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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.31.1-1.31.4

Corcyraean Appeal to Athens and Corinthian Response

Passage 31 of 917 · Greek

Summary

As Corinth prepared a massive fleet for war against Corcyra, the isolated Corcyraeans sent an embassy to Athens to seek an alliance, prompting the Corinthians to send their own envoys in opposition, leading to a debate before the Athenian assembly. Would you like a summary of the next chapter?

§1.31.1τὸν δ’ ἐνιαυτὸν πάντα τὸν μετὰ τὴν ναυμαχίαν καὶ τὸν ὕστερον οἱ Κορίνθιοι ὀργῇ φέροντες τὸν πρὸς Κερκυραίους πόλεμον ἐναυπηγοῦντο καὶ παρεσκευάζοντο τὰ κράτιστα νεῶν στόλον, ἔκ τε αὐτῆς Πελοποννήσου ἀγείροντες καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Ἑλλάδος ἐρέτας, μισθῷ πείθοντες.
For the whole year after the naval battle and the year following, the Corinthians, bearing the war against the Corcyraeans with anger, built ships and prepared a fleet of the highest quality, gathering rowers both from the Peloponnese itself and from the rest of Greece, persuading them with pay.
§1.31.2πυνθανόμενοι δὲ οἱ Κερκυραῖοι τὴν παρασκευὴν αὐτῶν ἐφοβοῦντο, καί (ἦσαν γὰρ οὐδενὸς Ἑλλήνων ἔνσπονδοι οὐδὲ ἐσεγράψαντο ἑαυτοὺς οὔτε ἐς τὰς Ἀθηναίων σπονδὰς οὔτε ἐς τὰς Λακεδαιμονίων) ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς ἐλθοῦσιν ὡς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ξυμμάχους γενέσθαι καὶ ὠφελίαν τινὰ πειρᾶσθαι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν εὑρίσκεσθαι.
The Corcyraeans, hearing of their preparations, became afraid, and (for they were in alliance with none of the Greeks, nor had they enrolled themselves either in the treaty of the Athenians or in that of the Lacedaemonians) they decided to go to the Athenians, to become their allies, and to try to obtain some assistance from them.
§1.31.3οἱ δὲ Κορίνθιοι πυθόμενοι ταῦτα ἦλθον καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας πρεσβευσόμενοι, ὅπως μὴ σφίσι πρὸς τῷ Κερκυραίων ναυτικῷ καὶ τὸ αὐτῶν προσγενόμενον ἐμπόδιον γένηται θέσθαι τὸν πόλεμον ᾗ βούλονται.
The Corinthians, hearing of this, also went to Athens themselves on an embassy, lest the Athenian fleet, being added to that of the Corcyraeans, should become an obstacle to their settling the war as they wished.
§1.31.4καταστάσης δὲ ἐκκλησίας ἐς ἀντιλογίαν ἦλθον, καὶ οἱ μὲν Κερκυραῖοι ἔλεξαν τοιάδε.
An assembly having been convened, they entered into a debate, and the Corcyraeans spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. 1.31.1τὸν δ’ ἐνιαυτὸν πάντα τὸν μετὰ τὴν ναυμαχίαν καὶ τὸν ὕστερον — Accusative of duration of time. It means 'during the whole year after the naval battle and the following year.'
  2. 1.31.2ἐλθοῦσιν — Dative participle agreeing with the dative pronoun αὐτοῖς in the impersonal construction ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς ('it seemed good to them', i.e., 'they resolved').
  3. 1.31.3ὅπως μὴ σφίσι πρὸς τῷ Κερκυραίων ναυτικῷ καὶ τὸ αὐτῶν προσγενόμενον ἐμπόδιον γένηται — A negative clause of purpose introduced by ὅπως μή. The phrase τὸ αὐτῶν refers to 'their (Athenians') fleet,' forming the subject together with the participle προσγενόμενον. σφίσι is a dative of interest referring to the Corinthians.
  4. 1.31.3θέσθαι τὸν πόλεμον — Infinitive limiting the noun ἐμπόδιον, indicating 'an obstacle to settling (or conducting) the war.'

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.31.1-1.31.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.31.1-1.31.4

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