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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.76.1-5.76.3

Spartan Peace Proposals and the Argive Acceptance

Passage 576 of 917 · Greek

Summary

At the beginning of winter, the Lacedaemonians propose an accommodation to Argos, and after backroom maneuvering by the pro-Spartan oligarchic faction and intense debates, the Argives accept the proposal.

§5.76.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος ἀρχομένου εὐθὺς οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, ἐπειδὴ τὰ Κάρνεια ἤγαγον, ἐξεστράτευσαν, καὶ ἀφικόμενοι ἐς Τεγέαν λόγους προύπεμπον ἐς τὸ Ἄργος ξυμβατηρίους.
At the very beginning of the following winter, the Lacedaemonians, as soon as they had kept the Carnea, took the field; and reaching Tegea, they sent proposals for an accommodation to Argos.
§5.76.2ἦσαν δὲ αὐτοῖς πρότερόν τε ἄνδρες ἐπιτήδειοι καὶ βουλόμενοι τὸν δῆμον τὸν ἐν Ἄργει καταλῦσαι· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἡ μάχη ἐγεγένητο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐδύναντο πείθειν τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐς τὴν ὁμολογίαν.
They had previously had friends there who wished to overthrow the democracy in Argos; and now that the battle had taken place, these were much better able to persuade the multitude to come to terms.
ἐβούλοντο δὲ πρῶτον σπονδὰς ποιήσαντες πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους αὖθις ὕστερον καὶ ξυμμαχίαν, καὶ οὕτως ἤδη τῷ δήμῳ ἐπιτίθεσθαι.
Their plan was first to make a treaty with the Lacedaemonians, and subsequently an alliance, and only then to attack the democracy.
§5.76.3καὶ ἀφικνεῖται πρόξενος ὢν Ἀργείων Λίχας ὁ Ἀρκεσιλάου παρὰ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων δύο λόγω φέρων ἐς τὸ Ἄργος, τὸν μὲν καθ’ ὅτι εἰ βούλονται πολεμεῖν, τὸν δ’ ὡς εἰ εἰρήνην ἄγειν.
And Lichas, the son of Arcesilaus, who was the proxenus of the Argives, arrived from the Lacedaemonians bringing two proposals to Argos, the one stating on what terms they might have war, if they wished it, the other on what terms they might have peace.
καὶ γενομένης πολλῆς ἀντιλογίας (ἔτυχε γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἀλκιβιάδης παρών) οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις πράσσοντες, ἤδη καὶ ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ τολμῶντες, ἔπεισαν τοὺς Ἀργείους προσδέξασθαι τὸν ξυμβατήριον λόγον.
And after much opposition (for Alcibiades also happened to be present), the party who were working in the interest of the Lacedaemonians, now venturing to act openly, persuaded the Argives to accept the proposal for an accommodation.
ἔστι δὲ ὅδε.
It was as follows:

Notes

  1. §5.76.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος ἀρχομένου εὐθὺς — A genitive absolute construction where `τοῦ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος` is the logical subject and `ἀρχομένου` is the present participle (genitive singular masculine), indicating the temporal setting "at the very beginning of the coming winter."
  2. §5.76.2ἦσαν δὲ αὐτοῖς — The dative `αὐτοῖς` is a dative of possessor referring to the Lacedaemonians, meaning "they (the Lacedaemonians) had [friends in Argos]."
  3. §5.76.3τὸν μὲν καθ’ ὅτι εἰ βούλονται πολεμεῖν, τὸν δ’ ὡς εἰ εἰρήνην ἄγειν — A partitive apposition specifying the details of the preceding `δύο λόγω` (two proposals) with `τὸν μὲν... τὸν δ'...`. In the latter part `τὸν δ’ ὡς εἰ εἰρήνην ἄγειν`, the verb `βούλονται` is omitted in parallel with the former part's `εἰ βούλονται`, to be understood as `ὡς εἰ [βούλονται] εἰρήνην ἄγειν` ("on the terms of how [they should act] if they wished to keep peace").

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.76.1-5.76.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.76.1-5.76.3

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