Speech of the Peloponnesian Generals to Encourage the Fleet — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 2 (2.87.1–2.87.9), Greek & English

§2.87.1

‘ἡ μὲν γενομένη ναυμαχία, ὦ ἄνδρες Πελοποννήσιοι, εἴ τις ἄρα δι’ αὐτὴν ὑμῶν φοβεῖται τὴν μέλλουσαν, οὐχὶ δικαίαν ἔχει τέκμαρσιν τὸ ἐκφοβῆσαι.¹

’The sea-fight which has taken place, Peloponnesians, if any of you indeed is afraid of the coming one because of it, does not afford a just ground for being terrified.

§2.87.2

τῇ τε γὰρ παρασκευῇ ἐνδεὴς ἐγένετο, ὥσπερ ἴστε, καὶ οὐχὶ ἐς ναυμαχίαν μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ στρατείαν ἐπλέομεν· ξυνέβη δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς τύχης οὐκ ὀλίγα ἐναντιωθῆναι, καί πού τι καὶ ἡ ἀπειρία πρῶτον ναυμαχοῦντας ἔσφηλεν.

For it was deficient in preparation, as you know, and we were sailing rather for a military expedition than for a sea-fight; and it happened also that not a few things from fortune were adverse, and doubtless also inexperience, as we were fighting at sea for the first time, in some measure tripped us up.

§2.87.3

ὥστε οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν κακίαν τὸ ἡσσᾶσθαι προσεγένετο, οὐδὲ δίκαιον τῆς γνώμης τὸ μὴ κατὰ κράτος νικηθέν,² ἔχον δέ τινα ἐν αὑτῷ ἀντιλογίαν, τῆς γε ξυμφορᾶς τῷ ἀποβάντι ἀμβλύνεσθαι, νομίσαι δὲ ταῖς μὲν τύχαις ἐνδέχεσθαι σφάλλεσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ταῖς δὲ γνώμαις τοὺς αὐτοὺς αἰεὶ ὀρθῶς ἀνδρείους εἶναι, καὶ μὴ ἀπειρίαν τοῦ ἀνδρείου παρόντος προβαλλομένους εἰκότως ἂν ἔν τινι κακοὺς γενέσθαι.³

Therefore, the defeat did not occur through our cowardice, nor is it right that a spirit which was not defeated by superior force, but contains some ground for defense within itself, should be blunted by the outcome of the disaster; but rather we should believe that while it is possible for men to be tripped up in fortunes, they should always be rightly brave in their spirits, and that they should not, by putting forward inexperience while courage is present, think they would reasonably become cowards in any way.

§2.87.4

ὑμῶν δὲ οὐδ’ ἡ ἀπειρία τοσοῦτον λείπεται ὅσον τόλμῃ προύχετε· τῶνδε δὲ ἡ ἐπιστήμη, ἣν μάλιστα φοβεῖσθε, ἀνδρείαν μὲν ἔχουσα καὶ μνήμην ἕξει ἐν τῷ δεινῷ ἐπιτελεῖν ἃ ἔμαθεν, ἄνευ δὲ εὐψυχίας οὐδεμία τέχνη πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους ἰσχύει. φόβος γὰρ μνήμην ἐκπλήσσει, τέχνη δὲ ἄνευ ἀλκῆς οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ.

And your inexperience is not so far behind as you surpass them in daring; and their knowledge, which you especially fear, if indeed it has courage, will also have the presence of mind in danger to perform what it has learned, but without courage no skill has any strength against dangers. For fear drives out presence of mind, and skill without valor is of no avail.

§2.87.5

πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὸ ἐμπειρότερον αὐτῶν τὸ τολμηρότερον ἀντιτάξασθε, πρὸς δὲ τὸ διὰ τὴν ἧσσαν δεδιέναι τὸ ἀπαράσκευοι τότε τυχεῖν.

Therefore, oppose your greater daring to their superior experience, and to your fear because of the defeat, oppose the fact of being unprepared at that time.

§2.87.6

περιγίγνεται δὲ ὑμῖν πλῆθός τε νεῶν καὶ πρὸς τῇ γῇ οἰκείᾳ οὔσῃ ὁπλιτῶν παρόντων ναυμαχεῖν· τὰ δὲ πολλὰ τῶν πλεόνων καὶ ἄμεινον παρεσκευασμένων τὸ κράτος ἐστίν.

Moreover, you have the advantage of a multitude of ships and of fighting near your own friendly land with hoplites present; and victory generally belongs to those who are more numerous and better prepared.

§2.87.7

ὥστε οὐδὲ καθ’ ἓν εὑρίσκομεν εἰκότως ἂν ἡμᾶς σφαλλομένους· καὶ ὅσα ἡμάρτομεν πρότερον, νῦν αὐτὰ ταῦτα προσγενόμενα διδασκαλίαν παρέξει.

So that we do not find even a single reason why we should reasonably be tripped up; and whatever errors we committed before will now, by being added to our experience, provide a lesson.

§2.87.8

θαρσοῦντες οὖν καὶ κυβερνῆται καὶ ναῦται τὸ καθ’ ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος ἕπεσθε, χώραν μὴ προλείποντες ᾗ ἄν τις προσταχθῇ.

Be of good courage, therefore, and let both helmsmen and sailors each follow his own duty, not leaving the post to which anyone may be assigned.

§2.87.9

τῶν δὲ πρότερον ἡγεμόνων οὐ χεῖρον τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν ἡμεῖς παρασκευάσομεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐνδώσομεν πρόφασιν οὐδενὶ κακῷ γενέσθαι· ἢν δέ τις ἄρα καὶ βουληθῇ, κολασθήσεται τῇ πρεπούσῃ ζημίᾳ, οἱ δὲ ἀγαθοὶ τιμήσονται τοῖς προσήκουσιν ἄθλοις τῆς ἀρετῆς.’

And we shall prepare the undertaking no worse than our former leaders, and we will not give an excuse for anyone to behave like a coward; but if anyone indeed should wish to do so, he shall be punished with the proper penalty, while the brave shall be honored with the fitting rewards of valor.’

Syntax notes3 items

2.87.1τὸ ἐκφοβῆσαι
The articular infinitive τὸ ἐκφοβῆσαι ('to terrify') functions as the subject or an appositive to the subject of the main predicate οὐχὶ δικαίαν ἔχει τέκμαρσιν ('does not possess a just ground'). It signifies that the fact of the previous battle causing fear does not constitute a valid reason for fearing the upcoming one.
2.87.3τῆς γνώμης τὸ μὴ κατὰ κράτος νικηθέν
τῆς γνώμης is a genitive of specification combined with the substantivized neuter participle phrase τὸ μὴ κατὰ κράτος νικηθέν ('that which was not defeated by superior force'). The entire construction functions as the subject of the infinitive ἀμβλύνεσθαι ('to be blunted'), referring to 'the determination of the mind which has not been subdued by force.'
2.87.3νομίσαι δὲ ... καὶ μὴ ... εἰκότως ἂν ... γενέσθαι
This structure depends on the impersonal expression οὐδὲ δίκαιον [ἐστι] ('nor is it right'). It comprises two contrasted infinitive clauses: (1) νομίσαι δὲ ... ('but rather to think that...') and (2) καὶ μὴ ... [νομίσαι] ... γενέσθαι ('and not to think that... would naturally happen'). The phrase ἂν ... γενέσθαι represents an infinitive construction corresponding to a past indicative or optative with ἄν (potential or hypothetical), meaning 'would reasonably become.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)

2026-09-22 AI review — source 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.87.1-2.87.9