- 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-grc2:3.5.1-3.5.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-24
As negotiations with Athens fail, the whole of Lesbos except Methymna enters into war, and the Mytilaeneans, after a brief sally against the Athenian camp, retreat and wait for Peloponnesian reinforcements.
οἱ δ’ ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν πρέσβεις1 ὡς οὐδὲν ἦλθον πράξαντες, ἐς πόλεμον καθίσταντο οἱ Μυτιληναῖοι καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Λέσβος πλὴν Μηθύμνης· οὗτοι δὲ τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐβεβοηθήκεσαν, καὶ Ἴμβριοι καὶ Λήμνιοι καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὀλίγοι τινὲς ξυμμάχων.
When the ambassadors from Athens returned having accomplished nothing, the Mytilaeneans and the rest of Lesbos, except Methymna, entered into war; the latter had come to the aid of the Athenians, as had also the Imbrians, the Lemnians, and a few of the other allies.
καὶ ἔξοδον μέν τινα πανδημεὶ ἐποιήσαντο οἱ Μυτιληναῖοι ἐπὶ τὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων στρατόπεδον, καὶ μάχη ἐγένετο, ἐν ᾗ οὐκ ἔλασσον ἔχοντες2 οἱ Μυτιληναῖοι οὔτε ἐπηυλίσαντο οὔτε ἐπίστευσαν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ’ ἀνεχώρησαν· ἔπειτα οἱ μὲν ἡσύχαζον, ἐκ Πελοποννήσου καὶ μετ’ ἄλλης παρασκευῆς βουλόμενοι εἰ προσγένοιτό τι3 κινδυνεύειν· καὶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς Μελέας Λάκων ἀφικνεῖται καὶ Ἑρμαιώνδας Θηβαῖος, οἳ προαπεστάλησαν μὲν τῆς ἀποστάσεως,4 φθάσαι δὲ οὐ δυνάμενοι τὸν τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐπίπλουν κρύφα μετὰ τὴν μάχην ὕστερον ἐσπλέουσι τριήρει, καὶ παρῄνουν πέμπειν τριήρη ἄλλην καὶ πρέσβεις μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν· καὶ ἐκπέμπουσιν.
And the Mytilaeneans made a sally with their entire force against the camp of the Athenians, and a battle took place, in which the Mytilaeneans, although they had the better of it, neither bivouacked on the field nor trusted in themselves, but withdrew. After this they remained quiet, wishing to risk a battle only if some reinforcement from the Peloponnese and with other preparation should be added to them. For indeed, Meleas, a Laconian, and Hermaeondas, a Theban, arrived to them; these men had been sent out before the revolt, but being unable to anticipate the arrival of the Athenian fleet, they sailed in secretly in a trireme after the battle, and advised them to send another trireme and ambassadors along with themselves; and they dispatched them.
- 3.5.1οἱ δ’ ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν πρέσβεις
Refers to the ambassadors sent to Athens in the previous chapter. The prepositional phrase ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν ('from Athens') indicates the direction of their return to Mytilene.
- 3.5.2οὐκ ἔλασσον ἔχοντες
An idiomatic expression meaning 'not having the worst of it' or 'holding their own / having the upper hand.' The participle ἔχοντες is interpreted concessively ('although they had the better of it').
- 3.5.2εἰ προσγένοιτό τι
The optative is used because it represents a future possibility viewed from a past standpoint (potential or indirect speech dependent on the past main verb ἡσύχαζον).
- 3.5.2προαπεστάλησαν μὲν τῆς ἀποστάσεως
The genitive τῆς ἀποστάσεως ('the revolt') is governed by the prepositional prefix προ- ('before') in the compound verb προαπεστάλησαν.