- Source
- Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.28.1-1.28.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
The Corcyraeans, accompanied by Lacedaemonian and Sicyonian envoys, go to Corinth and propose arbitration to resolve the dispute over Epidamnus, but the Corinthians demand a prior withdrawal, leading to a deadlock.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπύθοντο οἱ Κερκυραῖοι τὴν παρασκευήν, ἐλθόντες ἐς Κόρινθον μετὰ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Σικυωνίων πρέσβεων, οὓς παρέλαβον, ἐκέλευον Κορινθίους τοὺς ἐν Ἐπιδάμνῳ φρουρούς τε καὶ οἰκήτορας ἀπάγειν, ὡς οὐ μετὸν αὐτοῖς Ἐπιδάμνου.1
But when the Corcyraeans heard of their preparations, they went to Corinth in company with Lacedaemonian and Sicyonian envoys, whom they had taken with them, and bid the Corinthians withdraw the garrison and settlers who were in Epidamnus, on the ground that they had no share in Epidamnus.
εἰ δέ τι ἀντιποιοῦνται, δίκας ἤθελον δοῦναι ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ παρὰ πόλεσιν αἷς ἂν ἀμφότεροι ξυμβῶσιν· ὁποτέρων δ’ ἂν δικασθῇ εἶναι τὴν ἀποικίαν,2 τούτους κρατεῖν. ἤθελον δὲ καὶ τῷ ἐν Δελφοῖς μαντείῳ ἐπιτρέψαι.
And if they made any claim, they were willing to submit to arbitration in the Peloponnese before such cities as both sides should agree upon; and whichever party should be adjudged to possess the colony, they should hold it. They were also willing to refer the matter to the oracle at Delphi.
πόλεμον δὲ οὐκ εἴων ποιεῖν· εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀναγκασθήσεσθαι ἔφασαν, ἐκείνων βιαζομένων, φίλους ποιεῖσθαι οὓς οὐ βούλονται ἑτέρους τῶν νῦν ὄντων3 μᾶλλον ὠφελίας ἕνεκα.
But they urged them not to make war; otherwise, they said, if the Corinthians persisted in violence, they themselves would also be compelled, for the sake of assistance, to make friends of those whom they did not wish, other than their present ones.
οἱ δὲ Κορίνθιοι ἀπεκρίναντο αὐτοῖς, ἢν τάς τε ναῦς καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἀπὸ Ἐπιδάμνου ἀπαγάγωσι, βουλεύσεσθαι· πρότερον δ’ οὐ καλῶς ἔχειν τοὺς μὲν πολιορκεῖσθαι, αὐτοὺς δὲ δικάζεσθαι.4
The Corinthians replied to them that if they would withdraw both their ships and the barbarians from Epidamnus, they would deliberate; but before this was done, it was not proper for the one party to be besieged while they themselves were submitting to arbitration.
Κερκυραῖοι δὲ ἀντέλεγον, ἢν καὶ ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς ἐν Ἐπιδάμνῳ ἀπαγάγωσι, ποιήσειν ταῦτα· ἑτοῖμοι δὲ εἶναι καὶ ὥστε ἀμφοτέρους μένειν κατὰ χώραν, σπονδὰς δὲ ποιήσασθαι ἕως ἂν ἡ δίκη γένηται.
The Corcyraeans countered that they would do this if the Corinthians also withdrew those who were in Epidamnus; and they were also ready that both sides should remain in their respective positions and make a truce until the trial should take place.
- 1.28.1ὡς οὐ μετὸν αὐτοῖς Ἐπιδάμνου
The syntax is an 'accusative absolute' using μετόν, the neuter singular participle of the impersonal verb μέτεστι. With the particle ὡς, it expresses a subjective reason (on the ground that they had no share).
- 1.28.2ὁποτέρων δ’ ἂν δικασθῇ εἶναι τὴν ἀποικίαν
The subject of the passive verb δικασθῇ (third-person singular) is the accusative and infinitive clause 'εἶναι τὴν ἀποικίαν [ὁποτέρων]' (that the colony belongs to whichever of the two). ὁποτέρων functions as a possessive genitive.
- 1.28.3φίλους ποιεῖσθαι οὓς οὐ βούλονται ἑτέρους τῶν νῦν ὄντων
The word ἑτέρους is an adjective governing the genitive of comparison, here accompanied by τῶν νῦν ὄντων, meaning 'others than those who are now (their allies)'. The relative clause οὓς οὐ βούλονται retains the indicative present, despite being in indirect speech, to emphasize the stark reality.
- 1.28.4τοὺς μὲν πολιορκεῖσθαι, αὐτοὺς δὲ δικάζεσθαι
These are parallel accusative-with-infinitive clauses acting as the subject of the impersonal expression οὐ καλῶς ἔχειν. There is a contrast between τοὺς μὲν, referring to those who are being besieged in Epidamnus, and αὐτοὺς, referring to the disputing parties themselves (the Corinthians and Corcyraeans).