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History of the Peloponnesian War

§1.34.1-1.34.3

Corcyra on Rights of Colonies and Corinthian Injustice

The Corcyraean envoys counter the Corinthian argument by asserting that colonies are founded to be equal to their mother cities, expose Corinthian injustice in choosing war over arbitration, and warn Athens not to be deceived.

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§1.34.1

‘ἢν δὲ λέγωσιν ὡς οὐ δίκαιον τοὺς σφετέρους ἀποίκους ὑμᾶς δέχεσθαι, μαθόντων1 ὡς πᾶσα ἀποικία εὖ μὲν πάσχουσα τιμᾷ τὴν μητρόπολιν, ἀδικουμένη δὲ ἀλλοτριοῦται· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ δοῦλοι, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοῖοι τοῖς λειπομένοις εἶναι2 ἐκπέμπονται.

’And if they say that it is not right for you to receive their colonists, let it be understood that every colony, when well treated, honors its mother city, but when wronged, becomes estranged; for colonists are not sent out to be slaves, but to be equals to those who remain behind.

§1.34.2

ὡς δὲ ἠδίκουν σαφές ἐστιν· προκληθέντες γὰρ περὶ Ἐπιδάμνου ἐς κρίσιν πολέμῳ μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ ἴσῳ3 ἐβουλήθησαν τὰ ἐγκλήματα μετελθεῖν.

​That they were acting unjustly is clear; for when challenged to a legal decision concerning Epidamnus, they preferred to pursue their grievances by war rather than on equal terms.

§1.34.3

καὶ ὑμῖν ἔστω τι τεκμήριον ἃ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ξυγγενεῖς δρῶσιν, ὥστε ἀπάτῃ τε μὴ παράγεσθαι ὑπ’ αὐτῶν δεομένοις τε ἐκ τοῦ εὐθέος μὴ ὑπουργεῖν· ὁ γὰρ ἐλαχίστας τὰς μεταμελείας ἐκ τοῦ χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις λαμβάνων4 ἀσφαλέστατος ἂν διατελοίη.

​And let what they are doing to us, their kinsmen, be a proof to you, so that you may neither be led astray by their deceit nor yield to their direct requests; for he who incurs the fewest regrets from doing favors to his adversaries would continue to be most secure.’

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 1.34.1μαθόντων

    The third-person plural aorist active imperative of μανθάνω. It functions here either as a collective command addressed to the Athenian assembly ('let them, i.e., the Athenians, learn') or as a general, impersonal prescription ('let people understand').

  2. 1.34.1ἐπὶ τῷ ... εἶναι

    The preposition ἐπί followed by the articular infinitive in the dative, indicating condition or purpose ('on the condition of being' or 'in order to be'). The predicate adjectives of the infinitive, δοῦλοι and ὁμοῖοι, are in the nominative case because they agree with the implied subject of the finite verb ἐκπέμπονται.

  3. 1.34.2τῷ ἴσῳ

    The neuter singular dative of the adjective ἴσος with the article, meaning 'on equal terms' or 'by fair/legal means'. It stands in contrast with πολέμῳ (by war), emphasizing their refusal of legal arbitration (κρίσις) in favor of military force.

  4. 1.34.3ὁ ... λαμβάνων

    The participle phrase ὁ λαμβάνων serves as the subject, while ἀσφαλέστατος ἂν διατελοίη is the predicate. The verb διατελέω takes a supplementary participle (here the adjective with ὤν omitted) meaning 'to continue to be'. The potential optative with ἄν expresses probability. The noun phrase ἐλαχίστας τὰς μεταμελείας is in the predicative position, meaning 'to incur regrets as the fewest' (i.e., 'to suffer the fewest regrets').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.34.1-1.34.3