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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.48.1-5.48.3

Corinthian Refusal to Join the Alliance and Return to Sparta

Passage 548 of 917 · Greek

Summary

While the new quadruple alliance was formed, the peace between Sparta and Athens remained in place. The Corinthians refused to join the new treaty, holding to their earlier defensive alliance and realigning themselves with Sparta.

§5.48.1αἱ μὲν σπονδαὶ καὶ ἡ ξυμμαχία οὕτως ἐγένοντο, καὶ αἱ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων οὐκ ἀπείρηντο τούτου ἕνεκα οὐδ’ ὑφ’ ἑτέρων.
Thus the treaty and the alliance were concluded, and those between the Lacedaemonians and the Athenians were not denounced because of this by either side.
§5.48.2Κορίνθιοι δὲ Ἀργείων ὄντες ξύμμαχοι οὐκ ἐσῆλθον ἐς αὐτάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενομένης πρὸ τούτου Ἠλείοις καὶ Ἀργείοις καὶ Μαντινεῦσι ξυμμαχίας, τοῖς αὐτοῖς πολεμεῖν καὶ εἰρήνην ἄγειν, οὐ ξυνώμοσαν, ἀρκεῖν δ’ ἔφασαν σφίσι τὴν πρώτην γενομένην ἐπιμαχίαν, ἀλλήλοις βοηθεῖν, ξυνεπιστρατεύειν δὲ μηδενί.
But the Corinthians, although they were allies of the Argives, did not enter into them; indeed, even when an alliance had been made before this among the Eleans, Argives, and Mantineans, to have the same enemies and friends, they had not joined in the oath, but declared that the original defensive alliance which had been made—to help one another, but to join in no offensive war against anyone—was sufficient for them.
§5.48.3οἱ μὲν Κορίνθιοι οὕτως ἀπέστησαν τῶν ξυμμάχων καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πάλιν τὴν γνώμην εἶχον.
The Corinthians thus detached themselves from their allies and turned their thoughts again toward the Lacedaemonians.

Notes

  1. 5.48.1αἱ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων — The feminine plural article αἱ implies the omission of the noun σπονδαί (treaty) from the previous sentence, referring here to the Peace of Nicias between Sparta and Athens.
  2. 5.48.2γενομένης πρὸ τούτου ... ξυμμαχίας — A genitive absolute construction which, combined with the particle καί, carries a concessive force: 'even when an alliance had been made before this.'
  3. 5.48.2τοῖς αὐτοῖς πολεμεῖν καὶ εἰρήνην ἄγειν — Infinitive phrases standing in apposition to the preceding genitive noun ξυμμαχίας, explaining the specific terms of the alliance ('to wage war against and keep peace with the same people', i.e., an offensive and defensive alliance).
  4. 5.48.2ἀρκεῖν δ’ ἔφασαν σφίσι τὴν πρώτην γενομένην ἐπιμαχίαν — The indirect reflexive pronoun σφίσι refers back to the subject of the main verb of speaking ἔφασαν (the Corinthians). The term 'defensive alliance' (ἐπιμαχία) is contrasted with 'full alliance' (ξυμμαχία), and its defensive nature is defined by the following infinitives: 'to help one another, but to join in offensive campaigns against no one'.
  5. 5.48.3πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους πάλιν τὴν γνώμην εἶχον — The phrase τὴν γνώμην ἔχω followed by πρός + accusative is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to turn one's thoughts/inclination toward someone.' It indicates the shift in the Corinthians' political alignment back to the Lacedaemonian side.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.48.1-5.48.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.48.1-5.48.3

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