Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.37.1-8.37.5

Text of the Second Treaty with Persia

Passage 845 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The text of the second treaty (treaty of Therimenes) concluded between the Peloponnesians, King Darius, and Tissaphernes. It stipulates territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, joint warfare, and mutual assistance in case of attack.

§8.37.1‘ξυνθῆκαι Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων πρὸς βασιλέα Δαρεῖον καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς βασιλέως καὶ Τισσαφέρνην, σπονδὰς εἶναι καὶ φιλίαν κατὰ τάδε.

‘Treaty of the Lacedaemonians and their allies with King Darius, the sons of the king, and Tissaphernes, that there shall be peace and friendship according to these terms.

§8.37.2ὁπόση χώρα καὶ πόλεις βασιλέως εἰσὶ Δαρείου ἢ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦσαν ἢ τῶν προγόνων, ἐπὶ ταύτας μὴ ἰέναι ἐπὶ πολέμῳ μηδὲ κακῷ μηδενὶ μήτε Λακεδαιμονίους μήτε τοὺς ξυμμάχους τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων, μηδὲ φόρους πράσσεσθαι ἐκ τῶν πόλεων τούτων μήτε Λακεδαιμονίους μήτε τοὺς ξυμμάχους τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίων· μηδὲ Δαρεῖον βασιλέα μηδὲ ὧν βασιλεὺς ἄρχει ἐπὶ Λακεδαιμονίους μηδὲ τοὺς ξυμμάχους ἰέναι ἐπὶ πολέμῳ μηδὲ κακῷ μηδενί.

Whatever territory and cities belong to King Darius, or belonged to his father or his ancestors, against these neither Lacedaemonians nor the allies of Lacedaemonians shall march for war or for any harm, nor shall either Lacedaemonians or the allies of Lacedaemonians exact tribute from these cities; nor shall King Darius, nor those whom the king rules, march against Lacedaemonians or their allies for war or for any harm.

§8.37.3ἢν δέ τι δέωνται Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἢ οἱ ξύμμαχοι βασιλέως ἢ βασιλεὺς Λακεδαιμονίων ἢ τῶν ξυμμάχων, ὅτι ἂν πείθωσιν ἀλλήλους, τοῦτο ποιοῦσι καλῶς ἔχειν.

And if the Lacedaemonians or their allies should have need of anything from the king, or the king from the Lacedaemonians or their allies, whatever they may mutually persuade each other of, this, if they do it, shall be deemed well.

§8.37.4τὸν δὲ πόλεμον τὸν πρὸς Ἀθηναίους καὶ τοὺς ξυμμάχους κοινῇ ἀμφοτέρους πολεμεῖν· ἢν δὲ κατάλυσιν ποιῶνται, κοινῇ ἀμφοτέρους ποιεῖσθαι.

And the war against the Athenians and their allies both shall wage in common; and if they make a cessation of war, both shall make it in common.

ὁπόση δ’ ἂν στρατιὰ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῇ βασιλέως ᾖ μεταπεμψαμένου βασιλέως, τὴν δαπάνην βασιλέα παρέχειν.

And whatever army may be in the king's territory, the king having sent for it, the king shall provide its maintenance.

§8.37.5ἢν δέ τις τῶν πόλεων ὁπόσαι ξυνέθεντο βασιλεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλέως ἴῃ χώραν, τοὺς ἄλλους κωλύειν καὶ ἀμύνειν βασιλεῖ κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν· καὶ ἤν τις τῶν ἐν τῇ βασιλέως χώρᾳ ἢ ὅσης βασιλεὺς ἄρχει ἐπὶ τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων ἴῃ ἢ τῶν ξυμμάχων, βασιλεὺς κωλυέτω καὶ ἀμυνέτω κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν. ’

And if any of the cities that have entered into the treaty with the king should attack the king's territory, the others shall prevent them and assist the king to the utmost of their power; and if anyone from the king's territory, or from any territory over which the king rules, should attack the territory of the Lacedaemonians or of their allies, the king shall prevent them and assist them to the utmost of his power.’

Notes

8.37.1σπονδὰς εἶναι — The infinitive εἶναι is an imperative infinitive commonly used in treaty texts, or an accusative-with-infinitive construction depending on an omitted verb of decree such as ἔδοξε ('it was resolved').
8.37.3τοῦτο ποιοῦσι καλῶς ἔχειν — ποιοῦσι represents ποιοῦσι(ν), which can be interpreted either as an Ionic form of the third-person plural active present subjunctive ποιῶσι, or as the dative plural masculine/neuter of the present participle ποιοῦσι(ν) ('for those who do this'). In this context, as the apodosis of ἢν δέ τι δέωνται, it yields the impersonal sense 'to do this shall be valid.'
8.37.5ὁπόσαι ξυνέθεντο βασιλεῖ — 'As many as have entered into the treaty with the king' refers to the individual cities belonging to the Peloponnesian alliance. The relative pronoun ὁπόσαι is used to encompass all individual cities bound by the collective agreement.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.37.1-8.37.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.37.1-8.37.5

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.