxwrh%3Dsai">παραχωρῆσαι</w> <w lemma="basilei%2Fas">βασιλείας</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pifanesta%2Fths">ἐπιφανεστάτης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="makariwta%2Fths">μακαριωτάτης</w>, <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="fh%2Fseie">φήσειε</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3Ds">ψυχῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29kteqhlumme%2Fnhs">ἐκτεθηλυμμένης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="diefqarme%2Fnhs">διεφθαρμένης</w> <w lemma="o%28losxerw%3Ds">ὁλοσχερῶς</w>; <w lemma="h%28%5Cn">ἣν</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine">συνέβαινε</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsei">φύσει</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxein">ὑπάρχειν</w>,
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<w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsin">φύσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fdei">ἔδει</w> <w lemma="katame%2Fmyasqai">καταμέμψασθαι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="mhdeni%5C">μηδενὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29kto%5Cs">ἐκτὸς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pife%2Frein:">ἐπιφέρειν·</w>
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<w lemma="e%29peidh%5C">ἐπειδὴ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcewn">πράξεων</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fsis">φύσις</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%5Cr">ὑπὲρ</w> <w lemma="au%28th%3Ds">αὑτῆς</w> <w lemma="a%29pelogh%2Fqh">ἀπελογήθη</w>, <w lemma="dei%2Fcasa">δείξασα</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2Aptolemai%3Don">Πτολεμαῖον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sta%2Fsimon">στάσιμον</w> <w lemma="i%28kanw%3Ds">ἱκανῶς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="gennai%3Don">γενναῖον</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="kindu%2Fnois">κινδύνοις</w> <w lemma="u%28pa%2Frxonta">ὑπάρχοντα</w>, <w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws">εἰκότως</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="genome%2Fnhs">γενομένης</w> <w lemma="a%29genni%2Fas">ἀγεννίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%3Ds">ὁρμῆς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2Asamoqra%2F%7Ckhn">Σαμοθρᾴκην</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fan">αἰτίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="spa%2Fdwna">σπάδωνα</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="suntrofi%2Fan">συντροφίαν</w> <w lemma="a%29nafe%2Froi">ἀναφέροι</w>. —
<head>Eulaeus Convinces Ptolemy to Give Up the Kingdom</head>The eunuch Eulaeus persuaded Ptolemy to collect his<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note60">The evil influence of Eulaeus upon Ptolemy Philometor. He advises him to yield to Antiochus and retire to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samothrace&groupId=945&placeId=1681">Samothrace</a>.</note>money, give up his kingdom to his enemies, and retire to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samothrace&groupId=945&placeId=1681">Samothrace</a>. This will be to any one who reflects upon it a convincing proof of the supreme mischief done by evil companions of boyhood. That a monarch so entirely out of reach of personal danger and so far removed from his enemies, should not make one effort to save his honour, while in possession too of such abundant resources, and master over such wide territory and such numerous subjects, but should at once without a blow surrender a most splendid and wealthy kingdom,—is not this the sign of a spirit utterly effeminate and corrupted? And if this had been Ptolemy's natural character, we must have laid the blame upon nature and not upon any external influence. But since by his subsequent achievements his natural character has vindicated itself, by proving Ptolemy to be sufficiently resolute and courageous in the hour of danger, we may clearly, without any improbability, attribute to this eunuch, and his companionship with the king in his boyhood, the ignoble spirit displayed by him on that occasion, and his idea of going to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Samothrace&groupId=945&placeId=1681">Samothrace</a>. . . .