Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.10.1

Reading of Nicias's Letter to the Athenian Assembly

Passage 731 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The messengers from Nicias arrive in Athens, deliver their verbal reports, answer questions, and the state secretary reads Nicias's letter to the assembly.

§7.10.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος ἥκοντες ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας οἱ παρὰ τοῦ Νικίου ὅσα τε ἀπὸ γλώσσης εἴρητο αὐτοῖς εἶπον, καὶ εἴ τίς τι ἐπηρώτα ἀπεκρίνοντο, καὶ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀπέδοσαν.
In the following winter, the messengers from Nicias arrived in Athens, and they told all that had been instructed them to say by word of mouth, answered any questions that were asked, and delivered the letter.
ὁ δὲ γραμματεὺς ὁ τῆς πόλεως παρελθὼν ἀνέγνω τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις δηλοῦσαν τοιάδε.
Then the secretary of the state came forward and read it to the Athenians, which made the following statement.

Notes

  1. 7.10.1ὅσα τε ἀπὸ γλώσσης εἴρητο αὐτοῖς — A relative clause introduced by `ὅσα` which contains its own antecedent. The verb `εἴρητο` is the pluperfect passive third-person singular, used impersonally to mean "what had been told/commanded to them (`αὐτοῖς`, dative) by word of mouth (`ἀπὸ γλώσσης`)." The entire clause serves as the direct object of the verb `εἶπον`.
  2. 7.10.1δηλοῦσαν — A present participle in the feminine singular accusative, modifying the implied direct object of `ἀνέγνω` (representing the letter, `τὴν ἐπιστολὴν`, mentioned in the previous sentence). It describes the content of the letter being read aloud, meaning "read (the letter) which made the following statement."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.10.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.10.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.