<head lang="la">X. De Alexandria, Aegypti Urbe</head><w lemma="%2A%28o">Ὁ</w> <w lemma="gou%3Dn">γοῦν</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="gegonw%5Cs">γεγονὼς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flei">πόλει</w> <w lemma="bdelu%2Fttetai">βδελύττεται</w>
<w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="to%2Fte">τότε</w> <w lemma="kata%2Fstasin">κατάστασιν</w> <w lemma="kai%2F">καί</w> <w lemma="fhsi">φησι</w> <w lemma="tri%2Fa">τρία</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnh">γένη</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="po%2Flin">πόλιν</w> <w lemma="oi%29kei%3Dn">οἰκεῖν</w>, <w lemma="to%2F">τό</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29gu%2Fption">Αἰγύπτιον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29pixw%2Frion">ἐπιχώριον</w> <w lemma="fu%3Dlon">φῦλον</w>, <w lemma="o%29cu%5C">ὀξὺ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="politiko%2Fn">πολιτικόν</w>,
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="misqoforiko%2Fn">μισθοφορικόν</w>, <w lemma="baru%5C">βαρὺ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polu%5C">πολὺ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29na%2Fgwgon:">ἀνάγωγον·</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqous">ἔθους</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="palaiou%3D">παλαιοῦ</w> <w lemma="ce%2Fnous">ξένους</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Ftrefon">ἔτρεφον</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fpla">ὅπλα</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxontas">ἔχοντας</w>, <w lemma="a%29%2Frxein">ἄρχειν</w> <w lemma="ma%3Dllon">μᾶλλον</w> <w lemma="h%29%5C">ἢ</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Frxesqai">ἄρχεσθαι</w> <w lemma="dedidagme%2Fnous">δεδιδαγμένους</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="basile%2Fwn">βασιλέων</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%2Fneian">οὐδένειαν</w>.
<w lemma="tri%2Fton">τρίτον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnos">γένος</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29alecandre%2Fwn">Ἀλεξανδρέων</w>, <w lemma="ou%29d%27">οὐδ᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5C">αὐτὸ</w> <w lemma="eu%29krinw%3Ds">εὐκρινῶς</w> <w lemma="politiko%5Cn">πολιτικὸν</w> <w lemma="dia%5C">διὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%5Cs">αὐτὰς</w> <w lemma="ai%29ti%2Fas">αἰτίας</w>, <w lemma="krei%3Dtton">κρεῖττον</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29kei%2Fnwn">ἐκείνων</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws:">ὅμως·</w>
<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="miga%2Fdes">μιγάδες</w>, <w lemma="%2A%28%2Fellhnes">Ἕλληνες</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmws">ὅμως</w> <w lemma="a%29ne%2Fkaqen">ἀνέκαθεν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dsan">ἦσαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="e%29me%2Fmnhnto">ἐμέμνηντο</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="koinou%3D">κοινοῦ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fnwn">Ἑλλήνων</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fqous">ἔθους</w>. <w lemma="h%29fanisme%2Fnou">ἠφανισμένου</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftou">τούτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqous">πλήθους</w>,
<w lemma="ma%2Flista">μάλιστα</w> <w lemma="u%28po%5C">ὑπὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aeu%29erge%2Ftou">Εὐεργέτου</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Afu%2Fskwnos">Φύσκωνος</w>, <w lemma="kaq%27">καθ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28%5Cn">ὃν</w> <w lemma="h%28%3Dken">ἧκεν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29aleca%2Fndreian">Ἀλεξάνδρειαν</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> —
<w lemma="katastasiazo%2Fmenos">καταστασιαζόμενος</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Afu%2Fskwn">Φύσκων</w> <w lemma="pleona%2Fkis">πλεονάκις</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="stratiw%2Ftais">στρατιώταις</w> <w lemma="e%29fi%2Fei">ἐφίει</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="plh%2Fqh">πλήθη</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="die%2Ffqeire">διέφθειρε</w> —
, <w lemma="toiou%2Ftwn">τοιούτων</w> <w lemma="dh%2F">δή</w>, <w lemma="fhsi%2Fn">φησίν</w>, <w lemma="o%29%2Fntwn">ὄντων</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="po%2Flei">πόλει</w>, <w lemma="loipo%5Cn">λοιπὸν</w> <w lemma="h%29%3Dn">ἦν</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fnti">ὄντι</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="poihtou%3D">ποιητοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Aai%29%2Fgupto%2Fnd%27">Αἴγυπτόνδ᾽</w> <w lemma="i%29e%2Fnai">ἰέναι</w> <w lemma="dolixh%5Cn">δολιχὴν</w> <w lemma="o%28do%5Cn">ὁδὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29rgale%2Fhn">ἀργαλέην</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w>.
|
<head>State of Alexandria</head>A personal visit to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a> filled me with disgust at the state of the city. It is inhabited by three distinct races,—native Egyptians, an acute and civilised race; secondly, mercenary soldiers (for the custom of hiring and supporting men-at-arms is an ancient one), who have learnt to rule rather than obey owing to the feeble character of the kings; and a third class, consisting of native Alexandrians, who have never from the same cause become properly accustomed to civil life, but who are yet better than the second class; for though they are now a mongrel race, yet they were originally Greek, and have retained some recollection of Greek principles. But this last class has become almost extinct, thanks to Euergetes Physcon, in whose reign I visited <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Alexandria&groupId=1063&placeId=1868">Alexandria</a>; for that king being troubled with seditions, frequently exposed the common people to the fury of the soldiery and caused their destruction. So that in this state of the city the poet's words only expressed the truth—<note anchored="yes" place="unspecified" id="note43">Homer,<bibl n="Hom. Od. 4.485" default="NO" valid="yes"><title>Odyss.</title>4, 485</bibl>.</note><quote><l>"To <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Egypt&groupId=556&placeId=368">Egypt</a> 'tis a long and toilsome road."</l></quote><pb />
|
|
Walbank Commentary