Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.84.1-4.84.2

Brasidas' March to Acanthos and Admission Alone

Passage 449 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Brasidas marches against Acanthos just before the harvest, and the inhabitants, fearing for their crops, agree to admit him alone to speak. Brasidas then stands before the assembly to address them.

§4.84.1ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ θέρει εὐθὺς ὁ Βρασίδας ἔχων καὶ Χαλκιδέας ἐπὶ Ἄκανθον τὴν Ἀνδρίων ἀποικίαν ὀλίγον πρὸ τρυγήτου ἐστράτευσεν.
During the same summer, Brasidas immediately, accompanied also by the Chalcidians, marched a little before the vintage against Acanthos, the colony of the Andrians.
§4.84.2οἱ δὲ περὶ τοῦ δέχεσθαι αὐτὸν κατ’ ἀλλήλους ἐστασίαζον, οἵ τε μετὰ τῶν Χαλκιδέων ξυνεπάγοντες καὶ ὁ δῆμος.
The inhabitants were at variance among themselves concerning his admission, between those who in concert with the Chalcidians were trying to introduce him and the commons.
ὅμως δὲ διὰ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δέος ἔτι ἔξω ὄντος πεισθὲν τὸ πλῆθος ὑπὸ τοῦ Βρασίδου δέξασθαί τε αὐτὸν μόνον καὶ ἀκούσαντας βουλεύσασθαι, δέχεται· καὶ καταστὰς ἐπὶ τὸ πλῆθος (ἦν δὲ οὐδὲ ἀδύνατος, ὡς Λακεδαιμόνιος, εἰπεῖν) ἔλεγε τοιάδε.
Nevertheless, through fear for their fruit which was still outside, the multitude, being persuaded by Brasidas to admit him alone and, after hearing him, to deliberate, received him; and standing before the multitude (and he was not a bad speaker, for a Lacedaemonian), he spoke as follows.

Notes

  1. 4.84.2διὰ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δέος ἔτι ἔξω ὄντος — The participle ἔτι ἔξω ὄντος is not a genitive absolute, but an attributive participle agreeing with τοῦ καρποῦ, which is an objective genitive dependent on τὸ δέος. The whole phrase means 'fear for their crops which were still outside the walls'.
  2. 4.84.2ἀκούσαντας βουλεύσασθαι — The accusative plural masculine participle ἀκούσαντας agrees 'ad sensum' (according to the sense) with the collective noun τὸ πλῆθος (which is neuter singular but implies the individual citizens), serving as the logical subject of the infinitive βουλεύσασθαι.
  3. 4.84.2ὡς Λακεδαιμόνιος — The particle ὡς is restrictive, meaning 'for a Lacedaemonian' or 'considering he was a Lacedaemonian'. It refers to the common Greek reputation of Spartans as being laconic and not given to public speaking.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.84.1-4.84.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.84.1-4.84.2

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.