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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.67.1-1.67.5

Allied Assembly at Sparta and Complaints against Athens

Passage 67 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Prompted by the siege of Potidaea, the Corinthians summon the allies to Lacedaemon. As the Aeginetans and Megarians air their complaints against Athens, the Corinthians prepare to deliver the final speech.

§1.67.1πολιορκουμένης δὲ τῆς Ποτειδαίας οὐχ ἡσύχαζον, ἀνδρῶν τε σφίσιν ἐνόντων καὶ ἅμα περὶ τῷ χωρίῳ δεδιότες·
While Potidaea was being besieged, they (the Corinthians) did not remain inactive, because their own men were inside and at the same time they were in fear for the place.
παρεκάλουν τε εὐθὺς ἐς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα τοὺς ξυμμάχους καὶ κατεβόων ἐλθόντες τῶν Ἀθηναίων ὅτι σπονδάς τε λελυκότες εἶεν καὶ ἀδικοῖεν τὴν Πελοπόννησον.
They immediately summoned their allies to Lacedaemon and, having arrived there, cried out against the Athenians, declaring that they had broken the treaty and were doing injustice to the Peloponnese.
§1.67.2Αἰγινῆταί τε φανερῶς μὲν οὐ πρεσβευόμενοι, δεδιότες τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, κρύφα δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐνῆγον τὸν πόλεμον, λέγοντες οὐκ εἶναι αὐτόνομοι κατὰ τὰς σπονδάς.
The Aeginetans, although they did not send embassies openly for fear of the Athenians, were secretly, and in no small degree, instigating the war along with them, saying that they were not independent according to the treaty.
§1.67.3οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι προσπαρακαλέσαντες τῶν ξυμμάχων τε καὶ εἴ τίς τι ἄλλο ἔφη ἠδικῆσθαι ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων, ξύλλογον σφῶν αὐτῶν ποιήσαντες τὸν εἰωθότα λέγειν ἐκέλευον.
The Lacedaemonians, having additionally summoned those of the allies and anyone else who claimed to have suffered any other injustice at the hands of the Athenians, held their usual assembly of themselves and bade them speak.
§1.67.4καὶ ἄλλοι τε παριόντες ἐγκλήματα ἐποιοῦντο ὡς ἕκαστοι καὶ Μεγαρῆς, δηλοῦντες μὲν καὶ ἕτερα οὐκ ὀλίγα διάφορα, μάλιστα δὲ λιμένων τε εἴργεσθαι τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀθηναίων ἀρχῇ καὶ τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἀγορᾶς παρὰ τὰς σπονδάς.
And others came forward and made their complaints, each in their turn, and especially the Megarians, who, while pointing out not a few other differences, made it their chief complaint that, contrary to the treaty, they were excluded from the harbors in the Athenian empire and from the Attic market.
§1.67.5παρελθόντες δὲ τελευταῖοι Κορίνθιοι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐάσαντες πρῶτον παροξῦναι τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπεῖπον τοιάδε.
Finally, the Corinthians came forward and, having first allowed the others to incense the Lacedaemonians, spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. §1.67.1ἀνδρῶν τε σφίσιν ἐνόντων καὶ ἅμα περὶ τῷ χωρίῳ δεδιότες — Two different constructions expressing cause are joined asymmetrically by the conjunction καὶ: a genitive absolute (ἀνδρῶν ... ἐνόντων) and a nominative participle (δεδιότες) agreeing with the unexpressed subject of the main verb οὐχ ἡσύχαζον (the Corinthians). This is a characteristic anacoluthon.
  2. §1.67.2λέγοντες οὐκ εἶναι αὐτόνομοι — Since the implied subject of the infinitive εἶναι is identical to the subject of the participle λέγοντες (the Aeginetans), the predicate adjective is in the nominative case (αὐτόνομοι) instead of the accusative.
  3. §1.67.3τῶν ξυμμάχων — A partitive genitive serving as part of the object of the participle προσπαρακαλέσαντες, meaning 'those of the allies (who claimed to have been wronged)'.
  4. §1.67.4εἴργεσθαι — Present passive infinitive in indirect discourse depending on the participle δηλοῦντες or continuing the verbal force of ἐγκλήματα ἐποιοῦντο.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.67.1-1.67.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.67.1-1.67.5

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