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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.71.1-3.71.2

Corcyraean Oligarchs Impose Neutrality and Envoy to Athens

Passage 320 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The assassins of Peithias force the Corcyraeans to adopt a strict policy of neutrality, and immediately send ambassadors to Athens to justify their actions and pacify the refugees.

§3.71.1δράσαντες δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ξυγκαλέσαντες Κερκυραίους εἶπον ὅτι ταῦτα καὶ βέλτιστα εἴη καὶ ἥκιστ’ ἂν δουλωθεῖεν ὑπ’ Ἀθηναίων, τό τε λοιπὸν μηδετέρους δέχεσθαι ἀλλ’ ἢ μιᾷ νηὶ ἡσυχάζοντας, τὸ δὲ πλέον πολέμιον ἡγεῖσθαι.
Having done this and having called the Corcyraeans together, they said that this was both for the best and that they would be least likely to be enslaved by the Athenians, and that for the future they should receive neither party except coming quietly with a single ship, and should consider any larger force as hostile.
ὡς δὲ εἶπον, καὶ ἐπικυρῶσαι ἠνάγκασαν τὴν γνώμην.
And having spoken thus, they also compelled them to ratify the proposal.
§3.71.2πέμπουσι δὲ καὶ ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας εὐθὺς πρέσβεις περί τε τῶν πεπραγμένων διδάξοντας ὡς ξυνέφερε καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖ καταπεφευγότας πείσοντας μηδὲν ἀνεπιτήδειον πράσσειν, ὅπως μή τις ἐπιστροφὴ γένηται.
And they also immediately sent ambassadors to Athens, both to explain about what had been done, showing that it was advantageous, and to persuade those who had fled there not to take any hostile action, so that no reaction might occur.

Notes

  1. 3.71.1εἶπον ὅτι ... δέχεσθαι ... ἡγεῖσθαι — The verb εἶπον ('they said') introduces both a ὅτι-clause expressing statement of fact (with optatives εἴη, δουλωθεῖεν) and infinitives expressing command or exhortation (δέχεσθαι, ἡγεῖσθαι). This transition from indirect statement to indirect command under a single verb of saying is a common Greek construction.
  2. 3.71.1ἀλλ’ ἢ μιᾷ νηὶ ἡσυχάζοντας — The phrase ἀλλ' ἤ means 'except.' The accusative participle ἡσυχάζοντας agrees with the pronoun μηδετέρους, which is the object of the infinitive δέχεσθαι, meaning 'except if they come quietly with a single ship.'
  3. 3.71.2διδάξοντας ... πείσοντας — Both are future active participles modifying πρέσβεις and used with the main verb πέμπουσι ('they send') to express purpose ('in order to explain... and to persuade...').
  4. 3.71.2ἐπιστροφή — Literally 'a turning around' or 'return,' in this political context it refers to a 'reaction,' 'retaliation,' or 'counter-move' by Athens, potentially instigated by the refugees.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.71.1-3.71.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.71.1-3.71.2

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