- 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-grc2:1.78.1-1.78.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-25
The Athenian envoys warn Sparta not to make a hasty decision for war under the influence of others' complaints, pointing out the unpredictability of war and the common human error of acting before negotiating. They urge a legal resolution of differences in accordance with the treaty.
‘βουλεύεσθε οὖν βραδέως ὡς οὐ περὶ βραχέων, καὶ μὴ ἀλλοτρίαις γνώμαις καὶ ἐγκλήμασι πεισθέντες οἰκεῖον πόνον πρόσθησθε. τοῦ δὲ πολέμου τὸν παράλογον, ὅσος ἐστί,1 πρὶν ἐν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι προδιάγνωτε·
’Therefore, take time to deliberate, as this is no small matter, and do not, by being persuaded by the opinions and complaints of others, bring trouble upon yourselves. And before you are involved in it, realize beforehand how great is the unpredictability of war.
μηκυνόμενος γὰρ φιλεῖ ἐς τύχας τὰ πολλὰ περιίστασθαι, ὧν ἴσον τε ἀπέχομεν2 καὶ ὁποτέρως ἔσται ἐν ἀδήλῳ κινδυνεύεται.
For when it is prolonged, it usually turns to chances, from which we are equally distant, and the risk is run in the dark as to which way it will turn.
ἰόντες τε οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐς τοὺς πολέμους τῶν ἔργων πρότερον ἔχονται, ἃ χρῆν ὕστερον δρᾶν, κακοπαθοῦντες δὲ ἤδη τῶν λόγων ἅπτονται.
When people go to war, they begin with action first, which they ought to do later, and only when they are already suffering do they have recourse to negotiation.
ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν οὐδεμιᾷ πω τοιαύτῃ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὄντες οὔτ’ αὐτοὶ οὔθ’ ὑμᾶς ὁρῶντες λέγομεν ὑμῖν, ἕως ἔτι αὐθαίρετος ἀμφοτέροις ἡ εὐβουλία,3 σπονδὰς μὴ λύειν μηδὲ παραβαίνειν τοὺς ὅρκους, τὰ δὲ διάφορα δίκῃ λύεσθαι κατὰ τὴν ξυνθήκην. εἰ δὲ μή, θεοὺς τοὺς ὁρκίους μάρτυρας ποιούμενοι πειρασόμεθα ἀμύνεσθαι πολέμου ἄρχοντας ταύτῃ ᾗ ἂν ὑφηγῆσθε.’
But we, being as yet in no such error ourselves, nor seeing you in it, tell you, while wise counsel is still a matter of free choice for both of us, not to break the treaty nor violate your oaths, but to let our differences be settled by law according to the agreement. Otherwise, we call the gods of oaths to witness and shall endeavor to defend ourselves against you who begin the war, in whatever way you may lead.’
- 1.78.1τοῦ δὲ πολέμου τὸν παράλογον, ὅσος ἐστί
An instance of prolepsis. The noun phrase 'τοῦ πολέμου τὸν παράλογον', which logically functions as the subject of the indirect question 'ὅσος ἐστί' ('how great is the unpredictability of war'), is anticipated and placed as the direct object of the main verb 'προδιάγνωτε'.
- 1.78.2ὧν ἴσον τε ἀπέχομεν
The relative pronoun 'ὧν' (genitive plural) refers back to the antecedent 'τύχας' (chances/fortunes). The verb 'ἀπέχομεν' takes the genitive case, meaning 'to be distant from.' It indicates that both sides are equally removed from (i.e., have no control over or foresight of) the uncertain outcomes of fortune.
- 1.78.4ἕως ἔτι αὐθαίρετος ἀμφοτέροις ἡ εὐβουλία
In this clause introduced by the conjunction 'ἕως' ('while'), the copula 'ἐστί' is omitted. The adjective 'αὐθαίρετος' ('self-chosen', 'free to choose') functions as a predicate modifying the subject 'ἡ εὐβουλία' ('wise counsel'), meaning 'while wise counsel is still a matter of free choice for both of us.'