Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.11.1-3.11.8

Athenian Strategy and the Precariousness of Independence

Passage 260 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Mytilenean envoys explain that their nominal independence was preserved only due to Athens' strategic calculations of gradual subjugation, Mytilene's own naval power, and flattery, and that without the outbreak of the war, they would eventually have been enslaved.

§3.11.1καὶ εἰ μὲν αὐτόνομοι ἔτι ἦμεν ἅπαντες, βεβαιότεροι ἂν ἡμῖν ἦσαν μηδὲν νεωτεριεῖν· ὑποχειρίους δὲ ἔχοντες τοὺς πλείους, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου ὁμιλοῦντες, χαλεπώτερον εἰκότως ἔμελλον οἴσειν καὶ πρὸς τὸ πλέον ἤδη εἶκον τοῦ ἡμετέρου ἔτι μόνου ἀντισουμένου, ἄλλως τε καὶ ὅσῳ δυνατώτεροι αὐτοὶ αὑτῶν ἐγίγνοντο καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐρημότεροι.
'And if we had all still remained independent, we would have been more secure that they would make no innovation; but since they held the majority subject to them, while dealing with us on an equal footing, they were naturally likely to bear this with more difficulty, especially as the rest already yielded to their greater power while our part alone still stood on an equal footing; and all the more so, the more powerful they themselves became compared to their former selves, and the more isolated we became.
§3.11.2τὸ δὲ ἀντίπαλον δέος μόνον πιστὸν ἐς ξυμμαχίαν· ὁ γὰρ παραβαίνειν τι βουλόμενος τῷ μὴ προύχων ἂν ἐπελθεῖν ἀποτρέπεται.
For mutual fear is the only reliable basis for an alliance; for he who wishes to violate it is deterred by the fact that he cannot attack with superior force.
§3.11.3αὐτόνομοί τε ἐλείφθημεν οὐ δι’ ἄλλο τι ἢ ὅσον αὐτοῖς ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν εὐπρεπείᾳ τε λόγου καὶ γνώμης μᾶλλον ἐφόδῳ ἢ ἰσχύος τὰ πράγματα ἐφαίνετο καταληπτά.
And we were left independent for no other reason than because, for their empire, things seemed more graspable by fair-sounding speech and the approach of policy than by force.
§3.11.4ἅμα μὲν γὰρ μαρτυρίῳ ἐχρῶντο μὴ ἂν τούς γε ἰσοψήφους ἄκοντας, εἰ μή τι ἠδίκουν οἷς ἐπῇσαν, ξυστρατεύειν· ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ δὲ καὶ τὰ κράτιστα ἐπί τε τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους πρώτους ξυνεπῆγον καὶ τὰ τελευταῖα λιπόντες τοῦ ἄλλου περιῃρημένου ἀσθενέστερα ἔμελλον ἕξειν.
For at the same time they used us as evidence that those who had an equal vote would not join in their campaigns unwillingly unless those whom they attacked were doing some wrong; and at the same time, by leading the strongest with them against the weaker first, and leaving the strongest for last, they were likely to have them weaker once the rest had been stripped away.
§3.11.5εἰ δὲ ἀφ’ ἡμῶν ἤρξαντο, ἐχόντων ἔτι τῶν πάντων αὐτῶν τε ἰσχὺν καὶ πρὸς ὅτι χρὴ στῆναι, οὐκ ἂν ὁμοίως ἐχειρώσαντο.
If they had begun with us, while everyone still possessed their own strength and had a rallying point, they would not have subjugated us so easily.
§3.11.6τό τε ναυτικὸν ἡμῶν παρεῖχέ τινα φόβον μή ποτε καθ’ ἓν γενόμενον ἢ ὑμῖν ἢ ἄλλῳ τῳ προσθέμενον κίνδυνον σφίσι παράσχῃ.
And our navy caused them some fear, lest at some time, having united or having joined either you or someone else, it might bring danger to them.
§3.11.7τὰ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ θεραπείας τοῦ τε κοινοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν αἰεὶ προεστώτων περιεγιγνόμεθα.
And in part also we survived by courting both their democracy and those who were leaders for the time being.
§3.11.8οὐ μέντοι ἐπὶ πολύ γ’ ἂν ἐδοκοῦμεν δυνηθῆναι, εἰ μὴ ὁ πόλεμος ὅδε κατέστη, παραδείγμασι χρώμενοι τοῖς ἐς τοὺς ἄλλους.
However, we did not think we would have been able to hold out for long, if this war had not broken out, using as warnings the examples of what happened to the others.'

Notes

  1. 3.11.1βεβαιότεροι ἂν ἡμῖν ἦσαν μηδὲν νεωτεριεῖν — This is the apodosis corresponding to the counterfactual condition εἰ... ἦμεν. The subject of ἦσαν ἄν is the Athenians, and ἡμῖν is a dative of relation ("to us/for us"). The infinitive μηδὲν νεωτεριεῖν limits or explains the adjective βεβαιότεροι ("more secure/trustworthy with respect to making no innovation/revolution"). Thus, it means "we would have been more secure that they would make no change."
  2. 3.11.1πρὸς τὸ πλέον ἤδη εἶκον τοῦ ἡμετέρου ἔτι μόνου ἀντισουμένου — πρὸς τὸ πλέον ἤδη εἶκον means "in comparison with the majority which had already yielded [to their power]." The phrase τοῦ ἡμετέρου ἔτι μόνου ἀντισουμένου is a genitive absolute, where τὸ ἡμέτερον refers to "our part" (Mytilene, or the remaining independent allies including Chios), meaning "while our part alone still stood on an equal footing."
  3. 3.11.2τῷ μὴ προύχων ἂν ἐπελθεῖν — This is a dative of means or cause consisting of the neuter article τῷ and the infinitive phrase with ἄν (μὴ προύχων ἂν ἐπελθεῖν). The particle ἄν belongs to the infinitive ἐπελθεῖν, representing a potential construction. The participle προύχων ("being superior") is in the nominative case due to subject agreement with the implied subject of the infinitive. It means "by the fact that one would not be able to attack with superior force."
  4. 3.11.4τὰ κράτιστα — The neuter plural adjective τὰ κράτιστα ("the strongest [elements]") functions here substantively, referring to the most powerful allies (such as the Mytileneans and Chians). It is the direct object of ξυνεπῆγον ("led with them [against others]") and is also understood as the object of the participle λιπόντες ("leaving [them] for last").
  5. 3.11.8οὐ μέντοι ἐπὶ πολύ γ’ ἂν ἐδοκοῦμεν δυνηθῆναι — The particle ἄν goes with the infinitive δυνηθῆναι (or modifies the leading verb ἐδοκοῦμεν to form a potential/counterfactual apodosis) to express the result of the condition "if this war had not broken out." The phrase ἐδοκοῦμεν ἂν δυνηθῆναι means "we would not have seemed likely to be able to survive," expressing a strong retrospective conviction.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.11.1-3.11.8. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.11.1-3.11.8

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