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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.51.1

Dismantling of the Chian Wall and End of Year Seven

Passage 416 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Chians dismantle their new wall due to Athenian suspicion and demands, after exchanging pledges not to revolt, bringing the seventh year of the war to a close.

§4.51.1τοῦ δ’ αὐτοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ Χῖοι τὸ τεῖχος περιεῖλον τὸ καινὸν κελευσάντων Ἀθηναίων καὶ ὑποπτευσάντων ἐς αὐτούς τι νεωτεριεῖν, ποιησάμενοι μέντοι πρὸς Ἀθηναίους πίστεις καὶ βεβαιότητα ἐκ τῶν δυνατῶν μηδὲν περὶ σφᾶς νεώτερον βουλεύσειν.
During the same winter, the Chians also pulled down their new wall, because the Athenians had ordered them to do so and suspected that they were planning some revolution; they had, however, first given to the Athenians, as far as was possible, pledges and guarantees that they would plan no revolution on their own part.
καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα, καὶ ἕβδομον ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα τῷδε ὃν Θουκυδίδης ξυνέγραψεν.
And the winter ended, and with it the seventh year of this war of which Thucydides wrote the history.

Notes

  1. §4.51.1κελευσάντων Ἀθηναίων καὶ ὑποπτευσάντων — Genitive absolute with "Athenians" as the logical subject. The participle `ὑποπτευσάντων` governs the infinitive `νεωτεριεῖν` ("to make some revolution") as its object.
  2. §4.51.1μηδὲν περὶ σφᾶς νεώτερον βουλεύσειν — The future infinitive `βουλεύσειν` expresses the content of the nouns `πίστεις καὶ βεβαιότητα` ("pledges and guarantees"). The indirect reflexive pronoun `σφᾶς` refers back to the main subject, the Chians (`Χῖοι`), meaning "that they themselves would plan no revolution."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.51.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.51.1

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