Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.75.1-1.75.5

Origin of the Athenian Empire and Three Motives

Passage 75 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian envoys argue that they do not deserve Greek hostility for their empire, explaining that they acquired leadership voluntarily from the allies after Sparta withdrew, and were compelled to expand it by fear, honor, and self-interest.

§1.75.1‘ἆρ’ ἄξιοί ἐσμεν, ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, καὶ προθυμίας ἕνεκα τῆς τότε καὶ γνώμης ξυνέσεως ἀρχῆς γε ἧς ἔχομεν τοῖς Ἕλλησι μὴ οὕτως ἄγαν ἐπιφθόνως διακεῖσθαι;

"Are we then, Lacedaemonians, because of our zeal at that time and the wisdom of our judgment, deserving of not being so excessively envied by the Greeks, at least in respect of the empire we possess?

§1.75.2καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴν τήνδε ἐλάβομεν οὐ βιασάμενοι, ἀλλ’ ὑμῶν μὲν οὐκ ἐθελησάντων παραμεῖναι πρὸς τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τοῦ βαρβάρου, ἡμῖν δὲ προσελθόντων τῶν ξυμμάχων καὶ αὐτῶν δεηθέντων ἡγεμόνας καταστῆναι·

For we did not obtain this empire itself by force, but because you were unwilling to remain for the remnants of the barbarian war, and the allies came to us of their own accord and begged us to become their leaders.

§1.75.3ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ ἔργου κατηναγκάσθημεν τὸ πρῶτον προαγαγεῖν αὐτὴν ἐς τόδε, μάλιστα μὲν ὑπὸ δέους, ἔπειτα καὶ τιμῆς, ὕστερον καὶ ὠφελίας.

And under the influence of the facts themselves we were forced at first to advance it to its present state, chiefly through fear, then through honor, and later through self-interest as well.

§1.75.4καὶ οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς ἔτι ἐδόκει εἶναι τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀπηχθημένους, καί τινων καὶ ἤδη ἀποστάντων κατεστραμμένων, ὑμῶν τε ἡμῖν οὐκέτι ὁμοίως φίλων, ἀλλ’ ὑπόπτων καὶ διαφόρων ὄντων, ἀνέντας κινδυνεύειν· καὶ γὰρ ἂν αἱ ἀποστάσεις πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐγίγνοντο.

And it no longer seemed safe, when we had incurred the hatred of most people, and some had already revolted and been subdued, and you were no longer friendly to us as before but suspicious and hostile, to risk letting go of our hold; for any who revolted would have gone over to you.

§1.75.5πᾶσι δὲ ἀνεπίφθονον τὰ ξυμφέροντα τῶν μεγίστων πέρι κινδύνων εὖ τίθεσθαι.

And it is open to no objection for everyone to make the best arrangement for their own interests when the greatest dangers are at stake."

Notes

1.75.1ἀρχῆς γε ἧς ἔχομεν — The antecedent ἀρχῆς (genitive) is a genitive of relation/cause dependent on ἐπιφθόνως διακεῖσθαι (to be envied/hated on account of something). The relative pronoun ἧs, which would regularly be in the accusative (ἥν) as the direct object of ἔχομεν, has undergone attraction to the case of its antecedent.
1.75.4ἀπηχθημένους — The perfect passive participle ἀπηχθημένους (accusative plural masculine) agrees with the omitted accusative subject of the infinitive phrase (such as ἡμᾶς, referring to the Athenians) which serves as the subject of the impersonal ἐδόκει εἶναι. Although an agreement with a dative (e.g., ἡμῖν) would be possible, the syntax shifts to the accusative subject of the infinitive.
1.75.4ἂν ... ἐγίγνοντο — The combination of the particle ἂν with the imperfect indicative ἐγίγνοντο forms the apodosis of a past contrary-to-fact conditional. The protasis is implied in the participle ἀνέντας ("if we had let go of our hold"), expressing what would have happened in the past under those counterfactual circumstances.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.75.1-1.75.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.75.1-1.75.5

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