- 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-grc2:2.97.1-2.97.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-24
This section describes the geographical extent of the Odrysian Empire in terms of travel times by sea and land, details its vast tribute and unique gifting customs, and highlights its status as the wealthiest European power and second only to the Scythians in military strength.
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἡ Ὀδρυσῶν μέγεθος1 ἐπὶ μὲν θάλασσαν καθήκουσα ἀπὸ Ἀβδήρων πόλεως ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινον πόντον μέχρι Ἴστρου ποταμοῦ· αὕτη περίπλους ἐστὶν ἡ γῆ τὰ ξυντομώτατα, ἢν αἰεὶ κατὰ πρύμναν ἱστῆται τὸ πνεῦμα, νηὶ στρογγύλῃ τεσσάρων ἡμερῶν καὶ ἴσων νυκτῶν· ὁδῷ δὲ τὰ ξυντομώτατα ἐξ Ἀβδήρων ἐς Ἴστρον ἀνὴρ εὔζωνος ἑνδεκαταῖος τελεῖ.
The empire of the Odrysians, in its extent, reached along the sea from the city of Abdera to the Euxine Pontus as far as the River Ister. This land is, if the wind should always stand directly astern, a voyage of four days and as many nights for a merchant vessel by the shortest route. By land, a quick traveler completes the journey from Abdera to the Ister by the shortest way in eleven days.
τὰ μὲν πρὸς θάλασσαν τοσαύτη ἦν, ἐς ἤπειρον δὲ ἀπὸ Βυζαντίου ἐς Λαιαίους καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Στρυμόνα (ταύτῃ γὰρ διὰ πλείστου ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἄνω ἐγίγνετο) ἡμερῶν ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ τριῶν καὶ δέκα ἁνύσαι.2
Such was its extent along the sea, while into the interior, from Byzantium to the Laeaeans and to the Strymon (for in this direction it extended furthest inland from the sea), it was a journey of thirteen days for a quick traveler to accomplish.
φόρος τε ἐκ πάσης τῆς βαρβάρου καὶ τῶν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων, ὅσον προσῆξαν ἐπὶ Σεύθου, ὃς ὕστερον Σιτάλκου βασιλεύσας πλεῖστον δὴ ἐποίησε, τετρακοσίων ταλάντων ἀργυρίου μάλιστα δύναμις, ἃ χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος ᾔει·3 καὶ δῶρα οὐκ ἐλάσσω τούτων χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἀργύρου προσεφέρετο, χωρὶς δὲ ὅσα ὑφαντά τε καὶ λεῖα καὶ ἡ ἄλλη κατασκευή, καὶ οὐ μόνον αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς παραδυναστεύουσί τε καὶ γενναίοις Ὀδρυσῶν.
The tribute which came in from all the barbarian territory and the Greek cities, as much as they brought in under Seuthes, who later ruled after Sitalces and made it the greatest, had a value of about four hundred talents of silver, which was paid in gold and silver. And gifts of no less value than these in gold and silver were presented to him, and besides these, all kinds of woven and plain stuffs and other furnishings, and this not only to the king himself, but also to the subordinate rulers and nobles of the Odrysians.
κατεστήσαντο γὰρ τοὐναντίον τῆς Περσῶν βασιλείας τὸν νόμον, ὄντα μὲν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Θρᾳξί, λαμβάνειν μᾶλλον ἢ διδόναι (καὶ αἴσχιον ἦν αἰτηθέντα μὴ δοῦναι ἢ αἰτήσαντα μὴ τυχεῖν), ὅμως δὲ κατὰ τὸ δύνασθαι ἐπὶ πλέον αὐτῷ ἐχρήσαντο· οὐ γὰρ ἦν πρᾶξαι οὐδὲν μὴ διδόντα δῶρα. ὥστε ἐπὶ μέγα ἡ βασιλεία ἦλθεν ἰσχύος.
For they established a custom contrary to that of the Persian kingdom—though it existed also among the other Thracians—to receive rather than to give (and it was more shameful not to give when asked than to ask and not to obtain). Nevertheless, they used this custom to a greater extent according to their power; for it was impossible to accomplish anything without giving gifts. Consequently, the kingdom rose to a high degree of power.
τῶν γὰρ ἐν τῇ Εὐρώπῃ ὅσαι μεταξὺ τοῦ Ἰονίου κόλπου καὶ τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου μεγίστη ἐγένετο χρημάτων προσόδῳ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ εὐδαιμονίᾳ, ἰσχύι δὲ μάχης καὶ στρατοῦ πλήθει πολὺ δευτέρα μετὰ τὴν Σκυθῶν.
For of all those in Europe between the Ionian Gulf and the Euxine Pontus, it became the greatest in revenue of money and other prosperity, while in strength of war and abundance of army it was by far second only to that of the Scythians.
ταύτῃ δὲ ἀδύνατα ἐξισοῦσθαι οὐχ ὅτι4 τὰ ἐν τῇ Εὐρώπῃ, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ ἔθνος ἓν πρὸς ἓν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτι δυνατὸν Σκύθαις ὁμογνωμονοῦσι πᾶσιν ἀντιστῆναι. οὐ μὴν οὐδ’ ἐς τὴν ἄλλην εὐβουλίαν καὶ ξύνεσιν περὶ τῶν παρόντων ἐς τὸν βίον ἄλλοις ὁμοιοῦνται.
With this power it is impossible for not only those in Europe to compare, but not even in Asia is there any single nation which, one against one, is able to withstand the Scythians if they are all of one mind. Yet, in other wisdom and intelligence regarding the necessities of life, they are by no means equal to others.
- 2.97.1μέγεθος
An accusative of respect (or limitation) restricting the spatial extent of the subject 'the empire' (ἡ ἀρχὴ). It means 'in its size' or 'in its extent'.
- 2.97.2ἡμερῶν ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ τριῶν καὶ δέκα ἁνύσαι
A highly compressed construction. The genitive ἡμερῶν ... τριῶν καὶ δέκα behaves as a genitive of quality indicating the distance (a journey of thirteen days), while the aorist infinitive ἁνύσαι (to accomplish/traverse) denotes result or purpose, or depends on an omitted impersonal phrase like οἷόν τ’ ἦν. The dative ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ functions as the subject of the infinitive or a dative of reference.
- 2.97.3ἃ χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος ᾔει
The antecedent of the relative pronoun ἃ refers to the value of the tribute. The verb ᾔει is the 3rd person singular imperfect of εἶμι (to go). In accordance with Greek grammar, a neuter plural subject (ἃ) takes a singular verb. It is used intransitively to mean 'came in' or 'was paid' (in the form of gold and silver).
- 2.97.6οὐχ ὅτι
An idiomatic expression meaning 'not to mention' or 'not only' (derived from the ellipsis of οὐκ ἐρῶ ὅτι). Correlative with the following ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ (but not even), it establishes a strong contrast: 'not only are those in Europe unable to compare, but not even in Asia...'.