Nicias' Appeal to the President for a Revote — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 6 (6.14.1), Greek & English

§6.14.1

‘καὶ σύ, ὦ πρύτανι, ταῦτα, εἴπερ ἡγεῖ σοι προσήκειν¹ κήδεσθαί τε τῆς πόλεως καὶ βούλει γενέσθαι πολίτης ἀγαθός, ἐπιψήφιζε καὶ γνώμας προτίθει αὖθις Ἀθηναίοις, νομίσας, εἰ ὀρρωδεῖς τὸ ἀναψηφίσαι, τὸ μὲν λύειν τοὺς νόμους μὴ μετὰ τοσῶνδ’ ἂν μαρτύρων αἰτίαν σχεῖν,² τῆς δὲ πόλεως 〈κακῶς 〉 βουλευσαμένης ἰατρὸς ἂν γενέσθαι, καὶ τὸ καλῶς ἄρξαι τοῦτ’ εἶναι, ὃς ἂν τὴν πατρίδα ὠφελήσῃ ὡς πλεῖστα ἢ ἑκὼν εἶναι³ μηδὲν βλάψῃ.’

’And you, president, if you indeed think that it belongs to you to care for the city, and you wish to be a good citizen, put this to the vote and propose the question again to the Athenians, considering that, if you fear to put it to the vote again, to break the laws indeed would not incur blame in the presence of so many witnesses, but that you would become a physician to the city which has counselled badly, and that to rule well is this: whoever does his country the greatest possible good, or at least willingly does it no harm.’

Syntax notes3 items

6.14.1σοι προσήκειν
An infinitive clause acting as the object of ἡγεῖ. The impersonal verb προσήκει becomes the infinitive προσήκειν, taking σοι as its ethical/dative subject.
6.14.1τὸ μὲν λύειν τοὺς νόμους μὴ μετὰ τοσῶνδ’ ἂν μαρτύρων αἰτίαν σχεῖν
In indirect speech introduced by νομίσας, the articular infinitive τὸ μὲν λύειν serves as the subject of σχεῖν. The infinitive with ἄν (ἂν σχεῖν) corresponds to οὐκ ἂν σχοίη (potential optative) in direct speech.
6.14.1ἑκὼν εἶναι
An idiomatic absolute infinitive meaning 'willingly' or 'purposely'. It is typically used in negative contexts (here with μηδὲν βλάψῃ), conveying the sense of 'at least not of his own free will.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.14.1