Polybius, Histories

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Book 33 - Chapter 17

1
<w lemma="%2A%28%2Foti">Ὅτι</w> <w lemma="oi%28">οἱ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w> <w lemma="dusqetou%2Fmenoi">δυσθετούμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnousin">συμβαίνουσιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="paralo%2Fgous">παραλόγους</w> <w lemma="tina%5Cs">τινὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29ne%2Fpesan">ἐνέπεσαν</w> <w lemma="o%28rma%5Cs">ὁρμὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="paraskeua%5Cs">παρασκευὰς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="paraplhsi%2Fan">παραπλησίαν</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dlqon">ἦλθον</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="poluxroni%2Fois">πολυχρονίοις</w> <w lemma="a%29rrwsti%2Fais">ἀρρωστίαις</w> <w lemma="duspotmou%3Dsi">δυσποτμοῦσι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%3Dnoi">ἐκεῖνοι</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w>, <w lemma="e%29peida%5Cn">ἐπειδὰν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fnta">πάντα</w> <w lemma="poiou%3Dntes">ποιοῦντες</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="qerapei%2Fas">θεραπείας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peiqarxou%3Dntes">πειθαρχοῦντες</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="i%29atroi%3Ds">ἰατροῖς</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnwntai">δύνωνται</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="be%2Fltion">βέλτιον</w> <w lemma="prokoph%3Ds">προκοπῆς</w> <w lemma="a%28%2Fyasqai">ἅψασθαι</w>, <w lemma="dusqetou%2Fmenoi">δυσθετούμενοι</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="sumbai%2Fnousin">συμβαίνουσιν</w> <w lemma="a%29poduspetei%3Dn">ἀποδυσπετεῖν</w> <w lemma="a%29nagka%2Fzontai">ἀναγκάζονται</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tine%5Cs">τινὲς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="qu%2Ftais">θύταις</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ma%2Fntesi">μάντεσι</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fxein">προσέχειν</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fnioi">ἔνιοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fshs">πάσης</w> <w lemma="e%29pw%7Cdh%3Ds">ἐπῳδῆς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="panto%5Cs">παντὸς</w> <w lemma="peria%2Fmmatos">περιάμματος</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnein">λαμβάνειν</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28%5C">ὃ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rodi%2Fous">Ῥοδίους</w> <w lemma="sune%2Fbaine:">συνέβαινε·</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntwn">πάντων</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcan">δόξαν</w> <w lemma="a%29pantwme%2Fnwn">ἀπαντωμένων</w>, <w lemma="h%29nagka%2Fzonto">ἠναγκάζοντο</w> <w lemma="panti%5C">παντὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="legome%2Fnw%7C">λεγομένῳ</w> <w lemma="prose%2Fxein">προσέχειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="e%29lpi%2Fda">ἐλπίδα</w> <w lemma="swmatopoiei%3Dn">σωματοποιεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="prosde%2Fxesqai">προσδέχεσθαι</w>.
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dt%27">τοῦτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29do%2Fkoun">ἐδόκουν</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fsxein">πάσχειν</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws:">εἰκότως·</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Ftan">ὅταν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="mhde%5Cn">μηδὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29nu%2Fhtai">ἀνύηται</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>, <w lemma="de%2Fh%7C">δέῃ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kat%27">κατ᾽</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgkhn">ἀνάγκην</w> <w lemma="e%29nergei%3Dsqai">ἐνεργεῖσθαι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="sunexe%2Fs">συνεχές</w>, <w lemma="a%29pa%2Fgkh">ἀπάγκη</w> <w lemma="pei%3Dran">πεῖραν</w> <w lemma="lamba%2Fnein">λαμβάνειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="lo%2Fgon">λόγον</w>.
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<w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ro%2Fdioi">Ῥόδιοι</w> <w lemma="e%29mpeso%2Fntes">ἐμπεσόντες</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="toiau%2Fthn">τοιαύτην</w> <w lemma="dia%2Fqesin">διάθεσιν</w> <w lemma="e%29poi%2Fhsa%2Fn">ἐποίησάν</w> <w lemma="ti">τι</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="ginome%2Fnwn">γινομένων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="a%29pedoki%2Fmasan">ἀπεδοκίμασαν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frxonta">ἄρχοντα</w>, <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w> <w lemma="pa%2Flin">πάλιν</w> <w lemma="ei%28%2Flonto">εἵλοντο</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frxonta">ἄρχοντα</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Flla">ἄλλα</w> <w lemma="tina%5C">τινὰ</w> <w lemma="para%2Floga">παράλογα</w>.
<head>Unreasonable Actions of the Rhodians</head>Dispirited with the course things were taking, the Rhodians entered upon some measures and designs which were strange and unreasonable. In fact, they were much in the same state as men suffering from chronic diseases. It frequently happens that such men, when, in spite of following all the rules of medicine and obeying the prescriptions of the doctors, they are unable to make any advance towards improvement, give up all such efforts in despair, and either listen wholly to priests and seers, or try every sort of charm or<pb n="478" />amulet. So it was with the Rhodians. When their hopes were baffled in every direction, they were reduced to listen to every kind of suggestion, and to magnify and accept every kind of chance. Nor was this unnatural. For when nothing dictated by reason proves successful, and yet some action or another must necessarily be pushed on, there is no alternative but to try something which does not depend on reason. The Rhodians, having come to this dilemma, acted accordingly; and, among other things that were in defiance of reason, reelected as their archon a man of whom they disapproved. . . .