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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.39.1-5.39.3

Lacedaemonian Alliance with the Boeotians

Passage 539 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Olynthians capture Mecyberna, and the Lacedaemonians conclude a separate alliance with the Boeotians in order to exchange Panactum for Pylos.

§5.39.1καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χειμῶνι τούτῳ Μηκύβερναν Ὀλύνθιοι, Ἀθηναίων φρουρούντων, ἐπιδραμόντες εἷλον.
During this same winter, the Olynthians attacked and captured Mecyberna, which was garrisoned by the Athenians.
§5.39.2μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα (ἐγίγνοντο γὰρ αἰεὶ λόγοι τοῖς τε Ἀθηναίοις καὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις περὶ ὧν εἶχον ἀλλήλων) ἐλπίζοντες οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, εἰ Πάνακτον Ἀθηναῖοι παρὰ Βοιωτῶν ἀπολάβοιεν, κομίσασθαι ἂν αὐτοὶ Πύλον, ἦλθον ἐς τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς πρεσβευόμενοι καὶ ἐδέοντο σφίσι Πάνακτόν τε καὶ τοὺς Ἀθηναίων δεσμώτας παραδοῦναι, ἵνα ἀντ’ αὐτῶν Πύλον κομίσωνται.
After this (for negotiations were constantly going on between the Athenians and Lacedaemonians concerning what they held of each other's), the Lacedaemonians, hoping that if the Athenians should recover Panactum from the Boeotians, they themselves might recover Pylos, sent an embassy to the Boeotians and requested them to deliver up Panactum and the Athenian prisoners to them, in order that they might recover Pylos in exchange for them.
§5.39.3οἱ δὲ Βοιωτοὶ οὐκ ἔφασαν ἀποδώσειν, ἢν μὴ σφίσι ξυμμαχίαν ἰδίαν ποιήσωνται ὥσπερ Ἀθηναίοις.
But the Boeotians refused to deliver them up unless the Lacedaemonians made a separate alliance with them as they had with the Athenians.
Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ εἰδότες μὲν ὅτι ἀδικήσουσιν Ἀθηναίους, εἰρημένον ἄνευ ἀλλήλων μήτε σπένδεσθαί τῳ μήτε πολεμεῖν, βουλόμενοι δὲ τὸ Πάνακτον παραλαβεῖν ὡς τὴν Πύλον ἀντ’ αὐτοῦ κομιούμενοι, καὶ ἅμα τῶν ξυγχέαι σπευδόντων τὰς σπονδὰς προθυμουμένων τὰ ἐς Βοιωτούς, ἐποιήσαντο τὴν ξυμμαχίαν τοῦ χειμῶνος τελευτῶντος ἤδη καὶ πρὸς ἔαρ· καὶ τὸ Πάνακτον εὐθὺς καθῃρεῖτο.
Although the Lacedaemonians knew that they would be doing an injustice to the Athenians—since it had been agreed that they should make peace or war with no one without mutual consent—yet, wishing to receive Panactum so that they might recover Pylos in exchange for it, and at the same time, because those who were eager to break the treaty were taking active steps in the interest of the Boeotians, they made the alliance just as the winter was ending and spring was approaching; and Panactum was immediately demolished.
καὶ ἑνδέκατον ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα.
Thus ended the eleventh year of the war.

Notes

  1. §5.39.2ἐλπίζοντες... κομίσασθαι ἂν — The infinitive `κομίσασθαι` with the particle `ἂν` functions as the potential optative or indicative with `ἄν` in indirect discourse, expressing future possibility: "hoping that they might recover."
  2. §5.39.3εἰρημένον — Accusative absolute of the neuter singular participle of an impersonal construction, functioning concessively here: "although it had been agreed (that they should not...)."
  3. §5.39.3τῶν ξυγχέαι σπευδόντων τὰς σπονδὰς προθυμουμένων — Genitive absolute. The substantivated participle `τῶν ... σπευδόντων` (those who were eager to break the treaty) acts as the subject of the participle `προθυμουμένων` (showing zeal).
  4. §5.39.3καθῃρεῖτο — Imperfect passive of `καθαιρέω`. The imperfect tense denotes the initiation or progress of the action: "was immediately demolished" or "began to be demolished."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.39.1-5.39.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.39.1-5.39.3

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