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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.21.1-5.21.3

Refusal to Surrender Amphipolis and Clearidas' Withdrawal

Passage 521 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Lacedaemonians release prisoners and order the surrender of Amphipolis, but local allies and Clearidas refuse; Clearidas goes to Sparta for defense but is sent back with orders to withdraw.

§5.21.1Λακεδαιμόνιοι δέ (ἔλαχον γὰρ πρότεροι ἀποδιδόναι ἃ εἶχον) τούς τε ἄνδρας εὐθὺς τοὺς παρὰ σφίσιν αἰχμαλώτους ἀφίεσαν καὶ πέμψαντες ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης πρέσβεις Ἰσχαγόραν καὶ Μηνᾶν καὶ Φιλοχαρίδαν ἐκέλευον τὸν Κλεαρίδαν τὴν Ἀμφίπολιν παραδιδόναι τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τὰς σπονδάς, ὡς εἴρητο ἑκάστοις, δέχεσθαι.
The Lacedaemonians (for they drew the lot to be the first to restore what they held) immediately released the prisoners they had in their hands, and sending Ischagoras, Menas, and Philocharidas as ambassadors to the Thracian region, ordered Clearidas to deliver Amphipolis to the Athenians and the others to accept the treaty, as had been specified for each.
§5.21.2οἱ δ’ οὐκ ἤθελον, νομίζοντες οὐκ ἐπιτηδείας εἶναι· οὐδὲ ὁ Κλεαρίδας παρέδωκε τὴν πόλιν, χαριζόμενος τοῖς Χαλκιδεῦσι, λέγων ὡς οὐ δυνατὸς εἴη βίᾳ ἐκείνων παραδιδόναι.
But they refused, thinking that it was not favorable to them; nor did Clearidas deliver up the city, wishing to please the Chalcidians, and declaring that he was unable to deliver it against their will.
§5.21.3ἐλθὼν δὲ αὐτὸς κατὰ τάχος μετὰ πρέσβεων αὐτόθεν ἀπολογησόμενός τε ἐς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα, ἢν κατηγορῶσιν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἰσχαγόραν ὅτι οὐκ ἐπείθετο, καὶ ἅμα βουλόμενος εἰδέναι εἰ ἔτι μετακινητὴ εἴη ἡ ὁμολογία, ἐπειδὴ ηὗρε κατειλημμένους, αὐτὸς μὲν πάλιν πεμπόντων τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ κελευόντων μάλιστα μὲν καὶ τὸ χωρίον παραδοῦναι, εἰ δὲ μή, ὁπόσοι Πελοποννησίων ἔνεισιν ἐξαγαγεῖν, κατὰ τάχος ἐπορεύετο.
But he himself went in haste to Lacedaemon with ambassadors from that region, both to defend himself in case Ischagoras and his colleagues should accuse him of disobeying, and at the same time wishing to know whether the agreement was still subject to change. When he found them already bound, as the Lacedaemonians sent him back and ordered him, if possible, to deliver up the place, but if not, to withdraw all the Peloponnesians who were in it, he himself went back in haste.

Notes

  1. 5.21.1ἔλαχον γὰρ πρότεροι ἀποδιδόναι — The verb λαγχάνω (to obtain by lot) followed by an infinitive, indicating that they were chosen by lot to be the first (πρότεροι) to restore their holdings.
  2. 5.21.2βίᾳ ἐκείνων — The dative noun βίᾳ (by force), when governing a genitive, functions prepositionally meaning 'against the will of' or 'in defiance of'. Here it means 'against the will of the Chalcidians.'
  3. 5.21.3κατειλημμένους — Perfect passive participle masculine accusative plural of καταλαμβάνω (to bind, bind down). The implicit object is the 'Lacedaemonians', whom Clearidas found already bound by the terms of the treaty.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.21.1-5.21.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.21.1-5.21.3

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