- 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-grc2:8.50.1-8.50.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
To protect himself, Phrynichus informs the Spartan commander Astyochus of Alcibiades' designs, but Astyochus betrays him to Alcibiades. Phrynichus then offers to betray the Athenian army, which is also disclosed.
γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Φρύνιχος ὅτι ἔσοιτο περὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἀλκιβιάδου καθόδου λόγος καὶ ὅτι Ἀθηναῖοι ἐνδέξονται αὐτήν, δείσας πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίωσιν τῶν ὑφ’ αὑτοῦ λεχθέντων μή, ἢν κατέλθῃ, ὡς κωλυτὴν ὄντα κακῶς δρᾷ,1 τρέπεται ἐπὶ τοιόνδε τι.
When Phrynichus perceived that there would be a discussion concerning the return of Alcibiades and that the Athenians would accept it, fearing that if he returned he might do him some harm as being the one who had opposed it, he resorted to the following device.
πέμπει ὡς τὸν Ἀστύοχον τὸν Λακεδαιμονίων ναύαρχον ἔτι ὄντα τότε περὶ τὴν Μίλητον κρύφα ἐπιστείλας ὅτι Ἀλκιβιάδης αὐτῶν τὰ πράγματα φθείρει Τισσαφέρνην Ἀθηναίοις φίλον ποιῶν, καὶ τἆλλα πάντα σαφῶς ἐγγράψας· ξυγγνώμην δὲ εἶναι ἑαυτῷ2 περὶ ἀνδρὸς πολεμίου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἀξυμφόρου κακόν τι βουλεύειν.
He sent to Astyochus, the Lacedaemonian admiral, who was then still about Miletus, secretly sending word to him that Alcibiades was ruining their affairs by making Tissaphernes a friend to the Athenians, and writing all other details clearly in a letter; and he excused himself on the ground that it was pardonable for him to plot some harm against an enemy, even at the cost of disadvantage to his own city.
ὁ δὲ Ἀστύοχος τὸν μὲν Ἀλκιβιάδην ἄλλως τε καὶ οὐκέτι ὁμοίως ἐς χεῖρας ἰόντα οὐδὲ διενοεῖτο τιμωρεῖσθαι, ἀνελθὼν δὲ παρ’ αὐτὸν ἐς Μαγνησίαν καὶ παρὰ Τισσαφέρνην ἅμα λέγει τε αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπισταλέντα ἐκ τῆς Σάμου καὶ γίγνεται αὐτὸς μηνυτής, προσέθηκέ τε, ὡς ἐλέγετο, ἐπὶ ἰδίοις κέρδεσι Τισσαφέρνει ἑαυτὸν καὶ περὶ τούτων καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων κοινοῦσθαι·3 διόπερ καὶ [περὶ] τῆς μισθοφορᾶς οὐκ ἐντελοῦς οὔσης μαλακωτέρως ἀνθήπτετο.
But Astyochus did not even intend to punish Alcibiades, especially as the latter was no longer in his power as before, but going up to him at Magnesia and to Tissaphernes at the same time, he told them what had been sent from Samos and became himself an informer; and he added, as it was said, that for his own private gain he had bound himself to Tissaphernes to communicate with him on these and all other matters; for which reason also he handled the matter of the pay, which was not being paid in full, more remissly.
ὁ δὲ Ἀλκιβιάδης εὐθὺς πέμπει κατὰ Φρυνίχου γράμματα ἐς τὴν Σάμον πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τέλει ὄντας οἷα δέδρακε, καὶ ἀξιῶν αὐτὸν ἀποθνῄσκειν.
Thereupon Alcibiades immediately sent a letter to Samos, to those in authority there, against Phrynichus, stating what he had done and demanding that he should be put to death.
θορυβούμενος δὲ ὁ Φρύνιχος καὶ πάνυ ἐν τῷ μεγίστῳ κινδύνῳ ὢν διὰ τὸ μήνυμα ἀποστέλλει αὖθις πρὸς τὸν Ἀστύοχον, τά τε πρότερα μεμφόμενος ὅτι οὐ καλῶς ἐκρύφθη καὶ νῦν ὅτι ὅλον τὸ στράτευμα τὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἑτοῖμος εἴη τὸ ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ παρασχεῖν αὐτοῖς διαφθεῖραι, γράψας καθ’ ἕκαστα, ἀτειχίστου οὔσης Σάμου, ᾧ ἂν τρόπῳ αὐτὰ πράξειε, καὶ ὅτι ἀνεπίφθονόν οἱ ἤδη εἴη4 περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς δι’ ἐκείνους κινδυνεύοντι καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἄλλο πᾶν δρᾶσαι μᾶλλον ἢ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθίστων αὐτὸν διαφθαρῆναι. ὁ δὲ Ἀστύοχος μηνύει καὶ ταῦτα τῷ Ἀλκιβιάδῃ.
Phrynichus, being thrown into great alarm and being in the utmost danger because of this disclosure, sent again to Astyochus, blaming him for not having kept the former secret well, and declaring that he was now ready to deliver up to them the whole Athenian army in Samos to be destroyed, writing in detail by what means he would do this, since Samos was unfortified, and stating that it was now excusable for him, when risking his own life because of them, to do this and everything else rather than be destroyed by his worst enemies. But Astyochus disclosed this also to Alcibiades.
- 8.50.1δείσας πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίωσιν τῶν ὑφ’ αὑτοῦ λεχθέντων μή, ἢν κατέλθῃ, ὡς κωλυτὴν ὄντα κακῶς δρᾷ
The fearing verb δείσας introduces the μή clause ('lest...'). The subject of the μή clause (and of ἢν κατέλθῃ) is Alcibiades, while the accusative participle phrase ὡς κωλυτὴν ὄντα ('as being an obstructor') refers back to Phrynichus and functions as the direct object of the verb δρᾷ ('harm').
- 8.50.2ξυγγνώμην δὲ εἶναι ἑαυτῷ
An infinitive in indirect speech. It depends on the preceding participle ἐπιστείλας ('having sent word'), representing ξυγγνώμη ἐστὶν ἐμοί ('there is excuse for me') in direct speech.
- 8.50.3προσέθηκέ τε, ὡς ἐλέγετο, ἐπὶ ἰδίοις κέρδεσι Τισσαφέρνει ἑαυτὸν καὶ περὶ τούτων καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων κοινοῦσθαι
The subject of προσέθηκε is often understood impersonally ('it was added') or referring to the rumour, but can also refer to Astyochus. The infinitive κοινοῦσθαι with ἑαυτὸν represents the content added ('he added that...'), or functions as an object clause expressing that he associated himself with Tissaphernes to communicate on these matters.
- 8.50.5ἀνεπίφθονόν οἱ ἤδη εἴη
The optative εἴη is used in indirect speech after the historical present ἀποστέλλει. The pronoun οἱ is an indirect reflexive pronoun in the dative, referring to the subject of the main clause, Phrynichus.