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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.83.1-1.83.3

Archidamus on the Need for Financial Resources and Prudence

Passage 83 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Archidamus argues that delaying the attack on Athens should not be deemed cowardice, emphasizing that war depends on financial resources rather than weapons, and urges the Spartans to calmly assess the situation without being swayed by their allies.

§1.83.1‘καὶ ἀνανδρία μηδενὶ πολλοὺς μιᾷ πόλει μὴ ταχὺ ἐπελθεῖν δοκείτω εἶναι.
'And let it not seem cowardice to anyone that many of us do not quickly attack a single city.
§1.83.2εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνοις οὐκ ἐλάσσους χρήματα φέροντες ξύμμαχοι, καὶ ἔστιν ὁ πόλεμος οὐχ ὅπλων τὸ πλέον ἀλλὰ δαπάνης, δι’ ἣν τὰ ὅπλα ὠφελεῖ, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἠπειρώταις πρὸς θαλασσίους.
For they too have allies who bring in money, not fewer than ours, and war is not a matter of arms so much as of expense, because of which arms are of use, especially for land-dwellers against sea-dwellers.
§1.83.3πορισώμεθα οὖν πρῶτον αὐτήν, καὶ μὴ τοῖς τῶν ξυμμάχων λόγοις πρότερον ἐπαιρώμεθα, οἵπερ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀποβαινόντων τὸ πλέον ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα τῆς αἰτίας ἕξομεν, οὗτοι καὶ καθ᾽ ἡσυχίαν τι αὐτῶν προΐδωμεν.
Therefore let us first provide this, and not be excited beforehand by the words of our allies; for we who will bear the greater part of the responsibility for the results, whether for better or for worse, we ourselves should also quietly foresee something of them.'

Notes

  1. §1.83.1πολλοὺς μιᾷ πόλει μὴ ταχὺ ἐπελθεῖν — The accusative πολλοὺς acts as the subject of the infinitive ἐπελθεῖν, and this entire infinitive clause functions as the subject of the imperative δοκείτω (with the infinitive εἶναι). The grammar stresses the contrast between 'many' (the Peloponnesians) and 'a single city' (Athens).
  2. §1.83.2οὐχ ὅπλων τὸ πλέον ἀλλὰ δαπάνης — The genitives ὅπλων and δαπάνης are predicate genitives after ἔστιν, meaning 'is a matter of' or 'depends on'. The neuter accusative τὸ πλέον is used adverbially to mean 'for the most part' or 'primarily', highlighting the contrast between weapons and money.
  3. §1.83.3οἵπερ δὲ ... οὗτοι — The relative pronoun οἵπερ has an implied first-person plural antecedent ('we who...'), determined by the verb ἕξομεν. This is picked up and emphasized by the demonstrative pronoun οὗτοι ('we, the very ones'). The phrase ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα ('in both directions', i.e., success or failure) goes with the partitive genitive τῆς αἰτίας ἕξομεν ('will have the greater share of the responsibility').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.83.1-1.83.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.83.1-1.83.3

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