Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.79.1-6.79.3

Rejection of Camarina's Neutrality and Call for Unity

Passage 695 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Hermocrates criticizes Camarina's attempt to remain neutral under the pretext of their alliance with Athens, citing the prudent example of Rhegion, which remains cautious despite its kinship with the Leontines. He argues that the Athenian forces are not to be feared if all the Sicilian cities stand united.

§6.79.1‘Δειλίᾳ δὲ ἴσως τὸ δίκαιον πρός τε ἡμᾶς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιόντας θεραπεύσετε, λέγοντες ξυμμαχίαν εἶναι ὑμῖν πρὸς Ἀθηναίους·
"And perhaps out of cowardice you will try to pay court to justice both towards us and towards the invaders, by saying that you have an alliance with the Athenians.
ἥν γε οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς φίλοις ἐποιήσασθε, τῶν δὲ ἐχθρῶν ἤν τις ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ἴῃ, καὶ τοῖς γε Ἀθηναίοις βοηθεῖν, ὅταν ὑπ’ ἄλλων καὶ μὴ αὐτοὶ ὥσπερ νῦν τοὺς πέλας ἀδικῶσιν,
But you did not make this alliance to be used against your friends, but rather if any of your enemies should come against you, and to help the Athenians indeed when they are wronged by others, and not when they themselves, as they are doing now, wrong their neighbors.
§6.79.2ἐπεὶ οὐδ’ οἱ Ῥηγῖνοι ὄντες Χαλκιδῆς Χαλκιδέας ὄντας Λεοντίνους ἐθέλουσι ξυγκατοικίζειν.
Since not even the Rhegians, though they are Chalcidians, are willing to help resettle the Leontines, who are also Chalcidians.
καὶ δεινὸν εἰ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ καλοῦ δικαιώματος ὑποπτεύοντες ἀλόγως σωφρονοῦσιν, ὑμεῖς δ’ εὐλόγῳ προφάσει τοὺς μὲν φύσει πολεμίους βούλεσθε ὠφελεῖν, τοὺς δὲ ἔτι μᾶλλον φύσει ξυγγενεῖς μετὰ τῶν ἐχθίστων διαφθεῖραι.
And it is a monstrous thing if they, suspecting the reality of a fine-sounding right, are wisely cautious without an obvious reason, while you, under a specious pretext, wish to help those who are your enemies by nature, and to destroy together with your bitterest foes those who are even more your kinsmen by nature.
§6.79.3ἀλλ’ οὐ δίκαιον, ἀμύνειν δὲ καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν παρασκευὴν αὐτῶν·
But this is not just; rather, it is just to repel them and not to fear their preparation.
οὐ γὰρ ἢν ἡμεῖς ξυστῶμεν πάντες δεινή ἐστιν, ἀλλ’ ἤν, ὅπερ οὗτοι σπεύδουσι, τἀναντία διαστῶμεν, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς μόνους ἐλθόντες καὶ μάχῃ περιγενόμενοι ἔπραξαν ἃ ἐβούλοντο, ἀπῆλθον δὲ διὰ τάχους.
For their preparation is not fearsome if we all stand together, but only if, as they eagerly desire, we stand apart in opposition to one another; since not even when they came against us alone and prevailed in battle did they accomplish what they wished, but they departed in haste."

Notes

  1. 6.79.1βοηθεῖν — The infinitive `βοηθεῖν` limits or explains the purpose of the alliance referred to by the relative pronoun `ἥν`. It can be construed as depending on `ἐποιήσασθε` ("you made the alliance... to help") or as an adjectival/consecutive infinitive defining the nature of the `ξυμμαχία`. It coordinates the two scenarios: when an enemy attacks Camarina (`τῶν δὲ ἐχθρῶν ἤν τις ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ἴῃ`) and when Athens is attacked (`ὅταν...`).
  2. 6.79.2τὸ ἔργον τοῦ καλοῦ δικαιώματος — The phrase presents a contrast between `τὸ ἔργον` (the actual fact/reality) and `τοῦ καλοῦ δικαιώματος` (the fine-sounding right/pretext). The genitive `τοῦ καλοῦ δικαιώματος` modifies `τὸ ἔργον`, meaning "the reality behind the fine-sounding claim of justice"—referring to the Athenian imperialistic reality behind their pretext of restoring the Leontines.
  3. 6.79.2ἀλόγως — The adverb `ἀλόγως` means "unreasonably" or "without apparent justification." It is paradoxical: though Rhegion's refusal to help their fellow Chalcidians (the Leontines) seems "unreasonable" from the perspective of kinship, it is actually a "wise self-restraint" (`σωφρονοῦσιν`) born of their suspicion of Athenian ambitions.
  4. 6.79.3δεινή ἐστιν — The subject of `δεινή ἐστιν` is `παρασκευή` (preparation) from the preceding sentence. In the antithesis introduced by `ἀλλ’ ἤν...`, the apodosis (e.g., "it will be fearsome") is omitted, relying on the contrast with the negated `οὐ ... δεινή ἐστιν` in the first clause.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.79.1-6.79.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.79.1-6.79.3

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