Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.103.1-5.103.2

The Danger of Hope for the Weak and Delusion of Prophecy

Passage 603 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians warn that while hope is harmless to those with ample resources, it is a ruinous trap for the weak who risk everything, and they urge the Melians not to mimic the common crowd who abandon realistic self-preservation in favor of blind hopes like divination.

§5.103.1ΑΘ. ἐλπὶς δὲ κινδύνῳ παραμύθιον οὖσα τοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ περιουσίας χρωμένους αὐτῇ, κἂν βλάψῃ, οὐ καθεῖλεν·
ΑΘ. Hope, which is a comfort in danger, does not ruin those who use it from a position of abundant resources, even if it does them some harm.
τοῖς δ’ ἐς ἅπαν τὸ ὑπάρχον ἀναρριπτοῦσι (δάπανος γὰρ φύσει) ἅμα τε γιγνώσκεται σφαλέντων καὶ ἐν ὅτῳ ἔτι φυλάξεταί τις αὐτὴν γνωρισθεῖσαν οὐκ ἐλλείπει.
But for those who stake their all on a single cast (for hope is by nature spendthrift), its true character is recognized only at the very moment of their ruin; and when its nature has become known, and one might still guard against it, it leaves no further room to do so.
§5.103.2ΑΘ. ὃ ὑμεῖς ἀσθενεῖς τε καὶ ἐπὶ ῥοπῆς μιᾶς ὄντες μὴ βούλεσθε παθεῖν μηδὲ ὁμοιωθῆναι τοῖς πολλοῖς, οἷς παρὸν ἀνθρωπείως ἔτι σῴζεσθαι, ἐπειδὰν πιεζομένους αὐτοὺς ἐπιλίπωσιν αἱ φανεραὶ ἐλπίδες, ἐπὶ τὰς ἀφανεῖς καθίστανται μαντικήν τε καὶ χρησμοὺς καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα μετ’ ἐλπίδων λυμαίνεται.
ΑΘ. This is what you, who are weak and hanging on a single turn of the scale, should not wish to experience, nor should you resemble the common run of men. Though they might still save themselves by human means, yet when, in their distress, visible hopes fail them, they turn to invisible ones—to divination, oracles, and all such things that, along with hope, bring people to ruin.

Notes

  1. 5.103.1ἐν ὅτῳ ἔτι φυλάξεταί τις αὐτὴν γνωρισθεῖσαν οὐκ ἐλλείπει — The subject of this clause is ἐλπίς (hope), and ἐλλείπει means "leaves no room" or "fails to afford." The relative phrase ἐν ὅτῳ stands for ἐν τούτῳ χρόνῳ ἐν ᾧ ("in the time when one might still guard against it"). γνωρισθεῖσαν is a circumstantial participle agreeing with the accusative αὐτήν ("once its true nature has become known"). The overall structure emphasizes the deceptive nature of hope, which leaves no further opportunity for defense once its true ruinous character is finally recognized.
  2. 5.103.2οἷς παρὸν ἀνθρωπείως ἔτι σῴζεσθαι — παρόν is the neuter accusative singular participle of the impersonal verb πάρεστι ("it is possible"), used here as an accusative absolute. It has concessive force: "although it is possible for them..." or "when they might still save themselves." οἷς is the dative relative pronoun referring back to τοῖς πολλοῖς (the common run of men), serving as the logical subject of the infinitive σῴζεσθαι.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.103.1-5.103.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.103.1-5.103.2

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