- 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-grc2:2.35.1-2.35.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-22
In the introduction to his funeral oration, Pericles expresses his view that deeds of valor are better honored by deeds than by words, and explains the difficulty of satisfying the diverse expectations of the audience.
‘οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ τῶν ἐνθάδε ἤδη εἰρηκότων ἐπαινοῦσι τὸν προσθέντα τῷ νόμῳ τὸν λόγον τόνδε, ὡς καλὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν πολέμων θαπτομένοις ἀγορεύεσθαι αὐτόν. ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀρκοῦν ἂν ἐδόκει1 εἶναι ἀνδρῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργῳ γενομένων ἔργῳ καὶ δηλοῦσθαι τὰς τιμάς, οἷα καὶ νῦν περὶ τὸν τάφον τόνδε δημοσίᾳ παρασκευασθέντα ὁρᾶτε, καὶ μὴ ἐν ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ πολλῶν ἀρετὰς κινδυνεύεσθαι εὖ τε καὶ χεῖρον εἰπόντι πιστευθῆναι.2
‘Most of those who have already spoken here in the past praise the man who added this speech to the custom, believing it to be a fine thing that it should be delivered over those who are buried from the wars. But to me it would seem sufficient that for men who have proved themselves brave in deed, their honors should also be displayed in deed—such as you now see prepared at the public expense around this tomb—and that the virtues of many should not be risked upon a single man, to be believed or not according as he speaks well or ill.
χαλεπὸν γὰρ τὸ μετρίως εἰπεῖν ἐν ᾧ μόλις καὶ ἡ δόκησις τῆς ἀληθείας βεβαιοῦται. ὅ τε γὰρ ξυνειδὼς καὶ εὔνους ἀκροατὴς τάχ’ ἄν τι ἐνδεεστέρως πρὸς ἃ βούλεταί τε καὶ ἐπίσταται νομίσειε δηλοῦσθαι, ὅ τε ἄπειρος ἔστιν ἃ3 καὶ πλεονάζεσθαι, διὰ φθόνον, εἴ τι ὑπὲρ τὴν αὑτοῦ φύσιν ἀκούοι. μέχρι γὰρ τοῦδε ἀνεκτοὶ οἱ ἔπαινοί εἰσι περὶ ἑτέρων λεγόμενοι, ἐς ὅσον ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ἕκαστος οἴηται ἱκανὸς εἶναι δρᾶσαί τι ὧν ἤκουσεν· τῷ δὲ ὑπερβάλλοντι αὐτῶν φθονοῦντες ἤδη καὶ ἀπιστοῦσιν.
For it is difficult to speak with proper moderation in a matter where even the appearance of truth is established with difficulty. For the hearer who is well-informed and well-disposed might perhaps think that some points are expressed rather inadequately in comparison with what he wishes and knows, while the uninformed hearer, through jealousy, if he should hear of anything beyond his own nature, might think that there is even some exaggeration. For praise spoken of others is acceptable only so far as each man thinks he himself is also capable of performing any of the deeds he has heard; but when it exceeds this limit, they become jealous and at once refuse to believe it.
ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῖς πάλαι οὕτως ἐδοκιμάσθη ταῦτα καλῶς ἔχειν, χρὴ καὶ ἐμὲ ἑπόμενον τῷ νόμῳ πειρᾶσθαι ὑμῶν τῆς ἑκάστου βουλήσεώς τε καὶ δόξης τυχεῖν ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον.
But since our ancestors long ago approved of this practice as being good, I too must follow the custom and endeavor to satisfy the wishes and expectations of each of you as far as possible.
- 2.35.1ἀρκοῦν ἂν ἐδόκει
The imperfect indicative ἐδόκει with ἄν expresses a counterfactual potential referring to the present situation ('it would seem sufficient [though in reality it is not]'). This implies Pericles's subtle reservation about the necessity of delivering a speech when action alone should suffice.
- 2.35.1κινδυνεύεσθαι ... πιστευθῆναι
The passive infinitive κινδυνεύεσθαι (from κινδυνεύω) takes πολλῶν ἀρετὰς (the virtues of many) as its subject in the accusative-with-infinitive construction, and is further modified by the epexegetical infinitive πιστευθῆναι ('to be believed'). This forms a complex passive construction: 'the virtues of many are risked as to whether they will be believed.'
- 2.35.2ἔστιν ἃ
The phrase ἔστιν ἃ is a well-known idiom (literally 'there are things which', equivalent to ἔνια) functioning here as the accusative subject of the passive infinitive πλεονάζεσθαι, meaning 'that some things are even exaggerated.'