Phormio's Speech to the Athenians and His Naval Tactics — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 2 (2.89.1–2.89.11), Greek & English

§2.89.1

‘ὁρῶν ὑμᾶς, ὦ ἄνδρες στρατιῶται, πεφοβημένους τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐναντίων ξυνεκάλεσα, οὐκ ἀξιῶν τὰ μὴ δεινὰ ἐν ὀρρωδίᾳ ἔχειν.¹

’Seeing you, soldiers, terrified by the multitude of the enemy, I have called you together, not thinking it right for you to hold in fear things that are not dreadful.

§2.89.2

οὗτοι γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τὸ προνενικῆσθαι καὶ μηδ’ αὐτοὶ οἴεσθαι ὁμοῖοι ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νεῶν καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου παρεσκευάσαντο· ἔπειτα ᾧ μάλιστα πιστεύοντες προσέρχονται,² ὡς προσῆκον σφίσιν ἀνδρείοις εἶναι,³ οὐ δι’ ἄλλο τι θαρσοῦσιν ἢ διὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ πεζῷ ἐμπειρίαν τὰ πλείω κατορθοῦντες, καὶ οἴονται σφίσι καὶ ἐν τῷ ναυτικῷ ποιήσειν τὸ αὐτό.

For, in the first place, because they have been previously defeated, and because they do not even themselves think they are a match for us, they have equipped this multitude of ships, and not on equal terms. In the second place, the point on which they most rely when they advance, as though it were proper for them to be brave, they are confident for no other reason than because, through their experience on land, they are successful in most things; and they think they will do the same for themselves in the naval force as well.

§2.89.3

τὸ δ’ ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου ἡμῖν μᾶλλον νῦν περιέσται,⁴ εἴπερ καὶ τούτοις ἐν ἐκείνῳ, ἐπεὶ εὐψυχίᾳ γε οὐδὲν προφέρουσι, τῷ δὲ ἑκάτεροί τι εἶναι ἐμπειρότεροι θρασύτεροί ἐσμεν.

But in all justice, this will now rather be on our side, if indeed it was on theirs in that other case; for they do not excel us in courage at all, but we are more confident because each of us is more experienced in our respective fields.

§2.89.4

Λακεδαιμόνιοί τε ἡγούμενοι αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν σφετέραν δόξαν ἄκοντας προσάγουσι τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐς τὸν κίνδυνον, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐνεχείρησαν ἡσσηθέντες παρὰ πολὺ αὖθις ναυμαχεῖν.

Moreover, the Lacedaemonians, leading them for the sake of their own reputation, drag the majority into danger against their will, since they would never have attempted to fight a sea-battle again after having been so utterly defeated.

§2.89.5

μὴ δὴ αὐτῶν τὴν τόλμαν δείσητε. πολὺ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐκείνοις πλείω φόβον παρέχετε καὶ πιστότερον κατά τε τὸ προνενικηκέναι καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἡγοῦνται μὴ μέλλοντάς τι ἄξιον τοῦ παρὰ πολὺ πράξειν ἀνθίστασθαι ὑμᾶς.⁵

Do not, therefore, fear their daring. You cause them a far greater and more secure fear, both because of your previous victory and because they think that you would not withstand them unless you were going to achieve something worthy of that utter defeat.

§2.89.6

ἀντίπαλοι μὲν γὰρ οἱ πλείους, ὥσπερ οὗτοι, τῇ δυνάμει τὸ πλέον πίσυνοι ἢ τῇ γνώμῃ ἐπέρχονται· οἱ δὲ ἐκ πολλῷ ὑποδεεστέρων, καὶ ἅμα οὐκ ἀναγκαζόμενοι, μέγα τι τῆς διανοίας τὸ βέβαιον ἔχοντες ἀντιτολμῶσιν. ἃ λογιζόμενοι οὗτοι τῷ οὐκ εἰκότι πλέον πεφόβηνται ἡμᾶς ἢ τῇ κατὰ λόγον παρασκευῇ.

For while most opponents, like these, advance trusting more in their power than in their resolution, those who face them with far inferior forces, and at the same time without being compelled, do so because they have some great stability of mind. Reflecting on this, these men fear us more because of this unexpected element than they would because of our rational preparation.

§2.89.7

πολλὰ δὲ καὶ στρατόπεδα ἤδη ἔπεσεν ὑπ’ ἐλασσόνων τῇ ἀπειρίᾳ, ἔστι δὲ ἃ καὶ τῇ ἀτολμίᾳ· ὧν οὐδετέρου ἡμεῖς νῦν μετέχομεν.

And indeed, many armies have already fallen before smaller numbers through inexperience, and some also through lack of daring; in neither of which do we have any part now.

§2.89.8

τὸν δὲ ἀγῶνα οὐκ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ ἑκὼν εἶναι⁶ ποιήσομαι οὐδ’ ἐσπλεύσομαι ἐς αὐτόν. ὁρῶ γὰρ ὅτι πρὸς πολλὰς ναῦς ἀνεπιστήμονας ὀλίγαις ναυσὶν ἐμπείροις καὶ ἄμεινον πλεούσαις ἡ στενοχωρία οὐ ξυμφέρει. οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ἐπιπλεύσειέ τις ὡς χρὴ ἐς ἐμβολήν, μὴ ἔχων τὴν πρόσοψιν τῶν πολεμίων ἐκ πολλοῦ, οὔτ’ ἂν ἀποχωρήσειεν ἐν δέοντι πιεζόμενος· διέκπλοι τε οὐκ εἰσὶν οὐδ’ ἀναστροφαί, ἅπερ νεῶν ἄμεινον πλεουσῶν ἔργα ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγκη ἂν εἴη τὴν ναυμαχίαν πεζομαχίαν καθίστασθαι, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ αἱ πλείους νῆες κρείσσους γίγνονται.

I will not willingly fight the battle in the gulf, nor will I sail into it. For I see that narrow waters are not advantageous for a few experienced and better sailing ships against many inexperienced ones. For one could not sail against an enemy to ram them as one should, without having a view of the enemy from a distance, nor could one retreat in case of need when hard pressed. There are no opportunities for breaking through the line nor for turning back, which are the tactics of better sailing ships; instead, it would be necessary for the sea-battle to become a land-battle, and in this, the greater number of ships becomes superior.

§2.89.9

τούτων μὲν οὖν ἐγὼ ἕξω τὴν πρόνοιαν κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν· ὑμεῖς δὲ εὔτακτοι παρὰ ταῖς ναυσὶ μένοντες τά τε παραγγελλόμενα ὀξέως δέχεσθε, ἄλλως τε καὶ δι’ ὀλίγου τῆς ἐφορμήσεως οὔσης, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ κόσμον καὶ σιγὴν περὶ πλείστου ἡγεῖσθε, ὃ ἔς τε τὰ πολλὰ τῶν πολεμίων ξυμφέρει καὶ ναυμαχίᾳ οὐχ ἥκιστα, ἀμύνεσθέ τε τούσδε ἀξίως τῶν προειργασμένων.

Of these things, therefore, I will take foresight as far as possible; but do you remain in good order by your ships and receive orders quickly, especially since the blockade is at short distance, and in action hold order and silence of the highest importance, which is advantageous for most aspects of war and not least in a sea-battle, and defend yourselves against these men in a manner worthy of your past deeds.

§2.89.10

ὁ δὲ ἀγὼν μέγας ὑμῖν, ἢ καταλῦσαι Πελοποννησίων τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ ναυτικοῦ ἢ ἐγγυτέρω καταστῆσαι Ἀθηναίοις τὸν φόβον περὶ τῆς θαλάσσης.

The struggle is a great one for you, either to destroy the hope of the Peloponnesians for their navy, or to bring home closer to the Athenians their fear concerning the sea.

§2.89.11

ἀναμιμνῄσκω δ’ αὖ ὑμᾶς ὅτι νενικήκατε αὐτῶν τοὺς πολλούς· ἡσσημένων δὲ ἀνδρῶν οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν αἱ γνῶμαι πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοὺς κινδύνους ὁμοῖαι εἶναι.’

And I remind you again that you have defeated most of them; and when men have been defeated, their minds are not willing to be the same in the face of the same dangers.’

Syntax notes6 items

2.89.1τὰ μὴ δεινὰ ἐν ὀρρωδίᾳ ἔχειν
τὰ μὴ δεινὰ is an accusative noun phrase with the generic negation μή, meaning 'things that are (essentially) not dreadful'. ἐν ὀρρωδίᾳ ἔχειν is an idiomatic phrase meaning 'to hold in fear' or 'to dread'. The entire phrase forms an infinitive clause governed by οὐκ ἀξιῶν (not thinking it right).
2.89.2ᾧ μάλιστα πιστεύοντες προσέρχονται
The relative pronoun ᾧ (dative) refers to the substance of the subsequent clause ὡς προσῆκον σφίσιν ἀνδρείοις εἶναι, or more broadly to their experience on land. The relative clause is placed at the beginning of the sentence to anticipate the logical theme of the main clause οὐ δι’ ἄλλο τι θαρσοῦσιν... (they are confident for no other reason than...).
2.89.2ὡς προσῆκον σφίσιν ἀνδρείοις εἶναι
This is an accusative absolute construction with ὡς, using the impersonal participle προσῆκον. It means 'as though it were proper (or a duty) for them to be brave'. σφίσιν (to themselves) is in the dative, and the complement of the infinitive εἶναι, which is ἀνδρείοις, agrees with it in the dative.
2.89.3τὸ δ’ ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου ἡμῖν μᾶλλον νῦν περιέσται
τὸ ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου is an adverbial expression meaning 'in all justice' or 'naturally'. The verb περιέσται (future of περιγίγνομαι) takes the dative ἡμῖν and means 'will be on our side' or 'will result in our superiority'.
2.89.5οὐκ ἂν ἡγοῦνται μὴ μέλλοντάς τι ἄξιον τοῦ παρὰ πολὺ πράξειν ἀνθίστασθαι ὑμᾶς
The particle ἂν goes with the infinitive ἀνθίστασθαι, representing a conditional potentiality ('would not withstand'). The condition is implied in the participle μὴ μέλλοντας with the negative μὴ ('if you were not going to...'). τοῦ παρὰ πολύ refers to the previously mentioned 'utter defeat' and acts as the genitive complement of ἄξιον (worthy of).
2.89.8ἑκὼν εἶναι
An idiomatic expression using the absolute infinitive, typically appearing in negative sentences (here with οὐκ... ποιήσομαι) to mean 'willingly' or 'so far as my own will is concerned'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.89.1-2.89.11