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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.8.1-3.8.2

Arrival and Speech of the Mytilenaean Envoys at Olympia

Passage 257 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Mytilenaean ambassadors arrive at Olympia as instructed by the Lacedaemonians and, after the festival, begin their speech before the assembled allies.

§3.8.1οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης νεὼς ἐκπεμφθέντες Μυτιληναίων πρέσβεις, ὡς αὐτοῖς οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι εἶπον Ὀλυμπίαζε παρεῖναι, ὅπως καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ξύμμαχοι ἀκούσαντες βουλεύσωνται, ἀφικνοῦνται ἐς τὴν Ὀλυμπίαν·
The Mytilenaean ambassadors who had been sent out on the first ship arrived at Olympia, as the Lacedaemonians had told them to be present at Olympia so that the other allies also might hear and deliberate.
ἦν δὲ Ὀλυμπιὰς ᾗ Δωριεὺς Ῥόδιος τὸ δεύτερον ἐνίκα.
This was the Olympiad in which Dorieus of Rhodes won his second victory.
§3.8.2καὶ ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν κατέστησαν ἐς λόγους, εἶπον τοιάδε.
And when, after the festival, they had entered into discussions, they spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. §3.8.1ὡς αὐτοῖς οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι εἶπον — The conjunction ὡς here introduces a causal clause ('since/as'). The verb εἶπον, taking the dative pronoun αὐτοῖς and the infinitive παρεῖναι, functions as a verb of commanding ('told/ordered them to be present').
  2. §3.8.1ᾗ Δωριεὺς Ῥόδιος τὸ δεύτερον ἐνίκα — The relative pronoun ᾗ is a feminine dative singular agreeing with the antecedent Ὀλυμπιάς (either the Olympic festival or the Olympiad period), functioning as a dative of time ('at/in which'). τὸ δεύτερον is an adverbial accusative meaning 'for the second time'.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.8.1-3.8.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.8.1-3.8.2

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