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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.41.1

Diodotus Takes the Platform to Speak

Passage 290 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Following Cleon's speech, Diodotus, son of Eucrates, who had previously opposed the execution of the Mytilenaeans, steps forward to speak.

§3.41.1τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ Κλέων εἶπεν·
Cleon spoke in these terms.
μετὰ δ’ αὐτὸν Διόδοτος ὁ Εὐκράτους, ὅσπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀντέλεγε μάλιστα μὴ ἀποκτεῖναι Μυτιληναίους, παρελθὼν καὶ τότε ἔλεγε τοιάδε.
After him, Diodotus the son of Eucrates, who also in the previous assembly had argued most strongly against putting the Mytilenaeans to death, came forward and on this occasion also spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. §3.41.1ἀντέλεγε μάλιστα μὴ ἀποκτεῖναι — The infinitive ἀποκτεῖναι with the negative particle μὴ is used as the complement of the verb ἀντέλεγε, which means 'to speak against' or 'to oppose.' In Greek, verbs of denying, preventing, forbidding, or opposing are regularly followed by an infinitive with a redundant or pleonastic μὴ, which reinforces the negative force inherent in the governing verb.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.41.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.41.1

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