§16.22a.1ὅτι Ἀντιόχου τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν τῶν Γαζαίων πόλιν πορθήσαντος φησὶν ὁ Πολύβιος· §16.22a.2ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ δίκαιον ἅμα καὶ πρέπον εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ τοῖς Γαζαίοις ἀποδοῦναι τὴν καθήκουσαν μαρτυρίαν.
Regarding King Antiochus plundering the city of the Gazaeans, Polybius says: "To me, it seems both just and proper at the same time to render the fitting testimony to the Gazaeans.
§16.22a.3οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέροντες ἀνδρείᾳ τῶν κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν πρὸς τὰς πολεμικὰς πράξεις, ἐν κοινωνίᾳ πραγμάτων καὶ τῷ τηρεῖν τὴν πίστιν πολὺ διαφέρουσι καὶ συλλήβδην ἀνυπόστατον ἔχουσι τὴν τόλμαν.
For while they in no way differ in courage from the inhabitants of Coele-Syria with respect to military operations, they differ greatly in their participation in common affairs and in maintaining their loyalty, and altogether they possess an irresistible courage.
§16.22a.4κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Περσῶν ἔφοδον ἐκπλαγέντων τῶν ἄλλων διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς δυναστείας, καὶ πάντων ἐγχειρισάντων σφᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς πατρίδας Μήδοις, μόνοι τὸ δεινὸν ὑπέμειναν πάντες, τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀναδεξάμενοι.
For during the invasion of the Persians, while the others were terrified by the magnitude of their power, and all surrendered themselves and their native lands to the Medes, they alone, all together, endured the danger by sustaining the siege.
§16.22a.5κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου παρουσίαν οὐ μόνον τῶν ἄλλων παραδεδωκότων αὑτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Τυρίων ἐξηνδραποδισμένων μετὰ βίας, καὶ σχεδὸν ἀνελπίστου τῆς σωτηρίας ὑπαρχούσης τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις πρὸς τὴν ὁρμὴν καὶ βίαν τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου, μόνοι τῶν κατὰ Συρίαν ὑπέστησαν καὶ πάσας ἐξήλεγξαν τὰς ἐλπίδας.
And on the arrival of Alexander, when not only the others had surrendered themselves, but even the Tyrians had been enslaved by force, and safety was almost hopeless for those who opposed the onslaught and violence of Alexander, they alone of the inhabitants of Syria stood their ground and put every hope to the test.
§16.22a.6τὸ δὲ παραπλήσιον ἐποίησαν καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἐνεστῶτας καιρούς· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπέλειπον τῶν ἐνδεχομένων, σπουδάζοντες διαφυλάξαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πτολεμαῖον πίστιν.
And they did the very same thing during the present times; for they left nothing undone of what was possible, striving to preserve their loyalty to Ptolemy.
§16.22a.7διὸ καθάπερ καὶ κατʼ ἰδίαν ἐπισημαινόμεθα τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασι, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον χρὴ καὶ κοινῇ τῶν πόλεων τὴν ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ ποιήσασθαι μνήμην, ὅσαι τῶν καλῶν ἐκ παραδόσεώς τι καὶ προθέσεως πράττειν εἰώθασιν.
Therefore, just as we individually record our commendation of good men in our memoirs, in the same way we ought to make a collective honorable mention of those cities which are accustomed to do something of noble deeds by tradition and deliberate purpose."