Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.101.1

Athenian Call to Prioritize Survival over Honor

Passage 601 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians point out that this is not an equal contest for honor, but rather a realistic deliberation about survival by not resisting a far superior force.

§5.101.1ΑΘ. οὔκ, ἤν γε σωφρόνως βουλεύησθε·
ATH. Not so, if you deliberate temperately.
οὐ γὰρ περὶ ἀνδραγαθίας ὁ ἀγὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου ὑμῖν, μὴ αἰσχύνην ὀφλεῖν, περὶ δὲ σωτηρίας μᾶλλον ἡ βουλή, πρὸς τοὺς κρείσσονας πολλῷ μὴ ἀνθίστασθαι.
For this is not a contest on equal terms concerning manly virtue, so as to avoid incurring disgrace; rather, your deliberation is about survival—namely, not resisting those who are far stronger.

Notes

  1. §5.101.1οὔκ — A denial of the Melians' preceding assertion that not resisting would be the height of baseness and cowardice (κακότης καὶ δειλία). Combined with the following conditional clause, it means "It will not be so, if you deliberate temperately."
  2. §5.101.1μὴ αἰσχύνην ὀφλεῖν — The infinitive ὀφλεῖν, with the negative μή, functions appositionally to the noun phrase ὁ ἀγὼν (the contest), or explains its purpose or result: "so as to avoid incurring disgrace."
  3. §5.101.1πρὸς τοὺς κρείσσονας πολλῷ μὴ ἀνθίστασθαι — The negative infinitive phrase μὴ ἀνθίστασθαι stands in apposition to ἡ βουλή (deliberation), explaining its content: "namely, not resisting." The dative πολλῷ indicates the degree of difference, modifying the comparative κρείσσονας.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.101.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.101.1

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