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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.99.1

Threats from Independent Islanders and Discontented Subjects

Passage 599 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians argue that rather than the free mainlanders, it is the unsubdued islanders and those exasperated by imperial rule who pose a greater threat, as they are more likely to act irrationally and endanger everyone.

§5.99.1ΑΘ. οὐ γὰρ νομίζομεν ἡμῖν τούτους δεινοτέρους ὅσοι ἠπειρῶταί που ὄντες τῷ ἐλευθέρῳ πολλὴν τὴν διαμέλλησιν τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς φυλακῆς ποιήσονται, ἀλλὰ τοὺς νησιώτας τέ που ἀνάρκτους, ὥσπερ ὑμᾶς, καὶ τοὺς ἤδη τῆς ἀρχῆς τῷ ἀναγκαίῳ παροξυνομένους.
ATHENIANS "For we do not consider those to be more dangerous to us who, being mainlanders somewhere, because of their freedom will make a great delay in guarding against us, but rather those islanders who are unsubdued, like yourselves, and those who are already exasperated by the constraint of our empire.
οὗτοι γὰρ πλεῖστ’ ἂν τῷ ἀλογίστῳ ἐπιτρέψαντες σφᾶς τε αὐτοὺς καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐς προῦπτον κίνδυνον καταστήσειαν.
For these are the ones who, by yielding most to lack of reason, would bring both themselves and us into obvious danger."

Notes

  1. §5.99.1τῷ ἐλευθέρῳ — Nominalized neuter singular adjective meaning "freedom". It functions here as a dative of cause ("because of their freedom"), indicating that because they are mainlanders and retain their independence, they do not feel an immediate threat and can afford to delay their precautions against Athens.
  2. §5.99.1τῆς ἀρχῆς τῷ ἀναγκαίῳ — The nominalized neuter adjective `τὸ ἀναγκαῖον` ("necessity", "constraint") with the subjective genitive `τῆς ἀρχῆς` ("of the rule/empire"). It is a dative of means or cause, meaning "by the constraint of our empire."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.99.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.99.1

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