Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.72.1-1.72.2

Athenian Envoys Granted Leave to Address the Spartans

Passage 72 of 917 · Greek

Summary

After the Corinthian speech, an Athenian embassy present in Lacedaemon requested to speak before their assembly in order to urge them not to make a hasty decision, and their request was granted.

§1.72.1τοιαῦτα μὲν οἱ Κορίνθιοι εἶπον.
Thus spoke the Corinthians.
τῶν δὲ Ἀθηναίων ἔτυχε γὰρ πρεσβεία πρότερον ἐν τῇ Λακεδαίμονι περὶ ἄλλων παροῦσα, καὶ ὡς ᾔσθοντο τῶν λόγων, ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς παριτητέα ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους εἶναι, τῶν μὲν ἐγκλημάτων πέρι μηδὲν ἀπολογησομένους ὧν αἱ πόλεις ἐνεκάλουν,δηλῶσαι δὲ περὶ τοῦ παντὸς ὡς οὐ ταχέως αὐτοῖς βουλευτέον εἴη, ἀλλ’ ἐν πλέονι σκεπτέον.
Now, an Athenian embassy happened to be present in Lacedaemon beforehand on other business, and when they became aware of the speeches, they decided that they must come forward before the Lacedaemonians, not to make any defence against the charges which the cities were bringing against them, but to show concerning the whole matter that they should not deliberate in haste, but should consider it at greater leisure.
καὶ ἅμα τὴν σφετέραν πόλιν ἐβούλοντο σημῆναι ὅση εἴη δύναμιν, καὶ ὑπόμνησιν ποιήσασθαι τοῖς τε πρεσβυτέροις ὧν ᾔδεσαν καὶ τοῖς νεωτέροις ἐξήγησιν ὧν ἄπειροι ἦσαν, νομίζοντες μᾶλλον ἂν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν λόγων πρὸς τὸ ἡσυχάζειν τραπέσθαι ἢ πρὸς τὸ πολεμεῖν.
At the same time, they wished to declare how great the power of their own city was, and to bring to the minds of the older men what they already knew, and to give the younger men an exposition of what they were inexperienced in, thinking that they would be more likely, as a result of these words, to turn to quietness than to war.
§1.72.2προσελθόντες οὖν τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ἔφασαν βούλεσθαι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐς τὸ πλῆθος αὐτῶν εἰπεῖν, εἴ τι μὴ ἀποκωλύοι.
Accordingly, they approached the Lacedaemonians and said that they also wished to speak to their assembly, if there was nothing to prevent it.
οἱ δὲ ἐκέλευόν τε παριέναι, καὶ παρελθόντες οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἔλεγον τοιάδε.
They bid them come forward, and the Athenians came forward and spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. 1.72.1τῶν δὲ Ἀθηναίων — The genitive at the beginning of the sentence results in an anacoluthon due to the parenthetical clause `ἔτυχε γὰρ πρεσβεία...`, which changes the main sentence structure. Although a genitive absolute or similar construction might have been intended, it is ultimately resolved into the context of `ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς` and `ἐβούλοντο`.
  2. 1.72.1παριτητέα ... εἶναι — The neuter plural of the verbal adjective `παριτητέος` (from `παρίημι` or `πάρειμι`) is used impersonally to express obligation ("they must come forward"). The logical subject is expressed by the dative `αὐτοῖς`.
  3. 1.72.1ὧν αἱ πόλεις ἐνεκάλουν — The relative pronoun `ὧν` would grammatically be the accusative `ἅ` as the direct object of the transitive verb `ἐνεκάλουν`, but it has been attracted into the genitive case of its antecedent `ἐγκλημάτων` (relative attraction).
  4. 1.72.1μᾶλλον ἂν αὐτοὺς ... τραπέσθαι — The infinitive `τραπέσθαι` (aorist middle of `τρέπω`) with the particle `ἄν` represents a potential optative (`ἂν τράποιντο`) or an indicative past (`ἂν ἐτράποντο`) in indirect discourse, indicating probability or possibility ("they would more likely turn to quietness").

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.72.1-1.72.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.72.1-1.72.2

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