Book fragments
6
(6, 1) It is the act of a wise and sensible man to recognise—as Hesiod puts it—how much greater the half is than the whole.Hesiod, Works and Days, 40, νήπιοι, οὐδὲ ἴσασιν ὅσῳ πλέον ἥμισυ παντός.
7
To learn sincerity towards the Gods is a kind of image of truthfulness towards each other.
8
It generally happens in the world that men who acquire have a natural turn for keeping; while those who succeed to wealth, without any trouble to themselves, are apt to squander it.
9
The strongest fortifications are in general dangerous to both sides; which may be illustrated from what occurs in the case of citadels. These last are regarded as contributing greatly to the security of the cities in which they stand, and to the protection of their freedom; but they often turn out to be the origin of slavery and indisputable misfortunes.Polybius is perhaps referring to the Acrocorinthus especially. But we must remember that many of the citadels in the third century B.C. were in the hands of Macedonian garrisons.
10
Some few approved of his doing so, but the majority objected, saying, some that it was folly, and others that it was madness for a man thus to risk and hazard his life, who was quite unacquainted with the kind of fighting in use among these barbarians.This has been referred by some to the account of Scipio Aemilianus’s single combat with the Spaniard. See 35, 5.
11
Secure retreat in case disaster fall.
