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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.97.1-1.97.2

Reasons for the Digression on the Pentecontaetia

Passage 97 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The author outlines the achievements of the Athenians between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, and explains his reason for inserting this digression, noting that this period was neglected by previous historians.

§1.97.1ἡγούμενοι δὲ αὐτονόμων τὸ πρῶτον τῶν ξυμμάχων καὶ ἀπὸ κοινῶν ξυνόδων βουλευόντων τοσάδε ἐπῆλθον πολέμῳ τε καὶ διαχειρίσει πραγμάτων μεταξὺ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τοῦ Μηδικοῦ, ἃ ἐγένετο πρός τε τὸν βάρβαρον αὐτοῖς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς σφετέρους ξυμμάχους νεωτερίζοντας καὶ Πελοποννησίων τοὺς αἰεὶ προστυγχάνοντας ἐν ἑκάστῳ.
Leading at first allies who were autonomous and deliberated in common councils, the Athenians achieved so much through war and the administration of affairs between this war and the Persian War, deeds which were performed by them against the barbarian, against their own allies who revolted, and against those of the Peloponnesians who happened to be involved on each occasion.
§1.97.2ἔγραψα δὲ αὐτὰ καὶ τὴν ἐκβολὴν τοῦ λόγου ἐποιησάμην διὰ τόδε, ὅτι τοῖς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἅπασιν ἐκλιπὲς τοῦτο ἦν τὸ χωρίον καὶ ἢ τὰ πρὸ τῶν Μηδικῶν Ἑλληνικὰ ξυνετίθεσαν ἢ αὐτὰ τὰ Μηδικά· τούτων δὲ ὅσπερ καὶ ἥψατο ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ ξυγγραφῇ Ἑλλάνικος, βραχέως τε καὶ τοῖς χρόνοις οὐκ ἀκριβῶς ἐπεμνήσθη.
I have written these things and made this digression from my narrative for this reason: because this period was omitted by all my predecessors, who composed either the history of Greece before the Persian War or that of the Persian War itself; and the one of them who did touch upon this period, namely Hellanicus in his *Attic History*, mentioned it only briefly and with inaccuracy regarding the chronology.
ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει τῆς τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐν οἵῳ τρόπῳ κατέστη.
At the same time, this narrative also contains the demonstration of how the empire of the Athenians was established.

Notes

  1. 1.97.1ἡγούμενοι δὲ αὐτονόμων τὸ πρῶτον τῶν ξυμμάχων καὶ ἀπὸ κοινῶν ξυνόδων βουλευόντων — The participle `ἡγούμενοι` ("leading") governs the genitive `τῶν ξυμμάχων`. The adjective `αὐτονόμων` is used predicatively ("while the allies were autonomous") and is parallel with the genitive participle phrase `ἀπὸ κοινῶν ξυνόδων βουλευόντων` ("deliberating from common councils"). These describe the initial equal status of the allies before the Athenian empire was consolidated.
  2. 1.97.1τοσάδε ἐπῆλθον πολέμῳ τε καὶ διαχειρίσει πραγμάτων — The verb `ἐπῆλθον` (`ἐπέρχομαι`) is used here not in the sense of "attack" but "go through, accomplish, or execute," taking the neuter plural accusative `τοσάδε` ("so many things") as its object. The datives `πολέμῳ τε καὶ διαχειρίσει` express the means ("by war and the administration of affairs").
  3. 1.97.2ἅμα δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει — The verb `ἔχει` ("contains, has") has as its implied subject either `αὐτά` (the narrative of these events) or `ἡ ἐκβολή` (the digression) from the previous sentence. The genitive `τῆς ἀρχῆς` is an objective genitive dependent on `ἀπόδειξιν` ("demonstration of the empire").

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.97.1-1.97.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.97.1-1.97.2

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