- 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-grc2:2.40.1-2.40.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-22
The speaker contrasts the Athenian love of beauty and wisdom with simplicity and courage, describes their civic engagement, highlights their combination of bold action and deep reflection, and praises their selfless benevolence based on freedom.
‘φιλοκαλοῦμέν τε γὰρ μετ’ εὐτελείας καὶ φιλοσοφοῦμεν ἄνευ μαλακίας· πλούτῳ τε ἔργου μᾶλλον καιρῷ1 ἢ λόγου κόμπῳ χρώμεθα, καὶ τὸ πένεσθαι οὐχ ὁμολογεῖν τινὶ αἰσχρόν, ἀλλὰ μὴ διαφεύγειν ἔργῳ αἴσχιον.
‘For we are lovers of the beautiful, yet with simplicity, and we cultivate the mind without loss of manliness; we employ wealth rather for opportunities of action than for boastfulness of speech, and to confess poverty is no disgrace to any man, but it is a greater disgrace not to escape it by action.
ἔνι2 τε τοῖς αὐτοῖς οἰκείων ἅμα καὶ πολιτικῶν ἐπιμέλεια, καὶ ἑτέροις πρὸς ἔργα τετραμμένοις τὰ πολιτικὰ μὴ ἐνδεῶς γνῶναι· μόνοι γὰρ τόν τε μηδὲν τῶνδε μετέχοντα οὐκ ἀπράγμονα, ἀλλ’ ἀχρεῖον νομίζομεν, καὶ οἱ αὐτοὶ ἤτοι κρίνομέν γε ἢ ἐνθυμούμεθα ὀρθῶς τὰ πράγματα, οὐ τοὺς λόγους τοῖς ἔργοις βλάβην ἡγούμενοι, ἀλλὰ μὴ προδιδαχθῆναι μᾶλλον λόγῳ πρότερον ἢ ἐπὶ ἃ δεῖ ἔργῳ ἐλθεῖν.3
And there exists in the same individuals a care for both their own and the public affairs, and even those turned to other occupations are not deficient in their knowledge of state matters. For we alone regard the man who takes no part in these affairs not as quiet, but as useless; and we ourselves either decide or properly reflect upon our affairs, not regarding discussion as a hindrance to action, but rather the failure to be instructed beforehand by speech before embarking on what must be done in action.
διαφερόντως γὰρ δὴ καὶ τόδε ἔχομεν ὥστε τολμᾶν τε οἱ αὐτοὶ μάλιστα καὶ περὶ ὧν ἐπιχειρήσομεν ἐκλογίζεσθαι· ὃ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀμαθία μὲν θράσος, λογισμὸς δὲ ὄκνον φέρει. κράτιστοι δ’ ἂν τὴν ψυχὴν δικαίως κριθεῖεν οἱ τά τε δεινὰ καὶ ἡδέα σαφέστατα γιγνώσκοντες καὶ διὰ ταῦτα μὴ ἀποτρεπόμενοι ἐκ τῶν κινδύνων.
For we are distinguished also in this, that we ourselves are at once most daring in action and most calculating about what we are to undertake; whereas with others ignorance brings boldness, and calculation brings hesitation. And those would rightly be judged most excellent in soul who most clearly know both the terrors and the pleasures of life, and for all that do not shrink from dangers.
καὶ τὰ ἐς ἀρετὴν ἐνηντιώμεθα τοῖς πολλοῖς· οὐ γὰρ πάσχοντες εὖ, ἀλλὰ δρῶντες κτώμεθα τοὺς φίλους. βεβαιότερος δὲ ὁ δράσας τὴν χάριν ὥστε ὀφειλομένην δι’ εὐνοίας ᾧ δέδωκε σῴζειν·4 ὁ δὲ ἀντοφείλων ἀμβλύτερος, εἰδὼς οὐκ ἐς χάριν, ἀλλ’ ἐς ὀφείλημα τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀποδώσων.
In questions of virtue, too, we are opposite to most; for we acquire our friends not by receiving benefits, but by conferring them. Now he who has conferred the favor is the firmer friend, so as to preserve, through goodwill, the obligation due from the one to whom he gave it; while the debtor is more lukewarm, knowing that he will return the kindness not as a favor, but as the payment of a debt.
καὶ μόνοι οὐ τοῦ ξυμφέροντος μᾶλλον λογισμῷ ἢ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῷ πιστῷ ἀδεῶς τινὰ ὠφελοῦμεν.
And we alone benefit others fearlessly, not so much from a calculation of self-interest as from the confidence of our freedom.’
- 2.40.1καιρῷ
The noun καιρός, which usually denotes "opportunity" or "due season," is here used in contrast to λόγου κόμπῳ (boastfulness of speech) to mean "actual use" or "practical application." It functions as a dative indicating the purpose or manner of χρώμεθα (we employ).
- 2.40.2ἔνι
An anastrophe of ἔνεστι (is in, is possible). Its subjects are the noun ἐπιμέλεια (care) and the parallel infinitive γνῶναι (to know), qualifying the datives τοῖς αὐτοῖς (the same individuals) and ἑτέροις (others).
- 2.40.2μὴ προδιδαχθῆναι μᾶλλον λόγῳ πρότερον ἢ ἐπὶ ἃ δεῖ ἔργῳ ἐλθεῖν
This infinitive phrase functions as the object of ἡγούμενοι (regarding). In contrast with the preceding clause οὐ τοὺς λόγους τοῖς ἔργοις βλάβην ἡγούμενοι (not regarding discussion as a hindrance to action), the structure implies "but rather [regarding it a hindrance] not to be instructed beforehand by speech before embarking on what must be done in action."
- 2.40.4ὥστε ὀφειλομένην δι’ εὐνοίας ᾧ δέδωκε σῴζειν
The object of the infinitive σῴζειν (to preserve) is the participle ὀφειλομένην (being owed), which refers back to χάριν (favor). The phrase means "to keep the favor alive as an obligation in the recipient (ᾧ δέδωκε) through goodwill," describing how the benefactor secures the relationship.