- 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-grc2:2.101.1-2.101.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-24
Facing difficulties due to the absence of the Athenian fleet and the harsh winter, Sitalces is persuaded by his nephew Seuthes, who was secretly bribed by Perdiccas, to retreat in haste, bringing the Thracian expedition to an end.
ὁ δὲ Σιτάλκης πρός τε τὸν Περδίκκαν λόγους ἐποιεῖτο ὧν ἕνεκα ἐστράτευσε, καὶ ἐπειδὴ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐ παρῆσαν ταῖς ναυσίν, ἀπιστοῦντες αὐτὸν μὴ ἥξειν,1 δῶρα δὲ καὶ πρέσβεις ἔπεμψαν αὐτῷ, ἔς τε τοὺς Χαλκιδέας καὶ Βοττιαίους μέρος τι τοῦ στρατοῦ πέμπει, καὶ τειχήρεις ποιήσας2 ἐδῄου τὴν γῆν.
Sitalces, on his part, was holding negotiations with Perdiccas regarding the reasons for which he had made the expedition; and since the Athenians had not arrived with their fleet, because they did not believe that he would come, but had instead sent him gifts and envoys, he sent a portion of his army against the Chalcidians and Bottiaeans, and, having shut them up within their walls, laid waste their land.
καθημένου δ’ αὐτοῦ περὶ τοὺς χώρους τούτους οἱ πρὸς νότον οἰκοῦντες Θεσσαλοὶ καὶ Μάγνητες καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ὑπήκοοι Θεσσαλῶν καὶ οἱ μέχρι Θερμοπυλῶν Ἕλληνες ἐφοβήθησαν μὴ καὶ ἐπὶ σφᾶς ὁ στρατὸς χωρήσῃ, καὶ ἐν παρασκευῇ ἦσαν.
While he was lingering in these parts, the Thessalians, the Magnesians, and the other subjects of the Thessalians who lived to the south, as well as the Greeks as far as Thermopylae, became afraid that the army might advance against them also, and were in a state of preparation.
ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ πέραν Στρυμόνος πρὸς βορέαν Θρᾷκες, ὅσοι πεδία εἶχον, Παναῖοι καὶ Ὀδόμαντοι καὶ Δρῶοι καὶ Δερσαῖοι· αὐτόνομοι δ’ εἰσὶ πάντες.
And those Thracians beyond the Strymon to the north who occupied the plains likewise became afraid, namely the Panaeans, the Odomanti, the Droi, and the Dersaeans; all of these are independent.
παρέσχε δὲ λόγον καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς τῶν Ἀθηναίων πολεμίους Ἕλληνας, μὴ ὑπ’ αὐτῶν ἀγόμενοι κατὰ τὸ ξυμμαχικὸν καὶ ἐπὶ σφᾶς χωρήσωσιν.3
It also gave rise to apprehension among those Greeks who were enemies of the Athenians, lest the Thracians, led by them in accordance with their alliance, might advance against them too.
ὁ δὲ τήν τε Χαλκιδικὴν καὶ Βοττικὴν καὶ Μακεδονίαν ἅμα ἐπέχων ἔφθειρε, καὶ ἐπειδὴ αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἐπράσσετο ὧν ἕνεκα ἐσέβαλε καὶ ἡ στρατιὰ σῖτόν τε οὐκ εἶχεν αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπὸ χειμῶνος ἐταλαιπώρει, ἀναπείθεται ὑπὸ Σεύθου τοῦ Σπαραδόκου, ἀδελφιδοῦ ὄντος καὶ μέγιστον μεθ’ ἑαυτὸν δυναμένου, ὥστ’ ἐν τάχει ἀπελθεῖν. τὸν δὲ Σεύθην κρύφα Περδίκκας ὑποσχόμενος ἀδελφὴν ἑαυτοῦ δώσειν καὶ χρήματα ἐπ’ αὐτῇ προσποιεῖται.4
Meanwhile, Sitalces was overrunning and devastating Chalcidice, Bottica, and Macedonia all at the same time. But since none of the objects for which he had invaded were being accomplished, and his army was both short of provisions and suffering from the winter weather, he was persuaded by Seuthes, the son of Sparadocus, his nephew and the man of greatest influence after himself, to retreat with speed. Now Perdiccas had secretly won over Seuthes by promising to give him his own sister in marriage, and a sum of money with her.
καὶ ὁ μὲν πεισθεὶς καὶ μείνας τριάκοντα τὰς πάσας ἡμέρας, τούτων δὲ ὀκτὼ ἐν Χαλκιδεῦσιν, ἀνεχώρησε τῷ στρατῷ κατὰ τάχος ἐπ’ οἴκου· Περδίκκας δὲ ὕστερον Στρατονίκην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφὴν δίδωσι Σεύθῃ, ὥσπερ ὑπέσχετο. τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν Σιτάλκου στρατείαν οὕτως ἐγένετο.
So Sitalces was persuaded, and after remaining thirty days in all, eight of which were spent among the Chalcidians, he returned home with his army in haste. Afterwards Perdiccas gave his sister Stratonice to Seuthes in marriage, as he had promised. Such, then, was the end of Sitalces’ expedition.
- 2.101.1ἀπιστοῦντες αὐτὸν μὴ ἥξειν
Following the participle of disbelief ἀπιστοῦντες, the infinitive clause αὐτὸν μὴ ἥξειν features a redundant negation μὴ, expressing the apprehension "believing that he would not come."
- 2.101.1τειχήρεις ποιήσας
The adjective τειχήρεις (hemmed in by walls) combined with the participle ποιήσας forms a factitive expression with the accusative object, meaning "having shut them up within their walls."
- 2.101.4μὴ ὑπ’ αὐτῶν ἀγόμενοι κατὰ τὸ ξυμμαχικὸν καὶ ἐπὶ σφᾶς χωρήσωσιν
A fear clause introduced by μὴ with the subjunctive χωρήσωσιν, explaining the content of the noun λόγον (apprehension). ὑπ’ αὐτῶν refers to the Athenians, acting as the agent of the passive participle ἀγόμενοι.
- 2.101.5τὸν δὲ Σεύθην κρύφα Περδίκκας ὑποσχόμενος ἀδελφὴν ἑαυτοῦ δώσειν καὶ χρήματα ἐπ’ αὐτῇ προσποιεῖται
This clause features a hyperbaton where the direct object τὸν δὲ Σεύθην is placed at the very beginning, with the participle phrase ὑποσχόμενος... inserted between the subject Περδίκκας and the main verb προσποιεῖται (wins over). The phrase ἐπ’ αὐτῇ means "in addition to her," referring to a dowry.