- 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-grc2:4.20.1-4.20.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
The Spartan envoys argue that a timely reconciliation benefits both sides, especially Athens, and will bring them the gratitude of the Greek world and shared hegemony.
‘ἡμῖν δὲ καλῶς, εἴπερ ποτέ, ἔχει ἀμφοτέροις ἡ ξυναλλαγή, πρίν τι ἀνήκεστον διὰ μέσου γενόμενον ἡμᾶς καταλαβεῖν,1 ἐν ᾧ ἀνάγκη ἀίδιον ὑμῖν ἔχθραν πρὸς τῇ κοινῇ καὶ ἰδίαν ἔχειν, ὑμᾶς δὲ στερηθῆναι ὧν νῦν προκαλούμεθα.
”And for both of us, reconciliation is a good thing, if ever it was, before some irremediable disaster intervenes and overtakes us, in which case it is necessary for you to have a lifelong personal enmity in addition to our common one, and for you to be deprived of what we are now offering.
ἔτι δ’ ὄντων ἀκρίτων καὶ ὑμῖν μὲν δόξης καὶ ἡμετέρας φιλίας προσγιγνομένης, ἡμῖν δὲ πρὸ αἰσχροῦ τινὸς ξυμφορᾶς μετρίως κατατιθεμένης2 διαλλαγῶμεν, καὶ αὐτοί τε ἀντὶ πολέμου εἰρήνην ἑλώμεθα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἕλλησιν ἀνάπαυσιν κακῶν ποιήσωμεν· οἳ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ὑμᾶς αἰτιωτέρους ἡγήσονται. πολεμοῦνται μὲν γὰρ ἀσαφῶς ὁποτέρων ἀρξάντων· καταλύσεως δὲ γενομένης, ἧς νῦν ὑμεῖς τὸ πλέον κύριοί ἐστε, τὴν χάριν ὑμῖν προσθήσουσιν.
While the issue is still undecided, and while reputation and our friendship are being added to you, and for us our situation is being settled on moderate terms prior to any shameful disaster, let us be reconciled, and let us choose peace instead of war for ourselves, and bring to the other Greeks a rest from their evils; and in this they will consider you the more responsible. For they are at war without being clear which side began it; but if a cessation of hostilities is brought about, of which you now have the greater power, they will attribute the gratitude to you.
ἤν τε γνῶτε, Λακεδαιμονίοις ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν φίλους γενέσθαι βεβαίως, αὐτῶν τε προκαλεσαμένων χαρισαμένοις τε μᾶλλον ἢ βιασαμένοις.3
And if you decide so, it is possible for you to become firm friends with the Lacedaemonians, since they themselves have made the proposal, and you would be showing them favor rather than using force.
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὰ ἐνόντα ἀγαθὰ σκοπεῖτε ὅσα εἰκὸς εἶναι· ἡμῶν γὰρ καὶ ὑμῶν ταὐτὰ λεόντων4 τό γε ἄλλο Ἑλληνικὸν ἴστε ὅτι5 ὑποδεέστερον ὂν τὰ μέγιστα τιμήσει.’
And in this, consider how many good things are likely to be inherent; for you know that if we and you say the same things, the rest of the Greek world, being in an inferior position, will pay us the highest honor.”
- 4.20.1πρίν τι ἀνήκεστον διὰ μέσου γενόμενον ἡμᾶς καταλαβεῖν
The conjunction πρίν is followed by the infinitive καταλαβεῖν. The subject of the infinitive is τι ἀνήκεστον (modified by the participle γενόμενον). ἡμᾶς is the direct object of the infinitive. διὰ μέσου is an adverbial phrase meaning 'in the meantime' or 'in between'.
- 4.20.2ἡμῖν δὲ πρὸ αἰσχροῦ τινὸς ξυμφορᾶς μετρίως κατατιθεμένης
A genitive absolute construction where the subject of the participle κατατιθεμένης is not explicitly stated but is understood from the context (the state of affairs or the war). ἡμῖν is a dative of interest ('for us'). πρὸ αἰσχροῦ τινὸς ξυμφορᾶς means 'prior to any shameful disaster'.
- 4.20.3χαρισαμένοις τε μᾶλλον ἢ βιασαμένοις
Dative participles agreeing with ὑμῖν (the Athenians) governed by ἔξεστιν. It describes the manner of the Athenians' action towards the Spartans: 'by showing them favor rather than using force'.
- 4.20.4ταὐτὰ λεόντων
λεόντων is a manuscript variant (or contracted form) for λεγόντων, the present participle genitive plural of λέγω (to say). Together with ἡμῶν γὰρ καὶ ὑμῶν, it forms a genitive absolute construction expressing a condition: 'if we and you say (agree on) the same things'. Although the spelling matches the genitive plural of λέων (lion), the context clearly requires the sense of agreement.
- 4.20.4τό γε ἄλλο Ἑλληνικὸν ἴστε ὅτι
A construction of prolepsis (anticipation), where τό γε ἄλλο Ἑλληνικόν (the rest of the Greek world), which logically should be the subject of the ὅτι clause, is anticipated as the direct object of the main verb ἴστε (you know).