Polybius, Histories

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Book 29 - Chapter 17

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<w lemma="%2Aleu%2Fkios">Λεύκιος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fpatos">ὕπατος</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="e%28wrakw%5Cs">ἑωρακὼς</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flagga">φάλαγγα</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="para%2Fpan">παράπαν</w> <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="prw%3Dton">πρῶτον</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aperse%2Fws">Περσέως</w> <w lemma="pro%2Fs">πρός</w> <w lemma="tinas">τινας</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w> <w lemma="a%29nqwmologei%3Dto">ἀνθωμολογεῖτο</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rw%2Fmh%7C">Ῥώμῃ</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="mhde%5Cn">μηδὲν</w> <w lemma="e%28wrake%2Fnai">ἑωρακέναι</w> <w lemma="foberw%2Fteron">φοβερώτερον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="deino%2Fteron">δεινότερον</w> <w lemma="fa%2Flaggos">φάλαγγος</w> <w lemma="%2Amakedonikh%3Ds">Μακεδονικῆς</w>, <w lemma="kai%2Ftoi">καίτοι</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="pollou%5Cs">πολλοὺς</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="qeasa%2Fmenos">θεασάμενος</w> <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xeirisa%2Fmenos">χειρισάμενος</w> <w lemma="a%29gw%3Dnas">ἀγῶνας</w>, <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fllos">ἄλλος</w>. —
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<w lemma=""></w> <w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="polla%5C">πολλὰ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pinohma%2Ftwn">ἐπινοημάτων</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="fai%2Fnetai">φαίνεται</w> <w lemma="piqana%5C">πιθανὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dunata%2F">δυνατά</w>, <w lemma="parageno%2Fmena">παραγενόμενα</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fan">χρείαν</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="ki%2Fbdhla">κίβδηλα</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="nomisma%2Ftwn">νομισμάτων</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pu%3Dr">πῦρ</w>, <w lemma="ou%29ke%2Fti">οὐκέτι</w> <w lemma="poiei%3D">ποιεῖ</w> <w lemma="ta%29ko%2Flouqon">τἀκόλουθον</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="prw%2Ftais">πρώταις</w> <w lemma="e%29pinoi%2Fais">ἐπινοίαις</w>. — <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios:">Πολύβιος·</w>
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<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Aperseu%5Cs">Περσεὺς</w> <w lemma="mi%2Fan">μίαν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxwn">ἔχων</w> <w lemma="pro%2Flhyin">πρόληψιν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="nika%3Dn">νικᾶν</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="qnh%2Fskein">θνήσκειν</w>, <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fmeine">ὑπέμεινε</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3D%7C">ψυχῇ</w> <w lemma="a%29ll%27">ἀλλ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29pedeili%2Fa">ἀπεδειλία</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="proo%2Fptai">προόπται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28ppe%2Fwn">ἱππέων</w>. — <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios:">Πολύβιος·</w>
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<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2Aperseu%5Cs">Περσεὺς</w> <w lemma="prosago%2Fmenos">προσαγόμενος</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnon">χρόνον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="po%2Fnon">πόνον</w> <w lemma="e%29celu%2Feto">ἐξελύετο</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3D%7C">ψυχῇ</w>, <w lemma="kaqa%2Fper">καθάπερ</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="kaxektou%3Dntes">καχεκτοῦντες</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29qlhtw%3Dn:">ἀθλητῶν·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fte">ὅτε</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="deino%5Cn">δεινὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29ggi%2Fzoi">ἐγγίζοι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="de%2Foi">δέοι</w> <w lemma="kri%2Fnesqai">κρίνεσθαι</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Flwn">ὅλων</w>, <w lemma="ou%29x">οὐχ</w> <w lemma="u%28pe%2Fmeine">ὑπέμεινε</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="yuxh%3D%7C">ψυχῇ</w>. —
<head>Perseus Loses His Resolve</head>The consul Lucius Aemilius had never seen a phalanx<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note30">The phalanx at the battle of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pydna&groupId=919&placeId=1647">Pydna</a>, B. C. 168.</note>until he saw it in the army of Perseus on this occasion; and he often confessed to some of his friends at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> subsequently, that he had never beheld anything more alarming and terrible than the Macedonian phalanx: and yet he had been, if any one ever had, not only a spectator but an actor in many battles. . . .Many plans which look plausible and feasible, when brought to the test of actual experience, like base coins when brought to the furnace, cease to answer in any way to their original conceptions. . . .When Perseus came to the hour of trial his courage all left him, like that of an athlete in bad training. For when the danger was approaching, and it became necessary to fight a decisive battle, his resolution gave way. . . .As soon as the battle began, the Macedonian king played the coward and rode off to the town, under the pretext of sacrificing to Hercules,—who certainly does not accept craven gifts from cravens, nor fulfil unworthy prayers. . . .