- 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-grc2:5.107.1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-04
The Athenians point out that the pursuit of interest is accompanied by safety whereas that of justice and honor involves danger, a risk which the Lacedaemonians are least willing to take.
ΑΘ. οὔκουν οἴεσθε1 τὸ ξυμφέρον μὲν μετ’ ἀσφαλείας εἶναι, τὸ δὲ δίκαιον καὶ καλὸν μετὰ κινδύνου δρᾶσθαι· ὃ2 Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἥκιστα ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τολμῶσιν.3
ATH. Do you not think, then, that interest is accompanied by safety, while the practice of justice and honor involves danger? And this is a thing which the Lacedaemonians, as a general rule, are least of all willing to venture.
- 5.107.1οὔκουν οἴεσθε
The negative particle οὔκουν in questions expects an affirmative answer ('Is it not therefore the case that...?'). Here, the Athenians urge the Melians to recognize the reality that pursuing interest goes with safety, whereas practicing justice and honor entails danger.
- 5.107.1ὃ
The relative pronoun ὃ (neuter singular) takes the entire preceding infinitive clause τὸ δὲ δίκαιον καὶ καλὸν μετὰ κινδύνου δρᾶσθαι ('practicing justice and honor with danger') as its antecedent.
- 5.107.1ἥκιστα ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ τολμῶσιν
ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ is an adverbial phrase meaning 'as a general rule' or 'for the most part'. It qualifies the verb τολμῶσιν ('they venture/dare') accompanied by the superlative adverb ἥκιστα ('least of all'), meaning 'a thing which, as a general rule, they are least of all willing to venture.'