Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.59.1-4.59.4

Hermocrates Urges Reconciliation Among Sicilians

Passage 424 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Hermocrates begins his speech representing the interests of all Sicily, analyzing how nations still rush into war despite knowing its hardships due to conflicting self-interests, and urges them to accept the counsel for peace.

§4.59.1‘οὔτε πόλεως ὢν ἐλαχίστης, ὦ Σικελιῶται, τοὺς λόγους ποιήσομαι οὔτε πονουμένης μάλιστα τῷ πολέμῳ, ἐς κοινὸν δὲ τὴν δοκοῦσάν μοι βελτίστην γνώμην εἶναι ἀποφαινόμενος τῇ Σικελίᾳ πάσῃ.

"Siceliots, I shall make my speech not as one from the least of cities, nor as one from a city most afflicted by the war, but to declare publicly for the common good of all Sicily what seems to me to be the best opinion.

§4.59.2καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ πολεμεῖν ὡς χαλεπὸν τί ἄν τις πᾶν τὸ ἐνὸν ἐκλέγων ἐν εἰδόσι μακρηγοροίη;

And as for the fact that war is hard, why should anyone make a long speech, enumerating all the details to those who already know them?

οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὔτε ἀμαθίᾳ ἀναγκάζεται αὐτὸ δρᾶν, οὔτε φόβῳ, ἢν οἴηταί τι πλέον σχήσειν, ἀποτρέπεται.

For no one is forced to engage in it through ignorance, nor is anyone deterred by fear if he thinks he will gain some advantage.

ξυμβαίνει δὲ τοῖς μὲν τὰ κέρδη μείζω φαίνεσθαι τῶν δεινῶν, οἱ δὲ τοὺς κινδύνους ἐθέλουσιν ὑφίστασθαι πρὸ τοῦ αὐτίκα τι ἐλασσοῦσθαι·

But it happens that, to the one side, the gains appear greater than the dangers, while the others are willing to undergo the risks rather than suffer any immediate disadvantage.

§4.59.3αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἰ μὴ ἐν καιρῷ τύχοιεν ἑκάτεροι πράσσοντες, αἱ παραινέσεις τῶν ξυναλλαγῶν ὠφέλιμοι.

But if both parties should happen to be doing these very things out of season, the exhortations to make peace are useful.

§4.59.4ὃ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ παρόντι πειθομένοις πλείστου ἂν ἄξιον γένοιτο· τὰ γὰρ ἴδια ἕκαστοι εὖ βουλευόμενοι δὴ θέσθαι τό τε πρῶτον ἐπολεμήσαμεν καὶ νῦν πρὸς ἀλλήλους δι’ ἀντιλογιῶν πειρώμεθα καταλλαγῆναι καί, ἢν ἄρα μὴ προχωρήσῃ ἴσον ἑκάστῳ ἔχοντι ἀπελθεῖν, πάλιν πολεμήσομεν.

And this, if we comply with it at the present, would be of the highest value to us; for indeed, it was with the desire to settle our own private interests well that we first went to war, and now we are trying to come to terms with one another by means of discussion, and if indeed it does not succeed for each to depart with equal terms, we shall go to war again."

Notes

4.59.1ἀποφαινόμενος — The present participle `ἀποφαινόμενος` describes the state or intention of the subject "I", standing parallel with the participle `ὢν` at the beginning of the sentence, and functions adverbially with the main verb `ποιήσομαι` to express manner or purpose ("declaring publicly").
4.59.2ξυμβαίνει δὲ τοῖς μὲν τὰ κέρδη μείζω φαίνεσθαι τῶν δεινῶν, οἱ δὲ τοὺς κινδύνους ἐθέλουσιν ὑφίστασθαι — A clear example of anacoluthon. The first part is governed by the impersonal verb `ξυμβαίνει` with an accusative (or dative) and infinitive construction (`τοῖς μὲν ... φαίνεσθαι`), whereas the second part breaks this structure, shifting to an independent clause with the nominative and indicative (`οἱ δὲ ... ἐθέλουσιν`) instead of `τοῖς δὲ ... ἐθέλειν`.
4.59.4ἴσον ἑκάστῳ ἔχοντι ἀπελθεῖν — An infinitive clause acting as the subject of the impersonal verb `προχωρήσῃ` ("to go well, succeed"). The dative `ἑκάστῳ` serves as the logical subject of the infinitive `ἀπελθεῖν`, with which the dative present participle `ἔχοντι` (taking `ἴσον` "equal terms" as its object) agrees.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.59.1-4.59.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.59.1-4.59.4

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