- 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-grc2:5.48.1-5.48.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
While the new quadruple alliance was formed, the peace between Sparta and Athens remained in place. The Corinthians refused to join the new treaty, holding to their earlier defensive alliance and realigning themselves with Sparta.
αἱ μὲν σπονδαὶ καὶ ἡ ξυμμαχία οὕτως ἐγένοντο, καὶ αἱ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων1 οὐκ ἀπείρηντο τούτου ἕνεκα οὐδ’ ὑφ’ ἑτέρων.
Thus the treaty and the alliance were concluded, and those between the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians were not denounced because of this by either side.
Κορίνθιοι δὲ Ἀργείων ὄντες ξύμμαχοι οὐκ ἐσῆλθον ἐς αὐτάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενομένης πρὸ τούτου Ἠλείοις καὶ Ἀργείοις καὶ Μαντινεῦσι ξυμμαχίας,2 τοῖς αὐτοῖς πολεμεῖν καὶ εἰρήνην ἄγειν,3 οὐ ξυνώμοσαν, ἀρκεῖν δ’ ἔφασαν σφίσι τὴν πρώτην γενομένην ἐπιμαχίαν,4 ἀλλήλοις βοηθεῖν, ξυνεπιστρατεύειν δὲ μηδενί.
But the Corinthians, although they were allies of the Argives, did not enter into them; indeed, even when an alliance had been made before this among the Eleans, Argives, and Mantineans, to have the same enemies and friends, they had not joined in the oath, but declared that the original defensive alliance which had been made—to help one another, but to join in no offensive war against anyone—was sufficient for them.
οἱ μὲν Κορίνθιοι οὕτως ἀπέστησαν τῶν ξυμμάχων καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πάλιν τὴν γνώμην εἶχον.5
The Corinthians thus detached themselves from their allies and turned their thoughts again toward the Lacedaemonians.
- 5.48.1αἱ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων
The feminine plural article αἱ implies the omission of the noun σπονδαί (treaty) from the previous sentence, referring here to the Peace of Nicias between Sparta and Athens.
- 5.48.2γενομένης πρὸ τούτου ... ξυμμαχίας
A genitive absolute construction which, combined with the particle καί, carries a concessive force: 'even when an alliance had been made before this.'
- 5.48.2τοῖς αὐτοῖς πολεμεῖν καὶ εἰρήνην ἄγειν
Infinitive phrases standing in apposition to the preceding genitive noun ξυμμαχίας, explaining the specific terms of the alliance ('to wage war against and keep peace with the same people', i.e., an offensive and defensive alliance).
- 5.48.2ἀρκεῖν δ’ ἔφασαν σφίσι τὴν πρώτην γενομένην ἐπιμαχίαν
The indirect reflexive pronoun σφίσι refers back to the subject of the main verb of speaking ἔφασαν (the Corinthians). The term 'defensive alliance' (ἐπιμαχία) is contrasted with 'full alliance' (ξυμμαχία), and its defensive nature is defined by the following infinitives: 'to help one another, but to join in offensive campaigns against no one'.
- 5.48.3πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πάλιν τὴν γνώμην εἶχον
The phrase τὴν γνώμην ἔχω followed by πρός + accusative is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to turn one's thoughts/inclination toward someone.' It indicates the shift in the Corinthians' political alignment back to the Lacedaemonian side.