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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.86.1-1.86.5

Speech of Sthenelaidas Urging Immediate War

Passage 86 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Sthenelaidas, one of the ephors, denounces the injustices of the Athenians, rejects their verbal justifications, and calls on the Lacedaemonians for an immediate vote for war to protect Sparta and its allies.

§1.86.1‘τοὺς μὲν λόγους τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν Ἀθηναίων οὐ γιγνώσκω· ἐπαινέσαντες γὰρ πολλὰ ἑαυτοὺς οὐδαμοῦ ἀντεῖπον ὡς οὐκ ἀδικοῦσι τοὺς ἡμετέρους ξυμμάχους καὶ τὴν Πελοπόννησον·
'I do not understand the many words of the Athenians; for though they praised themselves much, they nowhere denied that they are wronging our allies and the Peloponnese.
καίτοι εἰ πρὸς τοὺς Μήδους ἐγένοντο ἀγαθοὶ τότε, πρὸς δ’ ἡμᾶς κακοὶ νῦν, διπλασίας ζημίας ἄξιοί εἰσιν, ὅτι ἀντ’ ἀγαθῶν κακοὶ γεγένηνται.
And yet, if they were good men against the Persians then, but are bad against us now, they deserve double punishment, because they have become bad instead of good.
§1.86.2ἡμεῖς δὲ ὁμοῖοι καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν ἐσμέν, καὶ τοὺς ξυμμάχους, ἢν σωφρονῶμεν, οὐ περιοψόμεθα ἀδικουμένους οὐδὲ μελλήσομεν τιμωρεῖν· οἱ δ’ οὐκέτι μέλλουσι κακῶς πάσχειν.
But we are the same both then and now, and our allies, if we are wise, we shall not overlook being wronged, nor shall we delay to avenge them; for they are no longer delaying to suffer grievously.
§1.86.3ἄλλοις μὲν γὰρ χρήματά ἐστι πολλὰ καὶ νῆες καὶ ἵπποι, ἡμῖν δὲ ξύμμαχοι ἀγαθοί, οὓς οὐ παραδοτέα τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐστίν, οὐδὲ δίκαις καὶ λόγοις διακριτέα μὴ λόγῳ καὶ αὐτοὺς βλαπτομένους, ἀλλὰ τιμωρητέα ἐν τάχει καὶ παντὶ σθένει.
For others have much money and ships and horses, but we have good allies, whom we must not betray to the Athenians, nor must we decide our disputes by lawsuits and words, when it is not in word that they themselves are also being harmed, but we must avenge them quickly and with all our might.
§1.86.4καὶ ὡς ἡμᾶς πρέπει βουλεύεσθαι ἀδικουμένους μηδεὶς διδασκέτω, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας ἀδικεῖν μᾶλλον πρέπει πολὺν χρόνον βουλεύεσθαι.
And let no one teach us how it is fitting for us to deliberate when we are being wronged, but it is much more fitting for those who are about to do wrong to deliberate for a long time.
§1.86.5ψηφίζεσθε οὖν, ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, ἀξίως τῆς Σπάρτης τὸν πόλεμον, καὶ μήτε τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐᾶτε μείζους γίγνεσθαι μήτε τοὺς ξυμμάχους καταπροδιδῶμεν, ἀλλὰ ξὺν τοῖς θεοῖς ἐπίωμεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας. ’
Vote therefore, Lacedaemonians, for war, in a manner worthy of Sparta, and neither allow the Athenians to become greater, nor let us betray our allies, but let us go forward against the wrongdoers with the help of the gods.'

Notes

  1. 1.86.3μὴ λόγῳ καὶ αὐτοὺς βλαπτομένους — βλαπτομένους is an accusative participle forming an accusative absolute construction with αὐτούς (referring to the allies). It functions adverbially to provide the reason ('since they themselves are not being harmed only in word') for the clause governed by διακριτέα.
  2. 1.86.4ὡς ἡμᾶς πρέπει βουλεύεσθαι ἀδικουμένους — ἡμᾶς is not the subject of the impersonal verb πρέπει but rather the accusative subject of the infinitive βουλεύεσθαι. The participle ἀδικουμένους ('being wronged') agrees with it. The entire phrase forms an indirect question introduced by ὡς ('how'), acting as the direct object of διδασκέτω.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.86.1-1.86.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.86.1-1.86.5

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