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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.68.1-6.68.4

Nicias Exhorts Troops with Strength and Necessity of Battle

Passage 684 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Nicias encourages his troops by emphasizing the strength of their elite forces and allies while pointing out the Siceliots' lack of military skill. He also stresses the absolute necessity of victory in a hostile land with no easy retreat, urging them to fight bravely.

§6.68.1‘Πολλῇ μὲν παραινέσει, ὦ ἄνδρες, τί δεῖ χρῆσθαι, οἳ πάρεσμεν ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγῶνα;
'Why is there need, men, to make use of much exhortation for us who are present for the same struggle?
αὐτὴ γὰρ ἡ παρασκευὴ ἱκανωτέρα μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι θάρσος παρασχεῖν ἢ καλῶς λεχθέντες λόγοι μετὰ ἀσθενοῦς στρατοπέδου.
For our preparation itself seems to me more sufficient to afford confidence than well-spoken words accompanied by a weak army.
§6.68.2ὅπου γὰρ Ἀργεῖοι καὶ Μαντινῆς καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ νησιωτῶν οἱ πρῶτοί ἐσμεν, πῶς οὐ χρὴ μετὰ τοιῶνδε καὶ τοσῶνδε ξυμμάχων πάντα τινὰ μεγάλην τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς νίκης ἔχειν, ἄλλως τε καὶ πρὸς ἄνδρας πανδημεί τε ἀμυνομένους καὶ οὐκ ἀπολέκτους ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμᾶς, καὶ προσέτι Σικελιώτας, οἳ ὑπερφρονοῦσι μὲν ἡμᾶς, ὑπομενοῦσι δ’ οὔ, διὰ τὸ τὴν ἐπιστήμην τῆς τόλμης ἥσσω ἔχειν.
For where we, Argives and Mantineans and Athenians and the foremost of the islanders, are present, how is it not necessary for everyone, with such and so many allies, to have a great hope of victory, especially against men who defend themselves in mass and are not chosen like us, and furthermore, Siceliots, who look down on us indeed, but will not stand their ground, because they possess skill inferior to their daring.
§6.68.3παραστήτω δέ τινι καὶ τόδε, πολύ τε ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας αὐτῶν εἶναι καὶ πρὸς γῇ οὐδεμιᾷ φιλίᾳ, ἥντινα μὴ αὐτοὶ μαχόμενοι κτήσεσθε.
And let this also occur to each one: that we are far from our own land and near no friendly land which you yourselves shall not win by fighting.
καὶ τοὐναντίον ὑπομιμνῄσκω ὑμᾶς ἢ οἱ πολέμιοι σφίσιν αὐτοῖς εὖ οἶδ’ ὅτι παρακελεύονται· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὅτι περὶ πατρίδος ἔσται ὁ ἀγών, ἐγὼ δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἐν πατρίδι, ἐξ ἧς κρατεῖν δεῖ ἢ μὴ ῥᾳδίως ἀποχωρεῖν· οἱ γὰρ ἱππῆς πολλοὶ ἐπικείσονται.
And I remind you of the opposite of what I well know the enemy are urging upon themselves; for to them the struggle will be for their fatherland, but to me it is not in our fatherland, from which we must conquer or not easily retreat, since their numerous cavalry will press hard upon us.
§6.68.4τῆς τε οὖν ὑμετέρας αὐτῶν ἀξίας μνησθέντες ἐπέλθετε τοῖς ἐναντίοις προθύμως, καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ἀνάγκην καὶ ἀπορίαν φοβερωτέραν ἡγησάμενοι τῶν πολεμίων. ’
Therefore, remembering your own worth, attack the enemy eagerly, and consider the present necessity and difficulty more fearful than the enemy.'

Notes

  1. §6.68.1Πολλῇ μὲν παραινέσει... τί δεῖ χρῆσθαι — The dative `Πολλῇ μὲν παραινέσει` is the object of the infinitive `χρῆσθαι` (from `χράομαι`, "to use"), placed at the beginning for emphasis. The construction consists of `τί δεῖ` ("why is there need") governing the infinitive.
  2. §6.68.2διὰ τὸ τὴν ἐπιστήμην τῆς τόλμης ἥσσω ἔχειν — A causal construction with the preposition `διὰ` governing the articular infinitive `τὸ ... ἔχειν`. The subject of `ἔχειν` (the Siceliots) is omitted, its direct object is `τὴν ἐπιστήμην` ("skill"), and `ἥσσω` is a predicative accusative ("as inferior"). The genitive `τῆς τόλμης` is a genitive of comparison depending on `ἥσσω`. Thus: "because they possess skill inferior to their daring."
  3. §6.68.3παραστήτω δέ τινι καὶ τόδε — `παραστήτω` is the third-person singular active aorist imperative of `παρίστημι` in the intransitive sense ("let it occur to / be present to"), taking the dative `τινι` ("someone" = "everyone"). The demonstrative pronoun `τόδε` is the subject, which is explained appositively by the following accusative-with-infinitive clause `πολύ τε ... εἶναι`.
  4. §6.68.3καὶ τοὐναντίον ὑπομιμνῄσκω ὑμᾶς ἢ οἱ πολέμιοι — `ὑπομιμνῄσκω` takes a double accusative ("to remind someone of something"), here `ὑμᾶς` (the person) and `τοὐναντίον` (the thing). The comparative conjunction `ἤ` is used after `τοὐναντίον` ("the opposite") to mean "opposite to [what] the enemy...", forming a comparison. Note that while the enemy "exhort" (`παρακελεύονται`) themselves, Nicias "reminds" (`ὑπομιμνῄσκω`) his men.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.68.1-6.68.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.68.1-6.68.4

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