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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.88.1-4.88.2

Revolt of Acanthos and Stageirus from Athens

Passage 453 of 917 · Greek

Summary

After hearing Brasidas and fearing for their harvest, the Acanthians voted secretly to revolt from Athens and admitted his army, followed shortly by the revolt of Stageirus.

§4.88.1ὁ μὲν Βρασίδας τοσαῦτα εἶπεν.
Brasidas spoke thus much.
οἱ δὲ Ἀκάνθιοι,πολλῶν λεχθέντων πρότερον ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα, κρύφα διαψηφισάμενοι, διά τε τὸ ἐπαγωγὰ εἰπεῖν τὸν Βρασίδαν καὶ περὶ τοῦ καρποῦ φόβῳ ἔγνωσαν οἱ πλείους ἀφίστασθαι Ἀθηναίων, καὶ πιστώσαντες αὐτὸν τοῖς ὅρκοις οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ὀμόσαντα αὐτὸν ἐξέπεμψαν, ἦ μὴν ἔσεσθαι ξυμμάχους αὐτονόμους οὓς ἂν προσαγάγηται, οὕτω δέχονται τὸν στρατόν.
But the Acanthians, although many arguments had previously been made on both sides, voted secretly, and both because of Brasidas speaking persuasively and through fear for their harvest, the majority decided to revolt from the Athenians; and having bound him by the oaths which the Lacedaemonian authorities had made him swear when they sent him out, namely, that those whom he might win over should be autonomous allies, they thus received the army.
§4.88.2καὶ οὐ πολὺ ὕστερον καὶ Στάγιρος Ἀνδρίων ἀποικία ξυναπέστη.
And not long afterwards, Stageirus, a colony of the Andrians, also revolted with them.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ θέρει τούτῳ ἐγένετο.
These things, then, happened in this summer.

Notes

  1. §4.88.1πολλῶν λεχθέντων πρότερον ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα — Genitive absolute construction, expressing concession or background ('although many arguments had previously been made on both sides').
  2. §4.88.1διά τε τὸ ἐπαγωγὰ εἰπεῖν τὸν Βρασίδαν καὶ περὶ τοῦ καρποῦ φόβῳ — Two reasons for the decision to revolt are coordinated here: the first is an articular infinitive construction in the accusative governed by διά (τὸ ... εἰπεῖν, with τὸν Βρασίδαν as its subject accusative); the second is a dative of cause (φόβῳ) accompanied by a prepositional phrase.
  3. §4.88.1πιστώσαντες αὐτὸν τοῖς ὅρκοις — Active participle of πιστόω (to bind by oath, make secure), meaning 'having bound him by oaths' or 'having made him guarantee under oaths'.
  4. §4.88.1ὀμόσαντα αὐτὸν ἐξέπεμψαν — The participle ὀμόσαντα (aorist active participle of ὄμνυμι, accusative masculine singular) agrees with αὐτόν. It means 'they sent him (Brasidas) out, having made him swear'.
  5. §4.88.1ἦ μὴν ἔσεσθαι ξυμμάχους αὐτονόμους — The emphatic particle ἦ μήν is used to introduce formal oaths, with the content expressed by the future infinitive ἔσεσθαι ('that they should be autonomous allies').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.88.1-4.88.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.88.1-4.88.2

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