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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.61.1-7.61.3

Nicias Exhorts His Soldiers Before the Decisive Sea-Fight

Passage 782 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Nicias encourages the Athenian and allied soldiers, reminding them that the upcoming battle is a common struggle for their survival and homeland, and urging them not to despair like inexperienced men but to prepare themselves with confidence in their forces and hope for a turn of fortune.

§7.61.1‘ἄνδρες στρατιῶται Ἀθηναίων τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ξυμμάχων, ὁ μὲν ἀγὼν ὁ μέλλων ὁμοίως κοινὸς ἅπασιν ἔσται περί τε σωτηρίας καὶ πατρίδος ἑκάστοις οὐχ ἧσσον ἢ τοῖς πολεμίοις·
"Soldiers of the Athenians and of the other allies, the coming struggle will be equally common to all, being for each of us, no less than for the enemy, a contest for our safety and our homeland.
ἢν γὰρ κρατήσωμεν νῦν ταῖς ναυσίν, ἔστι τῳ τὴν ὑπάρχουσάν που οἰκείαν πόλιν ἐπιδεῖν.
For if we now conquer with our ships, it is possible for anyone to live to see his own native city, wherever it may be.
§7.61.2ἀθυμεῖν δὲ οὐ χρὴ οὐδὲ πάσχειν ὅπερ οἱ ἀπειρότατοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἳ τοῖς πρώτοις ἀγῶσι σφαλέντες ἔπειτα διὰ παντὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ φόβου ὁμοίαν ταῖς ξυμφοραῖς ἔχουσιν.
But we must not be despondent, nor suffer what the most inexperienced of men do, who, having failed in their first battles, then ever after keep their expectations, because of fear, of a piece with their past disasters.
§7.61.3ἀλλ’ ὅσοι τε Ἀθηναίων πάρεστε, πολλῶν ἤδη πολέμων ἔμπειροι ὄντες, καὶ ὅσοι τῶν ξυμμάχων, ξυστρατευόμενοι αἰεί, μνήσθητε τῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις παραλόγων, καὶ τὸ τῆς τύχης κἂν μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐλπίσαντες στῆναι καὶ ὡς ἀναμαχούμενοι ἀξίως τοῦδε τοῦ πλήθους, ὅσον αὐτοὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἐφορᾶτε, παρασκευάζεσθε.
Rather, all you Athenians who are present, being already experienced in many wars, and all you allies, who have always shared our campaigns, remember the unexpected turns of war; and in the hope that fortune may yet stand on our side, and with the determination to fight again in a manner worthy of this great multitude of yours which you see before your own eyes, make your preparations."

Notes

  1. 7.61.1ἔστι τῳ — The impersonal verb `ἔστι` ("it is possible") is used with the dative of agent `τῳ` (the Attic contracted form of `τινί`, "for anyone") governing the infinitive `ἐπιδεῖν` ("to see/live to see").
  2. 7.61.2τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ φόβου — The word `ἐλπίς` here denotes general "expectation" rather than positive "hope." `τοῦ φόβου` is a genitive of cause or a subjective genitive ("the expectation inspired by fear"), meaning that their outlook for the future is dominated and darkened by fear.
  3. 7.61.3κἂν μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐλπίσαντες στῆναι — `κἂν` is a contraction of `καὶ ἄν`. The particle `ἄν` belongs not to the participle `ἐλπίσαντες`, but goes with the infinitive `στῆναι` (aorist active infinitive of `ἵστημι`, here "to stand on our side") to express potentiality ("that it may stand on our side").

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.61.1-7.61.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.61.1-7.61.3

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