Alcibiades' Revelation of Athenian Strategic Ambitions — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 6 (6.90.1–6.90.4), Greek & English

§6.90.1

‘καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐς τὰς ἐμὰς διαβολὰς τοιαῦτα ξυνέβη· περὶ δὲ ὧν¹ ὑμῖν τε βουλευτέον καὶ ἐμοί, εἴ τι πλέον οἶδα, ἐσηγητέον,² μάθετε ἤδη.

’Such, then, were the circumstances of the prejudice against me. But as to what you must deliberate upon, and what I must suggest, if I know anything more, learn it now.

§6.90.2

ἐπλεύσαμεν ἐς Σικελίαν πρῶτον μέν, εἰ δυναίμεθα, Σικελιώτας καταστρεψόμενοι, μετὰ δ᾽ ἐκείνους αὖθις καὶ Ἰταλιώτας, ἔπειτα καὶ τῆς Καρχηδονίων ἀρχῆς καὶ αὐτῶν ἀποπειράσοντες.³

We sailed to Sicily first of all, if we could, to subdue the Siceliots, and after them again the Italiots, and then also to make an attempt upon the empire of the Carthaginians and upon Carthage itself.

§6.90.3

εἰ δὲ προχωρήσειε⁴ ταῦτα ἢ πάντα ἢ καὶ τὰ πλείω, ἤδη τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ ἐμέλλομεν ἐπιχειρήσειν, κομίσαντες ξύμπασαν μὲν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν προσγενομένην δύναμιν τῶν Ἑλλήνων, πολλοὺς δὲ βαρβάρους μισθωσάμενοι καὶ Ἴβηρας καὶ ἄλλους τῶν ἐκεῖ ὁμολογουμένως νῦν βαρβάρων μαχιμωτάτους, τριήρεις τε πρὸς ταῖς ἡμετέραις πολλὰς ναυπηγησάμενοι, ἐχούσης τῆς Ἰταλίας⁵ ξύλα ἄφθονα, αἷς τὴν Πελοπόννησον πέριξ πολιορκοῦντες καὶ τῷ πεζῷ ἅμα ἐκ γῆς ἐφορμαῖς τῶν πόλεων τὰς μὲν βίᾳ λαβόντες, τὰς δ’ ἐντειχισάμενοι, ῥᾳδίως ἠλπίζομεν καταπολεμήσειν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ τοῦ ξύμπαντος Ἑλληνικοῦ ἄρξειν.

And if these plans should succeed, either all or the greater part of them, we were then about to attack the Peloponnese, bringing with us the entire force of the Greeks that had joined us there, and hiring many barbarians, both Iberians and others of the barbarians there who are now admittedly the most warlike, and building many triremes in addition to our own, since Italy has timber in abundance. Blockading the Peloponnese with these from all sides, and at the same time attacking the cities from the land with our infantry, taking some by storm and blockading others with walls, we hoped to subdue them easily, and after that to rule over the whole Greek world.

§6.90.4

χρήματα δὲ καὶ σῖτον, ὥστε εὐπορώτερον γίγνεσθαί τι αὐτῶν,⁶ αὐτὰ τὰ προσγενόμενα ἐκεῖθεν χωρία ἔμελλε διαρκῆ ἄνευ τῆς ἐνθένδε προσόδου παρέξειν.

As for money and provisions, to make these more easily available, the very territories acquired there were to provide them in sufficiency, without our revenues from here.’

Syntax notes6 items

6.90.1περὶ δὲ ὧν
The antecedent pronoun (περὶ ἐκείνων) is omitted, and the relative pronoun ὧν (which would logically be the accusative ἃ as the object of the following clauses) is attracted to the genitive case of the omitted antecedent (relative attraction).
6.90.1ὑμῖν τε βουλευτέον καὶ ἐμοί... ἐσηγητέον
An impersonal construction using verbal adjectives of necessity (neuter singular) with the copula omitted (ὑμῖν βουλευτέον [ἐστί] / ἐμοὶ ἐσηγητέον [ἐστί]). The agents of the actions are expressed in the dative case (ὑμῖν, ἐμοί).
6.90.2καταστρεψόμενοι... ἀποπειράσοντες
Active and middle future participles expressing purpose or intention. They modify the main verb ἐπλεύσαμεν (we sailed), meaning 'in order to subdue... in order to make an attempt...'.
6.90.3εἰ δὲ προχωρήσειε
The optative in the protasis (εἰ δὲ προχωρήσειε) expresses a remote future possibility from a past point of view ('if these things should succeed'), serving as the condition for the intention in the main clause ἐμέλλομεν (we were about to).
6.90.3ἐχούσης τῆς Ἰταλίας
A genitive absolute construction expressing cause ('since Italy has timber in abundance'), explaining the feasibility of building more triremes.
6.90.4ὥστε εὐπορώτερον γίγνεσθαί τι αὐτῶν
A clause of result or purpose introduced by ὥστε with the infinitive. The genitive pronoun αὐτῶν (neuter plural) refers to the entire military operations mentioned in the context, meaning 'so that these matters might be more easily managed.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.90.1-6.90.4