Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.42.1-1.42.4

Corinthian Appeal on Future Uncertainty and Doing Justice

Passage 42 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Corinthian envoys urge the Athenians to return their past favors, arguing that avoiding injustice to equals is safer than risking war for the sake of a future naval alliance.

§1.42.1‘ὧν ἐνθυμηθέντες καὶ νεώτερός τις παρὰ πρεσβυτέρου αὐτὰ μαθὼν ἀξιούτω τοῖς ὁμοίοις ἡμᾶς ἀμύνεσθαι, καὶ μὴ νομίσῃ δίκαια μὲν τάδε λέγεσθαι, ξύμφορα δέ, εἰ πολεμήσει, ἄλλα εἶναι.

'Reflecting on these things, and let the younger learn them from the elder, let him deem it right to requite us with the like, and let him not think that while these claims are just, other things are advantageous if war should come.

§1.42.2τό τε γὰρ ξυμφέρον ἐν ᾧ ἄν τις ἐλάχιστα ἁμαρτάνῃ μάλιστα ἕπεται, καὶ τὸ μέλλον τοῦ πολέμου ᾧ φοβοῦντες ὑμᾶς Κερκυραῖοι κελεύουσιν ἀδικεῖν ἐν ἀφανεῖ ἔτι κεῖται, καὶ οὐκ ἄξιον ἐπαρθέντας αὐτῷ φανερὰν ἔχθραν ἤδη καὶ οὐ μέλλουσαν πρὸς Κορινθίους κτήσασθαι, τῆς δὲ ὑπαρχούσης πρότερον διὰ Μεγαρέας ὑποψίας σῶφρον ὑφελεῖν μᾶλλον (ἡ γὰρ τελευταία χάρις καιρὸν ἔχουσα, §1.42.3κἂν ἐλάσσων ᾖ, δύναται μεῖζον ἔγκλημα λῦσαι),

For interest most of all follows that course in which a man commits the fewest errors; and the future of the war, by which the Corcyraeans frighten you and urge you to do injustice, still lies in obscurity. It is not worth your while, excited by it, to acquire a hostility with the Corinthians which is already manifest and not merely future, but it is wiser rather to remove some of the suspicion previously existing on account of the Megarians. For a final favor, when timely, even if it is smaller, has the power to wipe out a greater grievance.

§1.42.4μηδ’ ὅτι ναυτικοῦ ξυμμαχίαν μεγάλην διδόασι, τούτῳ ἐφέλκεσθαι· τὸ γὰρ μὴ ἀδικεῖν τοὺς ὁμοίους ἐχυρωτέρα δύναμις ἢ τῷ αὐτίκα φανερῷ ἐπαρθέντας διὰ κινδύνων τὸ πλέον ἔχειν.

Nor should you be drawn away by the fact that they offer a great alliance of a navy; for not doing injustice to one's equals is a safer power than, being excited by immediate apparent advantage, to seek to gain more through dangers.'

Notes

1.42.1τοῖς ὁμοίοις — Dative of means or manner. Literally 'with like things,' referring to returning a favor equivalent to the one Corinth previously bestowed upon Athens.
1.42.2ᾧ φοβοῦντες — The relative pronoun `ᾧ` (whose antecedent is the neuter noun phrase `τὸ μέλλον τοῦ πολέμου`) is a dative of instrument or cause: 'frightening you by means of it (the future threat of war).'
1.42.2τῆς ... ὑποψίας σῶφρον ὑφελεῖν μᾶλλον — The infinitive `ὑφελεῖν` depends on the impersonal predicate `σῶφρον [ἐστι]` ('it is wise to remove'). The genitive `τῆς ... ὑποψίας` acts as a partitive genitive (or genitive of separation) with `ὑφελεῖν`, which means 'to withdraw or diminish a portion of something.'
1.42.4τούτῳ ἐφέλκεσθαι — The dative demonstrative `τούτῳ` refers back to the content of the `ὅτι` clause ('the fact that they offer a great navy'), acting as a dative of cause or means. The passive infinitive `ἐφέλκεσθαι` ('to be drawn away') is used here as an imperative infinitive, conveying a strong exhortation.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.42.1-1.42.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.42.1-1.42.4

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