Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.47.1

Nicias Proposes a Limited Campaign and Return

Passage 663 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Nicias proposes that the army should sail to Selinus, their main objective, and if Egesta fails to provide the money, they should demand provisions only for the requested sixty ships, attempt to reconcile Selinus and Egesta, display Athens' power along the coast, and return home without risking state resources.

§6.47.1καὶ Νικίου μὲν ἦν γνώμη πλεῖν ἐπὶ Σελινοῦντα πάσῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ, ἐφ’ ὅπερ μάλιστα ἐπέμφθησαν, καὶ ἢν μὲν παρέχωσι χρήματα παντὶ τῷ στρατεύματι Ἐγεσταῖοι, πρὸς ταῦτα βουλεύεσθαι, εἰ δὲ μή, ταῖς ἑξήκοντα ναυσίν, ὅσασπερ ᾐτήσαντο, ἀξιοῦν διδόναι αὐτοὺς τροφήν, καὶ παραμείναντας Σελινουντίους ἢ βίᾳ ἢ ξυμβάσει διαλλάξαι αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὕτω παραπλεύσαντας τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις καὶ ἐπιδείξαντας μὲν τὴν δύναμιν τῆς Ἀθηναίων πόλεως, δηλώσαντας δὲ τὴν ἐς τοὺς φίλους καὶ ξυμμάχους προθυμίαν, ἀποπλεῖν οἴκαδε, ἢν μή τι δι’ ὀλίγου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀδοκήτου ἢ Λεοντίνους οἷοί τε ὦσιν ὠφελῆσαι ἢ τῶν ἄλλων τινὰ πόλεων προσαγαγέσθαι, καὶ τῇ πόλει δαπανῶντας τὰ οἰκεῖα μὴ κινδυνεύειν.

And Nicias' opinion was to sail against Selinus with the whole army, which was the chief purpose for which they had been sent, and if the Egestaeans should provide money for the entire army, to deliberate in accordance with this, but if not, to demand that they provide maintenance for the sixty ships, as many as they had requested, and, remaining there, to reconcile the Selinuntines with them either by force or by agreement, and after thus sailing past the other cities and displaying the power of the city of Athens, and demonstrating their zeal towards their friends and allies, to sail back home, unless they should be able in a short time and unexpectedly either to help the Leontines or to win over some of the other cities, and not to run risks for the city by spending its own resources.

Notes

6.47.1πλεῖν — The infinitive πλεῖν, along with the subsequent βουλεύεσθαι, ἀξιοῦν, διαλλάξαι, ἀποπλεῖν, and μὴ κινδυνεύειν, are all appositive (or subject) infinitives dependent on ἦν γνώμη ("it was [Nicias'] opinion/proposal"). They present the series of actions proposed by Nicias.
6.47.1αὐτοῖς — The dative pronoun αὐτοῖς refers to the "Egestaeans" rather than the Athenians. Therefore, διαλλάξαι αὐτοῖς means "to reconcile the Selinuntines with them (the Egestaeans)."
6.47.1τῇ πόλει — The dative τῇ πόλει functions as a dative of interest or reference ("for the city / to the detriment of the city") qualifying the infinitive κινδυνεύειν ("to run risks"). The accusative plural participle δαπανῶντας ("spending") agrees with the implied subject of the infinitive (the Athenians / the generals).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.47.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.47.1

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