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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.17.1-4.17.5

Speech of the Spartan Ambassadors at Athens

Passage 382 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Spartan ambassadors sent to Athens begin their speech, urging the Athenians to make a wise peace by not overestimating their current advantage, keeping in mind the unpredictable reversals of fortune both states have experienced.

§4.17.1‘ἔπεμψαν ἡμᾶς Λακεδαιμόνιοι, ὦ Ἀθηναῖοι, περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ἀνδρῶν πράξοντας ὅτι ἂν ὑμῖν τε ὠφέλιμον ὂν τὸ αὐτὸ πείθωμεν καὶ ἡμῖν ἐς τὴν ξυμφορὰν ὡς ἐκ τῶν παρόντων κόσμον μάλιστα μέλλῃ οἴσειν.
'The Lacedaemonians have sent us, O Athenians, to negotiate concerning the men on the island, in the hope that we may persuade you to accept terms which will be at once advantageous to you, and, under the present circumstances, bring the greatest possible credit to us in our misfortune.
§4.17.2τοὺς δὲ λόγους μακροτέρους οὐ παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς μηκυνοῦμεν, ἀλλ’ ἐπιχώριον ὂν ἡμῖν οὗ μὲν βραχεῖς ἀρκῶσι μὴ πολλοῖς χρῆσθαι, πλέοσι δὲ ἐν ᾧ ἂν καιρὸς ᾖ διδάσκοντάς τι τῶν προύργου λόγοις τὸ δέον πράσσειν.
We shall not make a longer speech than is our custom, but it is our national habit not to use many words where few are sufficient, but to use more when there is an occasion to accomplish what is necessary by explaining it in words.
§4.17.3λάβετε δὲ αὐτοὺς μὴ πολεμίως μηδ’ ὡς ἀξύνετοι διδασκόμενοι, ὑπόμνησιν δὲ τοῦ καλῶς βουλεύσασθαι πρὸς εἰδότας ἡγησάμενοι.
Receive our words, then, not in a hostile spirit, nor as if you were being instructed like ignorant men, but look upon them as a reminder to make a wise decision, addressed to those who already know.
§4.17.4‘ὑμῖν γὰρ εὐτυχίαν τὴν παροῦσαν ἔξεστι καλῶς θέσθαι, ἔχουσι μὲν ὧν κρατεῖτε, προσλαβοῦσι δὲ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, καὶ μὴ παθεῖν ὅπερ οἱ ἀήθως τι ἀγαθὸν λαμβάνοντες τῶν ἀνθρώπων· αἰεὶ γὰρ τοῦ πλέονος ἐλπίδι ὀρέγονται διὰ τὸ καὶ τὰ παρόντα ἀδοκήτως εὐτυχῆσαι.
For you have now an opportunity to turn your present good fortune to good account, keeping what you now control, and acquiring honor and glory besides, and avoiding the fate of those who obtain some unexpected good; for such men, because they have succeeded beyond expectation in their present situation, are always grasping at more in hope.
§4.17.5οἷς δὲ πλεῖσται μεταβολαὶ ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα ξυμβεβήκασι, δίκαιοί εἰσι καὶ ἀπιστότατοι εἶναι ταῖς εὐπραγίαις· ὃ τῇ τε ὑμετέρᾳ πόλει δι’ ἐμπειρίαν καὶ ἡμῖν μάλιστ’ ἂν ἐκ τοῦ εἰκότος προσείη.
But those who have experienced the greatest changes in both directions have good reason to be most distrustful of their prosperity; and this is a quality which, through experience, should belong preeminently to your city, and, as is natural, to us as well.'

Notes

  1. §4.17.1πράξοντας ὅτι ἂν ... πείθωμεν ... καὶ ... μέλλῃ οἴσειν — The future participle πράξοντας agrees with the subject ἡμᾶς to express purpose. Within the relative clause introduced by ὅτι ἄν, the subjunctive πείθωμεν (expressing general expectation/condition) is coordinated with the indicative μέλλῃ (expressing necessity/future certainty) governing the future infinitive οἴσειν. The former refers to the success of persuading the Athenians, while the latter refers to the resulting consequence for the Spartans.
  2. §4.17.2ἐπιχώριον ὄν — Accusative absolute of the neuter singular adjective. It functions as a subordinate clause expressing reason in an impersonal sense: 'since it is our national habit'.
  3. §4.17.2πλέοσι δὲ ... τὸ δέον πράσσειν — Contrasting with μὴ πολλοῖς χρῆσθαι in the previous clause, χρῆσθαι is omitted after πλέοσι. The infinitive πράσσειν is also coordinated as part of the logical subject of ἐπιχώριον ὄν.
  4. §4.17.4καὶ μὴ παθεῖν — This infinitive is coordinated with the preceding καλῶς θέσθαι, both depending on the impersonal verb ἔξεστι ('it is possible'). It means 'and that you may avoid suffering (the same fate as those...)'.
  5. §4.17.5δίκαιοί εἰσι ... εἶναι — Personal construction of δίκαιός εἰμι with the infinitive, meaning 'they are justified in being...' or 'it is right/natural that they should be...'.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.17.1-4.17.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.17.1-4.17.5

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