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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.62.1-3.62.5

Theban Defense of Medism and Accusation of Plataea

Passage 311 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Theban envoys argue that Plataea's refusal to side with the Persians was merely because they followed Athens, and that they later cooperative with Athens when it attacked Greece. They also excuse Thebes' own collaboration with the Persians by pointing out that it was ruled by a lawless, narrow oligarchy at the time, and emphasize their subsequent efforts in liberating Boeotia once they recovered their laws.

§3.62.1‘ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ὁ βάρβαρος ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, φασὶ μόνοι Βοιωτῶν οὐ μηδίσαι, καὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα αὐτοί τε ἀγάλλονται καὶ ἡμᾶς λοιδοροῦσιν.
'And when the barbarian came against Greece, they say that they alone of the Boeotians did not Medize, and for this they especially pride themselves and abuse us.
§3.62.2ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδίσαι μὲν αὐτοὺς οὔ φαμεν διότι οὐδ’ Ἀθηναίους, τῇ μέντοι αὐτῇ ἰδέᾳ ὕστερον ἰόντων Ἀθηναίων ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας μόνους αὖ Βοιωτῶν ἀττικίσαι.
But we say that they did not Medize only because the Athenians did not either; however, with the very same spirit, when the Athenians later came against the Greeks, they alone again of the Boeotians Atticized.
§3.62.3καίτοι σκέψασθε ἐν οἵῳ εἴδει ἑκάτεροι ἡμῶν τοῦτο ἔπραξαν.
And yet, consider in what kind of government each of us did this.
ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ ἡ πόλις τότε ἐτύγχανεν οὔτε κατ’ ὀλιγαρχίαν ἰσόνομον πολιτεύουσα οὔτε κατὰ δημοκρατίαν· ὅπερ δέ ἐστι νόμοις μὲν καὶ τῷ σωφρονεστάτῳ ἐναντιώτατον, ἐγγυτάτω δὲ τυράννου, δυναστεία ὀλίγων ἀνδρῶν εἶχε τὰ πράγματα.
For our city at that time did not happen to be governed either by an oligarchy with equal laws or by a democracy; but what is most opposed to laws and the most moderate government, and closest to a tyranny—a dynasty of a few men held the power.
§3.62.4καὶ οὗτοι ἰδίας δυνάμεις ἐλπίσαντες ἔτι μᾶλλον σχήσειν εἰ τὰ τοῦ Μήδου κρατήσειε, κατέχοντες ἰσχύι τὸ πλῆθος ἐπηγάγοντο αὐτόν· καὶ ἡ ξύμπασα πόλις οὐκ αὐτοκράτωρ οὖσα ἑαυτῆς τοῦτ’ ἔπραξεν, οὐδ’ ἄξιον αὐτῇ ὀνειδίσαι ὧν μὴ μετὰ νόμων ἥμαρτεν.
And these men, hoping to hold their own power still more securely if the affairs of the Mede should prevail, holding down the multitude by force, brought him in; and the whole city did not do this as master of itself, nor is it right to reproach it for the errors it committed when not under the laws.
§3.62.5ἐπειδὴ γοῦν ὅ τε Μῆδος ἀπῆλθε καὶ τοὺς νόμους ἔλαβε, σκέψασθαι χρή, Ἀθηναίων ὕστερον ἐπιόντων τήν τε ἄλλην Ἑλλάδα καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν χώραν πειρωμένων ὑφ’ αὑτοῖς ποιεῖσθαι καὶ κατὰ στάσιν ἤδη ἐχόντων αὐτῆς τὰ πολλά, εἰ μαχόμενοι ἐν Κορωνείᾳ καὶ νικήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἠλευθερώσαμεν τὴν Βοιωτίαν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους νῦν προθύμως ξυνελευθεροῦμεν, ἵππους τε παρέχοντες καὶ παρασκευὴν ὅσην οὐκ ἄλλοι τῶν ξυμμάχων.
At any rate, when the Mede departed and the city received its laws, you ought to consider—when the Athenians later attacked both the rest of Greece and our country, trying to bring them under their subjection, and already holding most of it through faction—whether by fighting at Coronea and defeating them we liberated Boeotia, and are now eagerly helping to liberate the others, providing cavalry and an equipment as large as no other of the allies.'

Notes

  1. 3.62.2διότι οὐδ’ Ἀθηναίους — Meaning 'because the Athenians did not (Medize) either'. A negative verb corresponding to the preceding infinitive μηδίσαι is omitted after διότι (equivalent to διότι οὐδ’ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐμήδισαν). The Thebans sarcastically argue that Plataea's conduct was merely dependent on Athens' choices.
  2. 3.62.3οὔτε κατ’ ὀλιγαρχίαν ἰσόνομον πολιτεύουσα οὔτε κατὰ δημοκρατίαν — Indicates that the constitution of Thebes at that time was neither a moderate oligarchy with equal rights (ὀλιγαρχία ἰσόνομος) nor a democracy. The participle πολιτεύουσα serves as a complement to the preceding verb ἐτύγχανεν ('happened to be').
  3. 3.62.4ὧν μὴ μετὰ νόμων ἥμαρτεν — A relative pronoun attracted to the genitive case with the omission of its antecedent; equivalent to τούτων ἃ μὴ μετὰ νόμων ἥμαρτεν ('for the errors which it committed not under the laws'). The negative particle μὴ indicates a conditional or subjective negation ('if/since they were not under the laws').
  4. 3.62.5εἰ μαχόμενοι ἐν Κορωνείᾳ ... ἠλευθερώσαμεν — An indirect question clause introduced by the verbal expression σκέψασθαι χρή ('one ought to consider'). It means 'whether, by fighting at Coronea, we liberated...'. The indicative past (aorist) is used because it refers to a historical fact.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.62.1-3.62.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.62.1-3.62.5

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