- 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-grc2:3.71.1-3.71.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-26
The assassins of Peithias force the Corcyraeans to adopt a strict policy of neutrality, and immediately send ambassadors to Athens to justify their actions and pacify the refugees.
δράσαντες δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ξυγκαλέσαντες Κερκυραίους εἶπον ὅτι ταῦτα καὶ βέλτιστα εἴη καὶ ἥκιστ’ ἂν δουλωθεῖεν ὑπ’ Ἀθηναίων, τό τε λοιπὸν μηδετέρους δέχεσθαι ἀλλ’ ἢ μιᾷ νηὶ ἡσυχάζοντας,1 τὸ δὲ πλέον πολέμιον ἡγεῖσθαι.2 ὡς δὲ εἶπον, καὶ ἐπικυρῶσαι ἠνάγκασαν τὴν γνώμην.
Having done this and having called the Corcyraeans together, they said that this was both for the best and that they would be least likely to be enslaved by the Athenians, and that for the future they should receive neither party except coming quietly with a single ship, and should consider any larger force as hostile. And having spoken thus, they also compelled them to ratify the proposal.
πέμπουσι δὲ καὶ ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας εὐθὺς πρέσβεις περί τε τῶν πεπραγμένων διδάξοντας ὡς ξυνέφερε καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖ καταπεφευγότας πείσοντας3 μηδὲν ἀνεπιτήδειον πράσσειν, ὅπως μή τις ἐπιστροφὴ4 γένηται.
And they also immediately sent ambassadors to Athens, both to explain about what had been done, showing that it was advantageous, and to persuade those who had fled there not to take any hostile action, so that no reaction might occur.
- 3.71.1ἀλλ’ ἢ μιᾷ νηὶ ἡσυχάζοντας
The phrase ἀλλ' ἤ means 'except.' The accusative participle ἡσυχάζοντας agrees with the pronoun μηδετέρους, which is the object of the infinitive δέχεσθαι, meaning 'except if they come quietly with a single ship.'
- 3.71.1εἶπον ὅτι ... δέχεσθαι ... ἡγεῖσθαι
The verb εἶπον ('they said') introduces both a ὅτι-clause expressing statement of fact (with optatives εἴη, δουλωθεῖεν) and infinitives expressing command or exhortation (δέχεσθαι, ἡγεῖσθαι). This transition from indirect statement to indirect command under a single verb of saying is a common Greek construction.
- 3.71.2διδάξοντας ... πείσοντας
Both are future active participles modifying πρέσβεις and used with the main verb πέμπουσι ('they send') to express purpose ('in order to explain... and to persuade...').
- 3.71.2ἐπιστροφή
Literally 'a turning around' or 'return,' in this political context it refers to a 'reaction,' 'retaliation,' or 'counter-move' by Athens, potentially instigated by the refugees.