Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §2.53.1-2.53.4

Moral Lawlessness and Disregard of Law in Athens

Passage 199 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Describes how the plague in Athens led to moral lawlessness (anomia) and disregard for both divine and human laws. Facing the extreme transience of life and wealth, people abandoned long-term virtue and sought only immediate pleasure and self-interest.

§2.53.1πρῶτόν τε ἦρξε καὶ ἐς τἆλλα τῇ πόλει ἐπὶ πλέον ἀνομίας τὸ νόσημα.

The disease first introduced to the city a greater degree of lawlessness in other respects as well.

ῥᾷον γὰρ ἐτόλμα τις ἃ πρότερον ἀπεκρύπτετο μὴ καθ’ ἡδονὴν ποιεῖν, ἀγχίστροφον τὴν μεταβολὴν ὁρῶντες τῶν τε εὐδαιμόνων καὶ αἰφνιδίως θνῃσκόντων καὶ τῶν οὐδὲν πρότερον κεκτημένων, εὐθὺς δὲ τἀκείνων ἐχόντων.

For people now more readily dared to do what they formerly concealed doing for pleasure, seeing the sudden change of fortune of both the wealthy dying suddenly and of those who previously possessed nothing but immediately having their property.

§2.53.2ὥστε ταχείας τὰς ἐπαυρέσεις καὶ πρὸς τὸ τερπνὸν ἠξίουν ποιεῖσθαι, ἐφήμερα τά τε σώματα καὶ τὰ χρήματα ὁμοίως ἡγούμενοι.

Consequently, they deemed it right to seek quick enjoyments and those directed towards pleasure, considering both their bodies and their property to be equally ephemeral.

§2.53.3καὶ τὸ μὲν προσταλαιπωρεῖν τῷ δόξαντι καλῷ οὐδεὶς πρόθυμος ἦν, ἄδηλον νομίζων εἰ πρὶν ἐπ’ αὐτὸ ἐλθεῖν διαφθαρήσεται· ὅτι δὲ ἤδη τε ἡδὺ πανταχόθεν τε ἐς αὐτὸ κερδαλέον, τοῦτο καὶ καλὸν καὶ χρήσιμον κατέστη.

And as for exerting oneself beforehand for what was deemed honorable, no one was willing, thinking it uncertain whether he would be destroyed before reaching it; but whatever was already pleasant and from every source advantageous to it was established as both honorable and useful.

§2.53.4θεῶν δὲ φόβος ἢ ἀνθρώπων νόμος οὐδεὶς ἀπεῖργε, τὸ μὲν κρίνοντες ἐν ὁμοίῳ καὶ σέβειν καὶ μὴ ἐκ τοῦ πάντας ὁρᾶν ἐν ἴσῳ ἀπολλυμένους, τῶν δὲ ἁμαρτημάτων οὐδεὶς ἐλπίζων μέχρι τοῦ δίκην γενέσθαι βιοὺς ἂν τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀντιδοῦναι, πολὺ δὲ μείζω τὴν ἤδη κατεψηφισμένην σφῶν ἐπικρεμασθῆναι, ἣν πρὶν ἐμπεσεῖν εἰκὸς εἶναι τοῦ βίου τι ἀπολαῦσαι.

And no fear of gods or law of men restrained them; on the one hand, they judged it to be all the same whether they worshipped or not, from seeing everyone dying without distinction; on the other hand, no one expected that he would live until justice was done to pay the penalty for his offenses, but believed that a far greater sentence already passed upon them was hanging over them, and that before it fell, it was reasonable to enjoy some part of life.

Notes

2.53.1ἀπεκρύπτετο μὴ καθ’ ἡδονὴν ποιεῖν — The negative μὴ is a redundant negative (or sympathetic negative) following a verb of denying or concealing (ἀπεκρύπτετο 'was concealing'). It should not be translated as a negative; the phrase means 'what he formerly concealed doing for pleasure.'
2.53.3ὅτι δὲ ἤδη τε ἡδὺ — Here, ὅτι is not the conjunction ('that' or 'because') but the neuter nominative singular of the indefinite relative pronoun ὅστις, meaning 'whatever.' It introduces a relative clause that acts as the subject, with τοῦτο in the main clause as its antecedent.
2.53.4βιοὺς ἂν τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀντιδοῦναι — Although the particle ἄν is placed next to the participle βιούς (aorist participle of βιόω), syntactically it goes with the infinitive ἀντιδοῦναι ('to pay in return'), expressing a potential or future-like meaning under the influence of ἐλπίζων ('expecting that he would live to pay the penalty').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §2.53.1-2.53.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.53.1-2.53.4

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