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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.96.1

Distinction Between Neutral States and Subdued Subjects

Passage 596 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Melians question the Athenians on whether their subjects really conflate independent states having no relation to Athens with their own colonies or rebellious states that were subdued.

§5.96.1ΜΗΛ. σκοποῦσι δ’ ὑμῶν οὕτως οἱ ὑπήκοοι τὸ εἰκός, ὥστε τούς τε μὴ προσήκοντας καὶ ὅσοι ἄποικοι ὄντες οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ ἀποστάντες τινὲς κεχείρωνται ἐς τὸ αὐτὸ τιθέασιν;
MELIANS But do your subjects view equity in such a way that they place in the same category those who have no connection with you, and those who, being for the most part your colonists or having in some cases rebelled, have been subdued?

Notes

  1. §5.96.1σκοποῦσι δ’ ὑμῶν οὕτως οἱ ὑπήκοοι τὸ εἰκός — The genitive ὑμῶν modifies οἱ ὑπήκοοι, meaning "your subjects." τὸ εἰκός is the accusative direct object of σκοποῦσι, meaning "equity" or "what is reasonable." The sentence poses a question: "Do your subjects view what is reasonable in such a manner?"
  2. §5.96.1ὥστε ... ἐς τὸ αὐτὸ τιθέασιν — ὥστε introducing the indicative (the 3rd person plural present τιθέασιν) expresses an actual result: "so that they place in the same category." The two elements being compared/equated are (1) τούς τε μὴ προσήκοντας ("those who do not belong to / have no connection with you") and (2) καὶ ὅσοι ... κεχείρωνται ("and all those who... have been subdued").
  3. §5.96.1ὅσοι ἄποικοι ὄντες οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ ἀποστάντες τινὲς κεχείρωνται — A relative clause introduced by ὅσοι ("as many as"). Within this clause, the appositives οἱ πολλοὶ ("the majority") and τινές ("some") modify the participles ἄποικοι ὄντες ("being colonists") and ἀποστάντες ("having rebelled") respectively. The verb κεχείρωνται is the 3rd person plural perfect passive indicative of χειρόω ("to subdue"), meaning "have been subdued."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.96.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.96.1

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