Early Piracy and Its Honorable Practice — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 1 (1.5.1–1.5.3), Greek & English

§1.5.1

οἱ γὰρ Ἕλληνες τὸ πάλαι καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων οἵ τε ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ παραθαλάσσιοι καὶ ὅσοι νήσους εἶχον, ἐπειδὴ ἤρξαντο μᾶλλον περαιοῦσθαι ναυσὶν ἐπ’ ἀλλήλους, ἐτράποντο πρὸς λῃστείαν, ἡγουμένων ἀνδρῶν οὐ τῶν ἀδυνατωτάτων¹ κέρδους τοῦ σφετέρου αὐτῶν ἕνεκα καὶ τοῖς ἀσθενέσι τροφῆς, καὶ προσπίπτοντες πόλεσιν ἀτειχίστοις καὶ κατὰ κώμας οἰκουμέναις ἥρπαζον καὶ τὸν πλεῖστον τοῦ βίου ἐντεῦθεν ἐποιοῦντο, οὐκ ἔχοντός πω αἰσχύνην τούτου τοῦ ἔργου, φέροντος δέ τι καὶ δόξης μᾶλλον·²

For in ancient times, the Hellenes and those of the barbarians who lived on the coast of the mainland or held the islands, when they began to cross over more frequently in ships to one another, turned to piracy. They were led by men who were by no means the weakest, for the sake of their own gain and for the sustenance of the needy. Falling upon cities which were unfortified and dwelt in after the manner of villages, they plundered them and made their living chiefly from this source, this occupation not yet bringing any shame, but rather even bringing some credit.

§1.5.2

δηλοῦσι δὲ τῶν τε ἠπειρωτῶν τινὲς ἔτι καὶ νῦν, οἷς κόσμος καλῶς τοῦτο δρᾶν, καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν ποιητῶν τὰς πύστεις τῶν καταπλεόντων πανταχοῦ ὁμοίως ἐρωτῶντες εἰ λῃσταί εἰσιν, ὡς οὔτε ὧν πυνθάνονται ἀπαξιούντων τὸ ἔργον, οἷς τε ἐπιμελὲς εἴη εἰδέναι οὐκ ὀνειδιζόντων.³

This is shown even now by some of the mainlanders, for whom it is an honor to do this handsomely, and by the ancient poets, who everywhere alike ask those who put in to shore the question whether they are pirates, as neither those of whom they inquire disown the occupation, nor those whose care it might be to know reproach them for it.

§1.5.3

ἐλῄζοντο δὲ καὶ κατ’ ἤπειρον ἀλλήλους.καὶ μέχρι τοῦδε πολλὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος τῷ παλαιῷ τρόπῳ νέμεται περί τε Λοκροὺς τοὺς Ὀζόλας καὶ Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ Ἀκαρνᾶνας καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ ἤπειρον. τό τε σιδηροφορεῖσθαι τούτοις τοῖς ἠπειρώταις ἀπὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς λῃστείας ἐμμεμένηκεν·

And they also plundered one another on the mainland. Even to this day, many parts of Hellas live in the ancient manner, about the Ozolian Locrians, the Aetolians, the Acarnanians, and the adjacent mainland. And the custom of carrying weapons has remained among these mainlanders from that ancient piracy.

Syntax notes3 items

1.5.1ἡγουμένων ἀνδρῶν οὐ τῶν ἀδυνατωτάτων
This is a genitive absolute construction, where the subject is 'ἀνδρῶν οὐ τῶν ἀδυνατωτάτων' (men by no means the weakest, i.e., powerful men). Litotes is employed through double negation ('οὐ' and 'ἀ-') to emphasize that the leaders of these piratical expeditions were socially prominent and influential figures.
1.5.1οὐκ ἔχοντός πω αἰσχύνην τούτου τοῦ ἔργου, φέροντος δέ τι καὶ δόξης μᾶλλον
Another genitive absolute construction. The subject of the participles 'ἔχοντος' and 'φέροντος' is the genitive noun phrase 'τούτου τοῦ ἔργου' (this occupation) introduced in the first clause. In the latter clause, 'δόξης' is a partitive genitive qualifying the pronoun 'τι', meaning 'some credit' or 'some degree of glory'.
1.5.2ὡς οὔτε ὧν πυνθάνονται ἀπαξιούντων τὸ ἔργον, οἷς τε ἐπιμελὲς εἴη εἰδέναι οὐκ ὀνειδιζόντων
A parallel structure of genitive absolutes ('ἀπαξιούντων' and 'ὀνειδιζόντων') introduced by the conjunction 'ὡς' (showing the subjective viewpoint or attitude of the ancient people). The subject of the former, 'ἀπαξιούντων', is 'ὧν πυνθάνονται', which stands for 'ἐκείνων οὓς πυνθάνονται' (those whom they ask), with the antecedent omitted and the relative pronoun attracted into the genitive case governed by 'πυνθάνομαι'. The subject of the latter, 'ὀνειδιζόντων', is 'οἷς τε ἐπιμελὲς εἴη εἰδέναι', representing 'ἐκείνων οἷς...' (those whose care it was to know), also with the antecedent omitted.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.5.1-1.5.3