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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.29.1-8.29.2

Tissaphernes' Subsidy and Agreement on Fleet Pay

Passage 837 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Tissaphernes attempts to reduce the pay for the Peloponnesian fleet at Miletus, but due to Hermocrates' opposition, they agree on an amount exceeding three obols per man.

§8.29.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος, ἐπειδὴ τὴν Ἴασον κατεστήσατο ὁ Τισσαφέρνης ἐς φυλακήν, παρῆλθεν ἐς τὴν Μίλητον, καὶ μηνὸς μὲν τροφήν, ὥσπερ ὑπέστη ἐν τῇ Λακεδαίμονι, ἐς δραχμὴν Ἀττικὴν ἑκάστῳ πάσαις ταῖς ναυσὶ διέδωκε, τοῦ δὲ λοιποῦ χρόνου ἐβούλετο τριώβολον διδόναι, ἕως ἂν βασιλέα ἐπέρηται· ἢν δὲ κελεύῃ, δώσειν ἔφη ἐντελῆ τὴν δραχμήν.
In the following winter, when Tissaphernes had established a garrison in Iasus, he came to Miletus; and for one month, as he had promised at Lacedaemon, he distributed pay to all the ships at the rate of an Attic drachma a day for each man. For the remaining time, however, he wished to give three obols, until he should consult the King; but if the King should command it, he said he would give the full drachma.
§8.29.2Ἑρμοκράτους δὲ ἀντειπόντος τοῦ Συρακοσίου στρατηγοῦ (ὁ γὰρ Θηριμένης οὐ ναύαρχος ὤν, ἀλλ’ Ἀστυόχῳ παραδοῦναι τὰς ναῦς ξυμπλέων μαλακὸς ἦν περὶ τοῦ μισθοῦ) ὅμως δὲ παρὰ πέντε ναῦς πλέον ἀνδρὶ ἑκάστῳ ἢ τρεῖς ὀβολοὶ ὡμολογήθησαν.
But when Hermocrates, the Syracusan general, opposed this (for Therimenes, not being admiral, but merely sailing with the fleet to deliver the ships to Astyochus, was lax about the pay), nevertheless a sum was agreed upon which amounted to more than three obols a man by the margin of five ships.
ἐς γὰρ πέντε ναῦς καὶ πεντήκοντα τριάκοντα τάλαντα ἐδίδου τοῦ μηνός· καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσῳ πλείους νῆες ἦσαν τούτου τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον τοῦτον ἐδίδοτο.
For he gave thirty talents a month for fifty-five ships; and to the others, by as many as there were more ships than this number, payment was made according to this same proportion.

Notes

  1. 8.29.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος — Genitive absolute expressing time, meaning "with the coming winter."
  2. 8.29.1δώσειν ἔφη — Future infinitive in indirect speech. Since the subject of the infinitive is the same as that of the main verb ἔφη (Tissaphernes), the subject accusative is omitted.
  3. 8.29.2παρὰ πέντε ναῦς — Taking the preposition παρά in the sense of "except" or "less by," meaning "at a rate excluding five ships (i.e., on the basis of 50 ships)." 30 talents for 50 ships yields 36 minae per ship, which, assuming 200 men per ship, amounts to 3.6 obols per man per day, exceeding the three obols.
  4. 8.29.2ὅσῳ πλείους — The relative dative of measure of difference ὅσῳ with the comparative πλείους. It indicates that for any number of ships exceeding the base number of 55, pay was distributed in the same proportion (30 talents for 55 ships).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.29.1-8.29.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.29.1-8.29.2

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