Peace in Sicily and the Punishment of Athenian Generals — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 4 (4.65.1–4.65.4), Greek & English

§4.65.1

τοιαῦτα τοῦ Ἑρμοκράτους εἰπόντος πειθόμενοι οἱ Σικελιῶται αὐτοὶ μὲν κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ξυνηνέχθησαν γνώμῃ ὥστε ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι τοῦ πολέμου ἔχοντες ἃ ἕκαστοι ἔχουσι, τοῖς δὲ Καμαριναίοις Μοργαντίνην εἶναι ἀργύριον τακτὸν τοῖς Συρακοσίοις ἀποδοῦσιν·¹

When Hermocrates had spoken thus, the Siceliots, being persuaded, came to an agreement among themselves in opinion to bring the war to an end, keeping what each currently possessed, except that Morgantina was to belong to the Camarinaeans upon their paying a fixed sum of money to the Syracusans.

§4.65.2

οἱ δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ξύμμαχοι παρακαλέσαντες αὐτῶν τοὺς ἐν τέλει ὄντας εἶπον ὅτι ξυμβήσονται καὶ αἱ σπονδαὶ ἔσονται κἀκείνοις κοιναί. ἐπαινεσάντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐποιοῦντο τὴν ὁμολογίαν, καὶ αἱ νῆες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀπέπλευσαν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκ Σικελίας.

And the allies of the Athenians, having summoned those of them in authority, said that they would come to terms and that the treaty would be common to them as well. Upon their agreeing, they made the covenant, and the ships of the Athenians sailed away from Sicily after this.

§4.65.3

ἐλθόντας δὲ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς² οἱ ἐν τῇ πόλει Ἀθηναῖοι τοὺς μὲν φυγῇ ἐζημίωσαν, Πυθόδωρον καὶ Σοφοκλέα, τὸν δὲ τρίτον Εὐρυμέδοντα χρήματα ἐπράξαντο, ὡς ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐν Σικελίᾳ καταστρέψασθαι δώροις πεισθέντες ἀποχωρήσειαν.³

When the generals returned, the Athenians in the city punished two of them with banishment, Pythodorus and Sophocles, and fined the third, Eurymedon, on the charge that, although it had been possible for them to subdue the affairs in Sicily, they had withdrawn because they were persuaded by bribes.

§4.65.4

οὕτω τῇ [τε] παρούσῃ εὐτυχίᾳ χρώμενοι ἠξίουν σφίσι μηδὲν ἐναντιοῦσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ δυνατὰ ἐν ἴσῳ καὶ τὰ ἀπορώτερα μεγάλῃ τε ὁμοίως καὶ ἐνδεεστέρᾳ παρασκευῇ κατεργάζεσθαι. αἰτία δ’ ἦν ἡ παρὰ λόγον τῶν πλεόνων εὐπραγία αὐτοῖς ὑποτιθεῖσα ἰσχὺν τῆς ἐλπίδος.⁴

Using their present good fortune in this way, they thought that nothing should oppose them, but that they could accomplish what was possible and what was more difficult alike, with a great preparation and an inadequate one. And the cause of this was their unexpected success in most things, which suggested to them the strength of their hope.

Syntax notes4 items

4.65.1τοῖς δὲ Καμαριναίοις Μοργαντίνην εἶναι ἀργύριον τακτὸν τοῖς Συρακοσίοις ἀποδοῦσιν
τοῖς Καμαριναίοις is a dative of possession acting as the subject of the infinitive εἶναι. The aorist participle dative ἀποδοῦσιν agrees with τοῖς Καμαριναίοις and expresses condition ('upon paying' or 'provided they pay').
4.65.3ἐλθόντας δὲ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς
The accusative phrase at the beginning of the sentence is anticipated (prolepsis) as the direct object of the main action. It is subsequently divided and specified in parts by τοὺς μὲν... τὸν δὲ τρίτον... (schema of whole and part).
4.65.3ὡς ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐν Σικελίᾳ καταστρέψασθαι δώροις πεισθέντες ἀποχωρήσειαν
ὡς introduces a subjective reason ('on the ground that...'), taking the verb in the optative mood (ἀποχωρήσειαν). ἐξόν is an accusative absolute of the impersonal verb ἔξεστι, expressing concession ('although it was possible').
4.65.4αἰτία δ’ ἦν ἡ παρὰ λόγον τῶν πλεόνων εὐπραγία αὐτοῖς ὑποτιθεῖσα ἰσχὺν τῆς ἐλπίδος
The subject of αἰτία δ’ ἦν is the complex phrase ἡ... εὐπραγία... ὑποτιθεῖσα, where the participle carries the main verbal idea ('the fact that their success suggested to them...'), similar to the Latin 'ab urbe condita' construction.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.65.1-4.65.4