Polybius, Histories

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Book 9 - Chapter 16

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<w lemma="toiou%3Dtoi">τοιοῦτοι</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fntes">πάντες</w>. <w lemma="h%28%3D%7C">ᾗ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="poihth%5Cn">ποιητὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fn">ἄν</w> <w lemma="tis">τις</w> <w lemma="e%29paine%2Fseie">ἐπαινέσειε</w>, <w lemma="dio%2Fti">διότι</w> <w lemma="pareisa%2Fgei">παρεισάγει</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%29odusse%2Fa">Ὀδυσσέα</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="h%28gemonikw%2Ftaton">ἡγεμονικώτατον</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fndra">ἄνδρα</w>, <w lemma="tekmairo%2Fmenon">τεκμαιρόμενον</w> <w lemma="e%29k">ἐκ</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="a%29%2Fstrwn">ἄστρων</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="mo%2Fnon">μόνον</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="plou%3Ds">πλοῦς</w>, <w lemma="a%29lla%5C">ἀλλὰ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="gh%3D%7C">γῇ</w> <w lemma="pra%2Fceis">πράξεις</w>.
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<w lemma="i%28kana%5C">ἱκανὰ</w> <w lemma="ga%5Cr">γὰρ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="para%5C">παρὰ</w> <w lemma="do%2Fcan">δόξαν</w> <w lemma="gino%2Fmena">γινόμενα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="duna%2Fmena">δυνάμενα</w> <w lemma="tugxa%2Fnein">τυγχάνειν</w> <w lemma="pronoi%2Fas">προνοίας</w> <w lemma="a%29kribou%3Ds">ἀκριβοῦς</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="pollh%5Cn">πολλὴν</w> <w lemma="a%29pori%2Fan">ἀπορίαν</w> <w lemma="paraskeua%2Fzein">παρασκευάζειν</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="polla%2Fkis">πολλάκις</w>,
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<w lemma="oi%28%3Don">οἷον</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fmbrwn">ὄμβρων</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="potamw%3Dn">ποταμῶν</w> <w lemma="e%29piforai%5C">ἐπιφοραὶ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="pa%2Fgwn">πάγων</w> <w lemma="u%28perbolai%5C">ὑπερβολαὶ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="xio%2Fnes">χιόνες</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fti">ἔτι</w> <w lemma="d%27">δ᾽</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="kapnw%2Fdhs">καπνώδης</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="sunnefh%5Cs">συννεφὴς</w> <w lemma="a%29h%5Cr">ἀὴρ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="ta%29%2Flla">τἄλλα</w> <w lemma="ta%5C">τὰ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsia">παραπλήσια</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftois">τούτοις</w>.
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<w lemma="ei%29">εἰ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="w%28%3Dn">ὧν</w> <w lemma="dunato%2Fn">δυνατόν</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="proi+de%2Fsqai">προϊδέσθαι</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%2Ftwn">τούτων</w> <w lemma="o%29ligwrh%2Fsomen">ὀλιγωρήσομεν</w>, <w lemma="pw%3Ds">πῶς</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="ei%29ko%2Ftws">εἰκότως</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fstois">πλείστοις</w> <w lemma="a%29poteuco%2Fmeqa">ἀποτευξόμεθα</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="au%28tou%2Fs">αὑτούς</w>;
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<w lemma="dio%2Fper">διόπερ</w> <w lemma="ou%29k">οὐκ</w> <w lemma="a%29frontisthte%2Fon">ἀφροντιστητέον</w> <w lemma="ou%29deno%5Cs">οὐδενὸς</w> <w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="proeirhme%2Fnwn">προειρημένων</w>, <w lemma="i%28%2Fna">ἵνα</w> <w lemma="mh%5C">μὴ</w> <w lemma="toiou%2Ftois">τοιούτοις</w> <w lemma="a%29logh%2Fmasi">ἀλογήμασι</w> <w lemma="peripi%2Fptwmen">περιπίπτωμεν</w> <w lemma="oi%28%2Fois">οἵοις</w> <w lemma="fasi%5C">φασὶ</w> <w lemma="peripesei%3Dn">περιπεσεῖν</w> <w lemma="e%28te%2Frous">ἑτέρους</w> <w lemma="te">τε</w> <w lemma="plei%2Fous">πλείους</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%5Cs">τοὺς</w> <w lemma="nu%3Dn">νῦν</w> <w lemma="u%28f%27">ὑφ᾽</w> <w lemma="h%28mw%3Dn">ἡμῶν</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgesqai">λέγεσθαι</w> <w lemma="me%2Fllontas">μέλλοντας</w> <w lemma="u%28podei%2Fgmatos">ὑποδείγματος</w> <w lemma="xa%2Frin">χάριν</w>.
<head>Example: Ulysses</head>And here one may mention with admiration that<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note35">The example of Ulysses. See<bibl n="Hom. Od. 5.270" default="NO" valid="yes">Odyss. 5, 270<foreign lang="la">sq.</foreign></bibl></note>Homer represents Ulysses, that truest type of a leader of men, taking observations of the stars, not only to direct his voyages, but his operations on land also. For such accidents as baffle expectation,<pb n="578" />and are incapable of being accurately reckoned upon, are quite sufficient to bring us to great and frequent distress, for instance, downpours of rain and rise of torrents, excessive frosts and snows, misty and cloudy weather, and other things like these;—but if we also neglect to provide for those which can be foreseen, is it not likely that we shall have ourselves to thank for frequent failures? None of these means then must be neglected, if we wish to avoid those errors into which many others are said to have fallen, as well as the particular generals whom I am about to mention by way of examples.