- 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-grc2:2.88.1-2.88.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-24
After the Peloponnesian commanders finish their speech, the Athenian general Phormio senses the anxiety of his soldiers and, wishing to revive their long-standing confidence and pride, calls them together to deliver an address.
τοιαῦτα μὲν τοῖς Πελοποννησίοις οἱ ἄρχοντες παρεκελεύσαντο. ὁ δὲ Φορμίων δεδιὼς καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὀρρωδίαν καὶ αἰσθόμενος ὅτι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νεῶν κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ξυνιστάμενοι1 ἐφοβοῦντο, ἐβούλετο ξυγκαλέσας θαρσῦναί τε καὶ παραίνεσιν ἐν τῷ παρόντι ποιήσασθαι.
Such were the exhortations which the commanders addressed to the Peloponnesians. But Phormio, himself also fearing the apprehension of his soldiers, and perceiving that they, gathering in groups among themselves, were terrified by the multitude of the enemy’s ships, wished to call them together to encourage them and to give them an address in the present circumstances.
πρότερον μὲν γὰρ αἰεὶ αὐτοῖς ἔλεγε καὶ προπαρεσκεύαζε τὰς γνώμας ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς πλῆθος νεῶν τοσοῦτον, ἢν ἐπιπλέῃ, ὅτι οὐχ ὑπομενετέον ἐστί,2 καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται ἐκ πολλοῦ ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἀξίωσιν ταύτην εἰλήφεσαν, μηδένα ὄχλον Ἀθηναῖοι ὄντες Πελοποννησίων νεῶν ὑποχωρεῖν·3
For previously he had always been telling them and preparing their minds beforehand that there was no multitude of ships so great, even if they should sail against them, that they ought not to withstand it; and the soldiers themselves had long since acquired among themselves this self-esteem, that, being Athenians, they should not retreat before any multitude of Peloponnesian ships.
τότε δὲ πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ὄψιν ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς ἀθυμοῦντας ἐβούλετο ὑπόμνησιν ποιήσασθαι τοῦ θαρσεῖν,4 καὶ ξυγκαλέσας τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἔλεγε τοιάδε.
But on this occasion, seeing them discouraged in the face of the sight before them, he wished to remind them of their courage, and having called the Athenians together, he spoke as follows.
- 2.88.1κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ξυνιστάμενοι
Meaning 'gathering in small groups among themselves.' It describes the soldiers gathering informally and discussing their anxieties with one another.
- 2.88.2ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς πλῆθος νεῶν τοσοῦτον, ἢν ἐπιπλέῃ, ὅτι οὐχ ὑπομενετέον ἐστί
A redundant construction combining the conjunctions ὡς and ὅτι. The core syntax is οὐδὲν πλῆθος τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ὅτι οὐχ ὑπομενετέον ἐστί ('there is no multitude of ships so great that they ought not to withstand it'), emphasizing the strength of the assertion.
- 2.88.2τὴν ἀξίωσιν ταύτην ... μηδένα ὄχλον ... ὑποχωρεῖν
The infinitive clause μηδένα ὄχλον ... ὑποχωρεῖν is in apposition to the noun phrase τὴν ἀξίωσιν ταύτην ('this self-esteem'), defining its content. Since the logical subject of the infinitive is identical to the main subject of the sentence (the soldiers), the qualifying participle Ἀθηναῖοι ὄντες remains in the nominative case.
- 2.88.3ὑπόμνησιν ποιήσασθαι τοῦ θαρσεῖν
The genitive infinitive τοῦ θαρσεῖν modifies the noun ὑπόμνησιν, specifying its content ('to make a reminder of being confident', i.e., 'to remind them of their courage').