- 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-grc2:3.92.1-3.92.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-27
In response to requests from the Trachinians and Dorians who were suffering from the Oetaeans, the Lacedaemonians consult the Delphic oracle and establish the colony of Heracleia in Trachinia, securing a strategic stronghold against Euboea and a route to Thrace.
ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον Λακεδαιμόνιοι Ἡράκλειαν τὴν ἐν Τραχινίᾳ ἀποικίαν καθίσταντο ἀπὸ τοιᾶσδε γνώμης.
About this same time, the Lacedaemonians established the colony of Heracleia in Trachinia, from the following motive.
Μηλιῆς οἱ ξύμπαντες εἰσὶ μὲν τρία μέρη, Παράλιοι Ἰριῆς Τραχίνιοι· τούτων δὲ οἱ Τραχίνιοι πολέμῳ ἐφθαρμένοι ὑπὸ Οἰταίων ὁμόρων ὄντων, τὸ πρῶτον μελλήσαντες Ἀθηναίοις προσθεῖναι σφᾶς αὐτούς, δείσαντες δὲ μὴ οὐ σφίσι πιστοὶ ὦσι,1 πέμπουσιν ἐς Λακεδαίμονα, ἑλόμενοι πρεσβευτὴν Τεισαμενόν.
The Melians as a whole consist of three parts: the Paralioi, the Hiries, and the Trachinians. Of these, the Trachinians, having been ruined by war at the hands of the neighboring Oetaeans, at first intended to ally themselves with the Athenians, but fearing lest they might not be trustworthy to them, they sent to Lacedaemon, having chosen Teisamenos as their envoy.
ξυνεπρεσβεύοντο δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Δωριῆς, ἡ μητρόπολις τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, τῶν αὐτῶν δεόμενοι· ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν Οἰταίων καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐφθείροντο.
The Dorians also, the mother country of the Lacedaemonians, sent envoys with them, making the same request; for they too were being ruined by the Oetaeans.
ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι γνώμην εἶχον τὴν ἀποικίαν ἐκπέμπειν, τοῖς τε Τραχινίοις βουλόμενοι καὶ τοῖς Δωριεῦσι τιμωρεῖν, καὶ ἅμα τοῦ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους πολέμου2 καλῶς αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει ἡ πόλις καθίστασθαι· ἐπί τε γὰρ τῇ Εὐβοίᾳ ναυτικὸν παρασκευασθῆναι ἄν,3 ὥστ’ ἐκ βραχέος τὴν διάβασιν γίγνεσθαι, τῆς τε ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης παρόδου χρησίμως ἕξειν.4 τό τε ξύμπαν ὥρμηντο τὸ χωρίον κτίζειν.
On hearing this, the Lacedaemonians resolved to send out the colony, wishing to assist both the Trachinians and the Dorians; and at the same time, it seemed to them that the city would be established in a favorable position for the war against the Athenians. For a fleet could be equipped there against Euboea, so that the crossing would be from a short distance, and it would also be useful for the passage to Thrace. In short, they were eager to build up the place.
πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἐν Δελφοῖς τὸν θεὸν ἐπήροντο, κελεύοντος δὲ ἐξέπεμψαν τοὺς οἰκήτορας αὑτῶν τε καὶ τῶν περιοίκων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων τὸν βουλόμενον ἐκέλευον ἕπεσθαι πλὴν Ἰώνων καὶ Ἀχαιῶν καὶ ἔστιν ὧν5 ἄλλων ἐθνῶν. οἰκισταὶ δὲ τρεῖς Λακεδαιμονίων ἡγήσαντο, Λέων καὶ Ἀλκίδας καὶ Δαμάγων.
First, then, they consulted the god at Delphi, and when he commanded them, they sent out the settlers, both from themselves and from the Perioikoi, and invited any of the other Greeks who wished to follow, except the Ionians, the Achaeans, and some other tribes. Three Lacedaemonian founders led them: Leon, Alkidas, and Damagon.
καταστάντες δὲ ἐτείχισαν τὴν πόλιν ἐκ καινῆς, ἣ νῦν Ἡράκλεια καλεῖται, ἀπέχουσα Θερμοπυλῶν σταδίους μάλιστα τεσσαράκοντα, τῆς δὲ θαλάσσης εἴκοσι. νεώριά τε παρεσκευάζοντο, καὶ εἶρξαν τὸ κατὰ Θερμοπύλας κατ’ αὐτὸ τὸ στενόν, ὅπως εὐφύλακτα αὐτοῖς εἴη.
Once established, they fortified the city anew, which is now called Heracleia, being distant about forty stades from Thermopylae and twenty from the sea. They also prepared dockyards and blocked the passage at Thermopylae, at the very pass itself, so that it might be easily guarded by them.
- 3.92.2μὴ οὐ σφίσι πιστοὶ ὦσι
Following the participle of fearing δείσαντες, the conjunction μὴ οὐ with the subjunctive ὦσι introduces a negative apprehension, meaning 'fearing lest they might not be...' or 'fearing that they would not be...'. Here, it indicates the Trachinians' fear that the Athenians would not prove trustworthy to them.
- 3.92.4τοῦ πρὸς Ἀθηναίους πολέμου
This genitive phrase acts as a genitive of relation or reference depending on the subsequent clause καλῶς αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει ἡ πόλις καθίστασθαι ('it seemed to them that the city would be established in a favorable position'). It specifies the scope of the benefit: 'with respect to the war against the Athenians'.
- 3.92.4ναυτικὸν παρασκευασθῆναι ἄν
An infinitive with the particle ἄν depending on the main verb ἐδόκει. It represents a potential optative (or indicative past with ἄν) of the direct discourse, expressing potentiality or likelihood: 'a fleet could be equipped'.
- 3.92.4τῆς τε ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης παρόδου χρησίμως ἕξειν
The infinitive ἕξειν is used intransitively with the adverb χρησίμως, equivalent to χρησιμὸν εἶναι ('to be useful'). Its implied subject is ἡ πόλις ('the city'). The genitive τῆς παρόδου is a genitive of relation, meaning 'it would be in a useful state with respect to the passage to Thrace'.
- 3.92.5ἔστιν ὧν
A genitive form of the idiomatic phrase ἔστιν οἵ ('there are those who' / 'some'). It functions here under the government of the preposition πλὴν ('except'), meaning 'and some other tribes'.