Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.25.1-3.25.2

Salaethus Enters Mytilene with Promise of Aid

Passage 274 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Salaethus is sent from Lacedaemon and sneaks into Mytilene to encourage the citizens by announcing an imminent invasion of Attica and the arrival of a Peloponnesian fleet, bringing the fourth year of the war to an end.

§3.25.1ἐκ δὲ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος τοῦ αὐτοῦ χειμῶνος τελευτῶντος ἐκπέμπεται Σάλαιθος ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος ἐς Μυτιλήνην τριήρει.
At the end of the same winter, Salaethus, a Lacedaemonian, was dispatched from Lacedaemon to Mytilene in a trireme.
καὶ πλεύσας ἐς Πύρραν καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς πεζῇ κατὰ χαράδραν τινά, ᾗ ὑπερβατὸν ἦν τὸ περιτείχισμα, διαλαθὼν ἐσέρχεται ἐς τὴν Μυτιλήνην, καὶ ἔλεγε τοῖς προέδροις ὅτι ἐσβολή τε ἅμα ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν ἔσται καὶ αἱ τεσσαράκοντα νῆες παρέσονται ἃς ἔδει βοηθῆσαι αὐτοῖς, προαποπεμφθῆναί τε αὐτὸς τούτων ἕνεκα καὶ ἅμα τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιμελησόμενος.
After sailing to Pyrrha, and proceeding from there on foot along a certain ravine where the wall of circumvallation was passable, he entered Mytilene secretly, and told the magistrates that there would be an invasion of Attica at the same time, and that the forty ships which were to come to their aid would arrive, and that he himself had been sent on ahead for these purposes and at the same time to take charge of other affairs.
§3.25.2καὶ οἱ μὲν Μυτιληναῖοι ἐθάρσουν τε καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἧσσον εἶχον τὴν γνώμην ὥστε ξυμβαίνειν.
And so the Mytilaeneans took courage, and were less inclined to come to terms with the Athenians.
ὅ τε χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα οὗτος, καὶ τέταρτον ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα τῷδε ὃν Θουκυδίδης ξυνέγραψεν.
This winter ended, and the fourth year of this war which Thucydides wrote ended.

Notes

  1. 3.25.1προαποπεμφθῆναί τε αὐτὸς — In the indirect discourse following the main verb `ἔλεγε`, there is a shift from the `ὅτι` clause in the first part (`ἔσται` and `παρέσονται`) to an infinitive construction (`προαποπεμφθῆναι`) in the second part. Since the subject of the infinitive is the speaker himself (Salaethus), the nominative `αὐτός` is used instead of an accusative. The subsequent future participle `ἐπιμελησόμενος` expresses purpose.
  2. 3.25.2ἧσσον εἶχον τὴν γνώμην ὥστε ξυμβαίνειν — The phrase `εἶχον τὴν γνώμην` (meaning "to have the intention" or "be inclined") is modified by the comparative adverb `ἧσσον` ("less") and takes a `ὥστε` clause with an infinitive (`ξυμβαίνειν`) expressing result or degree, meaning "they were less inclined to come to terms (with the Athenians)."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.25.1-3.25.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.25.1-3.25.2

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