Polybius, Histories

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Book 6 - Chapter 50

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<w lemma="%2Ati%2Fnos">Τίνος</w> <w lemma="ou%29%3Dn">οὖν</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="tau%3Dta">ταῦτα</w> <w lemma="parece%2Fbhn">παρεξέβην</w>; <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fnhtai">γένηται</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w> <w lemma="sumfane%5Cs">συμφανὲς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fti">ὅτι</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="sfe%2Ftera">σφέτερα</w> <w lemma="bebai%2Fws">βεβαίως</w> <w lemma="diafula%2Fttein">διαφυλάττειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqeri%2Fan">ἐλευθερίαν</w> <w lemma="threi%3Dn">τηρεῖν</w> <w lemma="au%29ta%2Frkhs">αὐτάρκης</w> <w lemma="e%29sti%5Cn">ἐστὶν</w> <w lemma="h%28">ἡ</w> <w lemma="%2Alukou%2Frgou">Λυκούργου</w> <w lemma="nomoqesi%2Fa">νομοθεσία</w>,
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<w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="ge">γε</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dto">τοῦτο</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="te%2Flos">τέλος</w> <w lemma="a%29podexome%2Fnois">ἀποδεχομένοις</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="politei%2Fas">πολιτείας</w> <w lemma="sugxwrhte%2Fon">συγχωρητέον</w> <w lemma="w%28s">ὡς</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Ft%27">οὔτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fstin">ἔστιν</w> <w lemma="ou%29%2Fte">οὔτε</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgonen">γέγονεν</w> <w lemma="ou%29de%5Cn">οὐδὲν</w> <w lemma="ai%28retw%2Fteron">αἱρετώτερον</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="%2Alakwnikou%3D">Λακωνικοῦ</w> <w lemma="katasth%2Fmatos">καταστήματος</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunta%2Fgmatos">συντάγματος</w>.
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<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%2F">δέ</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="meizo%2Fnwn">μειζόνων</w> <w lemma="e%29fi%2Fetai">ἐφίεται</w>, <w lemma="ka%29kei%2Fnou">κἀκείνου</w> <w lemma="ka%2Fllion">κάλλιον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="semno%2Fteron">σεμνότερον</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="nomi%2Fzei">νομίζει</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="h%28gei%3Dsqai">ἡγεῖσθαι</w>, <w lemma="pollw%3Dn">πολλῶν</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29pikratei%3Dn">ἐπικρατεῖν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="despo%2Fzein">δεσπόζειν</w>, <w lemma="pa%2Fntas">πάντας</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%5Cn">αὐτὸν</w> <w lemma="a%29poble%2Fpein">ἀποβλέπειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="neu%2Fein">νεύειν</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fn">αὐτόν</w>,
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<w lemma="th%3D%7Cde%2F">τῇδέ</w> <w lemma="ph%7C">πῃ</w> <w lemma="sugxwrhte%2Fon">συγχωρητέον</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="%2Alakwniko%5Cn">Λακωνικὸν</w> <w lemma="e%29ndee%5Cs">ἐνδεὲς</w> <w lemma="ei%29%3Dnai">εἶναι</w> <w lemma="poli%2Fteuma">πολίτευμα</w>, <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%2Fwn">Ῥωμαίων</w> <w lemma="diafe%2Frein">διαφέρειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="dunamikwte%2Fran">δυναμικωτέραν</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxein">ἔχειν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="su%2Fstasin">σύστασιν</w>.
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<w lemma="dh%3Dlon">δῆλον</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dt%27">τοῦτ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="ge%2Fgone">γέγονε</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="pragma%2Ftwn">πραγμάτων</w>. <w lemma="%2Alakedaimo%2Fnioi">Λακεδαιμόνιοι</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="o%28rmh%2Fsantes">ὁρμήσαντες</w> <w lemma="e%29pi%5C">ἐπὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="katakta%3Dsqai">κατακτᾶσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28ellh%2Fnwn">Ἑλλήνων</w> <w lemma="h%28gemoni%2Fan">ἡγεμονίαν</w>, <w lemma="taxe%2Fws">ταχέως</w> <w lemma="e%29kindu%2Fneusan">ἐκινδύνευσαν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="sfete%2Fras">σφετέρας</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqeri%2Fas:">ἐλευθερίας·</w>
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<w lemma="%2A%28rwmai%3Doi">Ῥωμαῖοι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="%2A%29italiwtw%3Dn">Ἰταλιωτῶν</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29pilabo%2Fmenoi">ἐπιλαβόμενοι</w> <w lemma="dunastei%2Fas">δυναστείας</w>, <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="o%29li%2Fgw%7C">ὀλίγῳ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fnw%7C">χρόνῳ</w> <w lemma="pa%3Dsan">πᾶσαν</w> <w lemma="u%28f%27">ὑφ᾽</w> <w lemma="e%28autou%5Cs">ἑαυτοὺς</w> <w lemma="e%29poih%2Fsanto">ἐποιήσαντο</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="oi%29koume%2Fnhn">οἰκουμένην</w>, <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mikra%5C">μικρὰ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="kaqike%2Fsqai">καθικέσθαι</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fcews">πράξεως</w> <w lemma="tau%2Fths">ταύτης</w> <w lemma="sumballome%2Fnhs">συμβαλλομένης</w> <w lemma="au%29toi%3Ds">αὐτοῖς</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="eu%29pori%2Fas">εὐπορίας</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="e%28toimo%2Fthtos">ἑτοιμότητος</w> <w lemma="th%3Ds">τῆς</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="xorhgi%2Fas">χορηγίας</w>.
<head><a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a> Compared with Rome</head>My object, then, in this digression is to make it<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note76">Sparta fails where <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> succeeds.</note>manifest by actual facts that, for guarding their own country with absolute safety, and for preserving their own freedom, the legislation of Lycurgus was entirely sufficient; and for those who are content with these objects we must concede that there neither exists, nor ever has existed, a constitution and civil order preferable to that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a>. But if any one is seeking aggrandisement, and believes that to be a leader and ruler and despot of numerous subjects, and to have all looking and turning to him, is a finer thing than that,—in this point of view we must acknowledge that the Spartan constitution is<pb n="501" />deficient, and that of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Rome&groupId=935&placeId=1669">Rome</a> superior and better constituted for obtaining power. And this has been proved by actual facts. For when the Lacedaemonians strove to possess themselves of the supremacy in Greece, it was not long before they brought their own freedom itself into danger. Whereas the Romans, after obtaining supreme power over the Italians themselves, soon brought the whole world under their rule,—in which achievement the abundance and availability of their supplies largely contributed to their success.