- 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-grc2:8.12.1-8.12.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Alcibiades persuades the ephors and Endius to proceed with the voyage before the Chians learn of the disaster, and subsequently sets sail with Chalcideus on five ships.
γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἀλκιβιάδης πείθει αὖθις Ἔνδιον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐφόρους μὴ ἀποκνῆσαι τὸν πλοῦν, λέγων ὅτι φθήσονταί τε πλεύσαντες1 πρὶν τὴν τῶν νεῶν ξυμφορὰν Χίους αἰσθέσθαι, καὶ αὐτὸς ὅταν προσβάλῃ Ἰωνίᾳ, ῥᾳδίως πείσειν τὰς πόλεις ἀφίστασθαι τήν τε τῶν Ἀθηναίων λέγων ἀσθένειαν καὶ τὴν τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων προθυμίαν· πιστότερος γὰρ ἄλλων φανεῖσθαι.2
Alcibiades, on learning this, again persuaded Endius and the other ephors not to shrink from the voyage, saying that they would arrive first by sailing before the Chians could hear of the disaster to the ships, and that when he himself reached Ionia, he would easily persuade the cities to revolt by speaking of the weakness of the Athenians and the zeal of the Lacedaemonians; for he would appear more trustworthy than others.
Ἐνδίῳ τε αὐτῷ ἰδίᾳ ἔλεγε καλὸν εἶναι δι’ ἐκείνου3 ἀποστῆσαί τε Ἰωνίαν καὶ βασιλέα ξύμμαχον ποιῆσαι Λακεδαιμονίοις, καὶ μὴ Ἄγιδος τὸ ἀγώνισμα τοῦτο γενέσθαι· ἐτύγχανε γὰρ τῷ Ἄγιδι αὐτὸς διάφορος ὤν.
And to Endius himself privately he said that it would be a glorious thing to achieve through him the revolt of Ionia and to make the King an ally of the Lacedaemonians, and not to let this achievement belong to Agis; for he himself happened to be at variance with Agis.
καὶ ὁ μὲν πείσας τούς τε ἄλλους ἐφόρους καὶ Ἔνδιον ἀνήγετο ταῖς πέντε ναυσὶ μετὰ Χαλκιδέως τοῦ Λακεδαιμονίου, καὶ διὰ τάχους τὸν πλοῦν ἐποιοῦντο.
So, having persuaded the other ephors and Endius, he put to sea with the five ships along with Chalcideus the Lacedaemonian, and they made their voyage with all speed.
- 8.12.1φθήσονταί τε πλεύσαντες
An idiomatic participle construction where the verb φθάνω (to anticipate, do first) is accompanied by the nominative participle πλεύσαντες, meaning 'to sail beforehand' or 'to arrive before others notice.' Combined with πρὶν...αἰσθέσθαι, it emphasizes the necessity of prompt action.
- 8.12.1φανεῖσθαι
A future infinitive in a causal γάρ clause within indirect discourse (introduced by λέγων ὅτι...). While a finite verb (future indicative φανεῖται) is standard in such clauses, the influence of the indirect discourse causes it to become an infinitive, a stylistic feature common in Thucydides.
- 8.12.2δι’ ἐκείνου
The third-person remote demonstrative pronoun ἐκεῖνος refers here to Endius, the interlocutor. In the indirect discourse (introduced by ἔλεγε), he is referred to in the third person either from Alcibiades' perspective as an objective party or from the author's narrative standpoint.