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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.58.1-6.58.2

Hippias Disarms the Citizens and Arrests Suspects

Passage 674 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Upon learning of Hipparchus's death, Hippias concealed his reaction, disarmed the participating hoplites, secured their weapons, and immediately arrested suspects and those carrying concealed daggers.

§6.58.1ἀγγελθέντος δὲ Ἱππίᾳ ἐς τὸν Κεραμεικόν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸ γενόμενον, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τοὺς πομπέας τοὺς ὁπλίτας, πρότερον ἢ αἰσθέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἄπωθεν ὄντας, εὐθὺς ἐχώρησε, καὶ ἀδήλως τῇ ὄψει πλασάμενος πρὸς τὴν ξυμφορὰν ἐκέλευσεν αὐτούς, δείξας τι χωρίον, ἀπελθεῖν ἐς αὐτὸ ἄνευ τῶν ὅπλων.
When the news was reported to Hippias in the Kerameikos, he did not go to the place where it had happened, but straight to the heavy-armed men in the procession, before they, being at a distance, could notice anything. And hiding his feelings by composing his countenance in the face of the calamity, he pointed out a certain spot and ordered them to withdraw to it without their arms.
§6.58.2καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀνεχώρησαν οἰόμενοί τι ἐρεῖν αὐτόν, ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἐπικούροις φράσας τὰ ὅπλα ὑπολαβεῖν ἐξελέγετο εὐθὺς οὓς ἐπῃτιᾶτο καὶ εἴ τις ηὑρέθη ἐγχειρίδιον ἔχων· μετὰ γὰρ ἀσπίδος καὶ δόρατος εἰώθεσαν τὰς πομπὰς ποιεῖν.
And they withdrew, thinking that he was going to say something to them; but he, having told his mercenaries to secure the arms, immediately began to select those whom he suspected, and anyone who was found carrying a dagger; for they were accustomed to make the processions with shield and spear.

Notes

  1. §6.58.1ἀγγελθέντος — An impersonal genitive absolute ('when the news was reported'), or with the subject of the report implied in the neuter singular.
  2. §6.58.1πρότερον ἢ αἰσθέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἄπωθεν ὄντας — The conjunction πρότερον ἤ takes the infinitive αἰσθέσθαι, meaning 'before...'. αὐτούς is the subject accusative of the infinitive, referring to the hoplites. ἄπωθεν ὄντας is a circumstantial participle modifying αὐτούς, explaining that because they were at a distance, they had not yet noticed the event.
  3. §6.58.1ἀδήλως τῇ ὄψει πλασάμενος πρὸς τὴν ξυμφορὰν — The participle πλασάμενος (shaping, composing) is used with the dative of manner/respect τῇ ὄψει (countenance), meaning 'composing his features'. The adverb ἀδήλως combined with πρὸς τὴν ξυμφορὰν signifies 'imperceptibly with respect to the calamity', indicating that he disguised his emotions so as not to betray any sign of the disaster.
  4. §6.58.2ὑπολαβεῖν — Here ὑπολαμβάνω has the sense of 'to take up from under' or 'to secure', referring to the mercenaries (τοῖς ἐπικούροις) gathering up and securing the weapons left behind by the hoplites.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.58.1-6.58.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.58.1-6.58.2

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