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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.130.1-1.130.2

Insolence of Pausanias and Greek Allies' Shift to Athens

Passage 130 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Pausanias became arrogant upon receiving the letter from the Persian King, adopting Persian customs and acting insolently. His offensive behavior drove the Greek allies to transfer their allegiance to the Athenians.

§1.130.1ταῦτα λαβὼν ὁ Παυσανίας τὰ γράμματα, ὢν καὶ πρότερον ἐν μεγάλῳ ἀξιώματι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων διὰ τὴν Πλαταιᾶσιν ἡγεμονίαν, πολλῷ τότε μᾶλλον ἦρτο καὶ οὐκέτι ἐδύνατο ἐν τῷ καθεστῶτι τρόπῳ βιοτεύειν, ἀλλὰ σκευάς τε Μηδικὰς ἐνδυόμενος ἐκ τοῦ Βυζαντίου ἐξῄει καὶ διὰ τῆς Θρᾴκης πορευόμενον αὐτὸν Μῆδοι καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐδορυφόρουν, τράπεζάν τε Περσικὴν παρετίθετο καὶ κατέχειν τὴν διάνοιαν οὐκ ἐδύνατο,ἀλλ’ ἔργοις βραχέσι προυδήλου ἃ τῇ γνώμῃ μειζόνως ἐς ἔπειτα ἔμελλε πράξειν. §1.130.2δυσπρόσοδόν τε αὑτὸν παρεῖχε καὶ τῇ ὀργῇ οὕτω χαλεπῇ ἐχρῆτο ἐς πάντας ὁμοίως ὥστε μηδένα δύνασθαι προσιέναι· δι’ ὅπερ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους οὐχ ἥκιστα ἡ ξυμμαχία μετέστη.
\nPausanias, having received these letters, though even before this he was held in great prestige by the Greeks because of his command at Plataea, was then much more puffed up and could no longer live in the established way, but went out of Byzantium wearing Median dress, and as he journeyed through Thrace, Medes and Egyptians served as his bodyguards; he also had a Persian table set for himself, and was unable to contain his thoughts, but rather, by small actions, revealed beforehand what he intended to execute on a grander scale in his mind for the future.\n\nAnd he made himself difficult of access, and showed such a harsh temper towards everyone alike that no one was able to approach him; for which reason especially the alliance went over to the Athenians.

Notes

  1. 1.130.1ἦρτο — Third-person singular pluperfect passive of the verb αἴρω (to lift up). Here it is used in a figurative sense to mean 'to be puffed up' or 'to become arrogant' in mind.
  2. 1.130.1τῇ γνώμῃ μειζόνως — The adverb μειζόνως (on a grander scale) modifies the infinitive πράξειν. The dative τῇ γνώμῃ means 'in his mind' or 'by his intention', making the clause refer to 'what he intended to execute on a grander scale in his mind (for the future)'.
  3. 1.130.2οὐχ ἥκιστα — A litotes (double negative), meaning 'not least' or 'especially/most of all'. It emphasizes that his arrogant behavior was the primary or highly decisive cause for the transfer of the alliance to the Athenians.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.130.1-1.130.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.130.1-1.130.2

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