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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.53.1-1.53.4

Corinthian Parley and the Athenian Reply

Passage 53 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Corinthians send envoys in a light boat without a herald's staff to test the Athenians, accusing them of breaking the treaty by blocking their way. The Athenians reply that they are not breaking the treaty but only defending their ally Corcyra, warning that they will block any attack on Corcyra or its territories.

§1.53.1ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἄνδρας ἐς κελήτιον ἐσβιβάσαντας ἄνευ κηρυκείου προσπέμψαι τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ πεῖραν ποιήσασθαι.
Therefore, they decided to put some men into a light boat and send them to the Athenians without a herald's staff, to sound them out.
πέμψαντές τε ἔλεγον τοιάδε. §1.53.2‘ἀδικεῖτε, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πολέμου ἄρχοντες καὶ σπονδὰς λύοντες· ἡμῖν γὰρ πολεμίους τοὺς ἡμετέρους τιμωρουμένοις ἐμποδὼν ἵστασθε ὅπλα ἀνταιρόμενοι.
Having sent them, they spoke as follows: "You do wrong, men of Athens, in beginning war and breaking the treaty; for you stand in our way, taking up arms against us when we are punishing our own enemies.
εἰ δ’ ὑμῖν γνώμη ἐστὶ κωλύειν τε ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ Κέρκυραν ἢ ἄλλοσε εἴ ποι βουλόμεθα πλεῖν καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς λύετε, ἡμᾶς τούσδε πρώτους λαβόντες χρήσασθε ὡς πολεμίοις. ’ §1.53.3οἱ μὲν δὴ τοιαῦτα εἶπον· τῶν δὲ Κερκυραίων τὸ μὲν στρατόπεδον ὅσον ἐπήκουσεν ἀνεβόησεν εὐθὺς λαβεῖν τε αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι, οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι τοιάδε ἀπεκρίναντο.
But if it is your intention to prevent us from sailing to Corcyra or wherever else we wish, and you are breaking the treaty, take us who are here first and treat us as enemies." They indeed spoke thus; and as many of the Corcyraean army as heard them immediately cried out to take and kill them.
§1.53.4‘οὔτε ἄρχομεν πολέμου, ὦ ἄνδρες Πελοποννήσιοι, οὔτε τὰς σπονδὰς λύομεν, Κερκυραίοις δὲ τοῖσδε ξυμμάχοις οὖσι βοηθοὶ ἤλθομεν.
But the Athenians answered as follows: "We are neither beginning war, men of the Peloponnese, nor breaking the treaty, but we have come as helpers to these Corcyraeans who are our allies.
εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοσέ ποι βούλεσθε πλεῖν, οὐ κωλύομεν· εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ Κέρκυραν πλευσεῖσθε ἢ ἐς τῶν ἐκείνων τι χωρίων, οὐ περιοψόμεθα κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν. ’
If, therefore, you wish to sail to any other place, we do not prevent you; but if you sail against Corcyra or to any of their territories, we shall not look on with indifference, so far as lies in our power."

Notes

  1. §1.53.1ἐσβιβάσαντας — Although the dative `αὐτοῖς` precedes, the participle modifying the subject of the infinitive `προσπέμψαι` is in the accusative (`ἐσβιβάσαντας`). This is a common construction where the logical subject of an infinitive depending on an impersonal expression like `ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς` ("it seemed good to them") shifts to the accusative.
  2. §1.53.2ἡμῖν ... τιμωρουμένοις — The dative `ἡμῖν` and its agreeing present participle `τιμωρουμένοις` depend on `ἐμποδὼν ἵστασθε` ("you stand in our way"). The participle indicates the circumstance or time: "while we are punishing [our own enemies]."
  3. §1.53.4πλευσεῖσθε — The future indicative used in the conditional clause with `εἰ` expresses present intention or imminent resolve ("if you intend to sail" or "if you are going to sail") rather than a simple future contingency.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.53.1-1.53.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.53.1-1.53.4

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