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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.146.1

Mutual Suspicion and Final Pretexts for War

Passage 146 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The text explains the causes of the conflict that arose between Athens and Sparta before the war, starting with the incidents in Epidamnus and Corcyra, and notes that while they still maintained contact without heralds, they did so with mutual suspicion as the treaty was being undermined.

§1.146.1αἰτίαι δὲ αὗται καὶ διαφοραὶ ἐγένοντο ἀμφοτέροις πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου, ἀρξάμεναι εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν Ἐπιδάμνῳ καὶ Κερκύρᾳ·
These were the causes and differences that arose between both sides before the war, starting directly from the events in Epidamnus and Corcyra.
ἐπεμείγνυντο δὲ ὅμως ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ παρ’ ἀλλήλους ἐφοίτων ἀκηρύκτως μέν, ἀνυπόπτως δὲ οὔ· σπονδῶν γὰρ ξύγχυσις τὰ γιγνόμενα ἦν καὶ πρόφασις τοῦ πολεμεῖν.
Nevertheless, during these differences they still had intercourse and went to each other's countries without a herald, though not without suspicion; for what was taking place was a violation of the treaty and a pretext for war.

Notes

  1. 1.146.1ἀρξάμεναι — A nominative feminine plural participle agreeing with the subjects αἰτίαι and διαφοραί. It indicates that the disputes in Epidamnus and Corcyra were the direct starting point of these differences.
  2. 1.146.1ἐν αὐταῖς — The pronoun αὐταῖς (feminine plural dative) refers to the preceding αἰτίαι καὶ διαφοραί (causes and differences). It indicates a temporal or situational background, meaning 'during these differences'.
  3. 1.146.1ἀκηρύκτως — An adverb meaning 'without a herald'. Since a formal state of war had not yet begun, it indicates that they could still communicate and travel without the mediation of an official herald, characteristic of peacetime.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.146.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.146.1

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