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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.45.1-1.45.3

Athenian Dispatch of Ships to Corcyra with Conditional Orders

Passage 45 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Athens dispatches ten ships to Corcyra under Lacedaemonius and other commanders, instructing them to avoid battle with the Corinthians unless they attempt a landing, so as to preserve the peace treaty.

§1.45.1τοιαύτῃ μὲν γνώμῃ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τοὺς Κερκυραίους προσεδέξαντο, καὶ τῶν Κορινθίων ἀπελθόντων οὐ πολὺ ὕστερον δέκα ναῦς αὐτοῖς ἀπέστειλαν βοηθούς·
With such an intention the Athenians received the Corcyraeans, and not long after the departure of the Corinthians, they dispatched ten ships as a reinforcement for them.
§1.45.2ἐστρατήγει δὲ αὐτῶν Λακεδαιμόνιός τε ὁ Κίμωνος καὶ Διότιμος ὁ Στρομβίχου καὶ Πρωτέας ὁ Ἐπικλέους.
And Lacedaemonius, the son of Cimon, Diotimus, the son of Strombichus, and Proteas, the son of Epicles, commanded them.
§1.45.3προεῖπον δὲ αὐτοῖς μὴ ναυμαχεῖν Κορινθίοις, ἢν μὴ ἐπὶ Κέρκυραν πλέωσι καὶ μέλλωσιν ἀποβαίνειν ἢ ἐς τῶν ἐκείνων τι χωρίων· οὕτω δὲ κωλύειν κατὰ δύναμιν.
They gave orders beforehand to them not to engage in a sea-fight with the Corinthians, unless these should sail against Corcyra and be about to land there or on any of their territories; but in that case, to prevent them to the best of their power.
προεῖπον δὲ ταῦτα τοῦ μὴ λύειν ἕνεκα τὰς σπονδάς.
They gave these orders beforehand for the sake of not breaking the treaty.

Notes

  1. 1.45.3αὐτοῖς — The dative pronoun αὐτοῖς refers to the three commanders mentioned in 1.45.2. The subject of the main verb (the Athenians) is giving instructions to them.
  2. 1.45.3ἐκείνων — The demonstrative pronoun ἐκείνων ('of those') refers to the Corcyraeans, corresponding to the preceding noun Κέρκυραν. Thus, the phrase means 'their (Corcyraean) territories.'
  3. 1.45.3οὕτω δὲ κωλύειν — οὕτω δέ means 'in that case' (i.e., if the condition of the negative unless-clause is breached and the enemy actually tries to land). The infinitive κωλύειν functions as an indirect command depending on the main verb προεῖπον.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.45.1-1.45.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.45.1-1.45.3

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