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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.60.1

Theban Request and Permission to Reply

Passage 309 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Fearing that the Lacedaemonians might relent after the Plataeans' speech, the Thebans request and receive permission to deliver a speech in reply.

§3.60.1τοιαῦτα μὲν οἱ Πλαταιῆς εἶπον.
Thus spoke the Plataeans.
οἱ δὲ Θηβαῖοι δείσαντες πρὸς τὸν λόγον αὐτῶν μὴ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοί τι ἐνδῶσι, παρελθόντες ἔφασαν καὶ αὐτοὶ βούλεσθαι εἰπεῖν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐκείνοις παρὰ γνώμην τὴν αὑτῶν μακρότερος λόγος ἐδόθη τῆς πρὸς τὸ ἐρώτημα ἀποκρίσεως.
But the Thebans, fearing in response to their speech lest the Lacedaemonians should yield in some measure, came forward and said that they too wished to speak, since to those men also, contrary to their own expectation, a longer speech had been granted than the answer to the question.
ὡς δ’ ἐκέλευσαν, ἔλεγον τοιάδε.
And when they were permitted, they spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. 3.60.1δείσαντες ... μὴ ... ἐνδῶσι — The particle μὴ with the aorist subjunctive ἐνδῶσι is introduced by the participle of fearing, δείσαντες, meaning 'fearing lest they should yield'. The pronoun τι is used adverbially to mean 'in some measure' or 'at all'.
  2. 3.60.1παρὰ γνώμην τὴν αὑτῶν — The reflexive pronoun αὑτῶν (ἑαυτῶν) refers to the subject of the main clause, 'the Thebans' (οἱ δὲ Θηβαῖοι). Thus, it means 'contrary to their own expectation' or 'contrary to their own wish'. Although some interpret it as referring to the Lacedaemonians' intention, it is more natural to refer it to the main subject in accordance with standard reflexive usage.
  3. 3.60.1μακρότερος λόγος ἐδόθη τῆς πρὸς τὸ ἐρώτημα ἀποκρίσεως — The genitive phrase τῆς ... ἀποκρίσεως (the answer) is a genitive of comparison dependent on the comparative adjective μακρότερος (longer), meaning 'a longer speech was granted than the answer to the question'. This refers to the fact that the Plataeans spoke at length far beyond the simple answer required by the Lacedaemonians' question.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.60.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.60.1

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