- 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-grc2:4.83.1-4.83.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
Perdiccas leads an expedition against Arrhabaeus accompanied by Brasidas, but Brasidas attempts a neutral arbitration and withdraws the army against Perdiccas' wishes, causing a rift between them.
Περδίκκας δὲ Βρασίδαν καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν εὐθὺς λαβὼν μετὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως στρατεύει ἐπὶ Ἀρραβαῖον τὸν Βρομεροῦ Λυγκηστῶν Μακεδόνων βασιλέα ὅμορον ὄντα, διαφορᾶς τε αὐτῷ οὔσης καὶ βουλόμενος καταστρέψασθαι.1
Perdiccas immediately took Brasidas and his army, along with his own forces, and marched against Arrhabaeus, the son of Bromerus, king of the Lyncestian Macedonians, who was his neighbor; for Perdiccas had a quarrel with him and wished to subjugate him.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐγένετο τῷ στρατῷ μετὰ τοῦ Βρασίδου ἐπὶ τῇ ἐσβολῇ τῆς Λύγκου, Βρασίδας λόγοις ἔφη βούλεσθαι πρῶτον ἐλθὼν πρὸ πολέμου Ἀρραβαῖον ξύμμαχον Λακεδαιμονίων, ἢν δύνηται, ποιῆσαι.
But when the army with Brasidas arrived at the pass into Lyncus, Brasidas said that before resorting to war he wished first to go and, by means of negotiations, make Arrhabaeus an ally of the Lacedaemonians if he could.
καὶ γάρ τι καὶ Ἀρραβαῖος ἐπεκηρυκεύετο, ἑτοῖμος ὢν Βρασίδᾳ μέσῳ δικαστῇ ἐπιτρέπειν· καὶ οἱ Χαλκιδέων πρέσβεις ξυμπαρόντες ἐδίδασκον αὐτὸν μὴ ὑπεξελεῖν τῷ Περδίκκᾳ τὰ δεινά, ἵνα προθυμοτέρῳ ἔχοιεν καὶ ἐς τὰ ἑαυτῶν χρῆσθαι.2
Indeed, Arrhabaeus had sent heralds, being ready to submit the matter to Brasidas as an impartial arbitrator; and the Chalcidian ambassadors who were present urged him not to remove the danger from Perdiccas, so that they might have him more zealous in their own affairs also.
ἅμα δέ τι καὶ εἰρήκεσαν τοιοῦτον οἱ παρὰ τοῦ Περδίκκου ἐν τῇ Λακεδαίμονι, ὡς πολλὰ αὐτοῖς τῶν περὶ αὑτὸν χωρίων ξύμμαχα ποιήσοι, ὥστε ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου κοινῇ μᾶλλον ὁ Βρασίδας τὰ τοῦ Ἀρραβαίου ἠξίου πράσσειν.
At the same time, Perdiccas’ envoys in Lacedaemon had also made some such promise, that he would make many of the places around him allies to them, so that for this reason Brasidas thought it more proper to manage Arrhabaeus’ affairs as a common interest.
Περδίκκας δὲ οὔτε δικαστὴν ἔφη Βρασίδαν τῶν σφετέρων διαφορῶν ἀγαγεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ καθαιρέτην ὧν ἂν αὐτὸς ἀποφαίνῃ πολεμίων, ἀδικήσειν τε εἰ αὐτοῦ τρέφοντος τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ στρατοῦ ξυνέσται Ἀρραβαίῳ.3
But Perdiccas said that he had not brought Brasidas to be an arbitrator of their disputes, but rather to be a destroyer of whatever enemies he himself should point out, and that Brasidas would commit an injustice if, while he himself was supporting half the army, he should hold a conference with Arrhabaeus.
ὁ δὲ ἄκοντος καὶ ἐκ διαφορᾶς ξυγγίγνεται,4 καὶ πεισθεὶς τοῖς λόγοις ἀπήγαγε τὴν στρατιὰν πρὶν ἐσβαλεῖν ἐς τὴν χώραν. Περδίκκας δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο τρίτον μέρος ἀνθ’ ἡμίσεος τῆς τροφῆς ἐδίδου, νομίζων ἀδικεῖσθαι.
Nevertheless, Brasidas held the conference against Perdiccas’ will and in spite of their quarrel, and being persuaded by his words, led the army back before invading the country. After this, Perdiccas, believing himself wronged, gave only a third part of the maintenance instead of a half.
- 4.83.1διαφορᾶς τε αὐτῷ οὔσης καὶ βουλόμενος καταστρέψασθαι
The conjunction καί coordinates two grammatically different constructions: the genitive absolute clause διαφορᾶς... οὔσης (expressing cause) and the nominative participle βουλόμενος modifying the subject of the main clause (anacoluthon).
- 4.83.3ἵνα προθυμοτέρῳ ἔχοιεν καὶ ἐς τὰ ἑαυτῶν χρῆσθαι
The verb ἔχοιεν is used in the sense of 'to be able to' with the infinitive χρῆσθαι. The dative comparative adjective προθυμοτέρῳ agrees with the implied object of χρῆσθαι (Perdiccas) as a predicate dative ('so that they might be able to use him as a more zealous supporter').
- 4.83.5ἀδικήσειν τε εἰ αὐτοῦ τρέφοντος τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ στρατοῦ ξυνέσται Ἀρραβαίῳ
The future infinitive ἀδικήσειν in indirect discourse has an omitted subject (Brasidas) and means 'that he would commit an injustice'. The conditional clause εἰ... ξυνέσται represents a future indicative condition in direct speech, which is maintained in indirect speech after a past verb of saying (ἔφη). αὐτοῦ τρέφοντος is a genitive absolute with concessive force ('although he himself was supporting').
- 4.83.6ὁ δὲ ἄκοντος καὶ ἐκ διαφορᾶς ξυγγίγνεται
The genitive absolute participle ἄκοντος has its noun (τοῦ Περδίκκου) omitted, meaning 'against Perdiccas' will.' This absolute construction is coordinated by καί with the prepositional phrase ἐκ διαφορᾶς ('out of / in a state of quarrel').