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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.43.1-8.43.4

Dispute Between Lichas and Tissaphernes Over the Treaties

Passage 851 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian fleet sails to Syme upon hearing of the battle but returns to Samos without fighting, while at Cnidus, the Lacedaemonian commissioner Lichas severely criticizes the existing treaties with Persia, prompting Tissaphernes to depart in anger.

§8.43.1οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι ταῖς ἐκ τῆς Σάμου ναυσὶ πάσαις, ὡς ᾔσθοντο τὰ τῆς ναυμαχίας, πλεύσαντες ἐς τὴν Σύμην καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τὸ ἐν τῇ Κνίδῳ ναυτικὸν οὐχ ὁρμήσαντες, οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι ἐπ’ ἐκείνους, λαβόντες δὲ τὰ ἐν τῇ Σύμῃ σκεύη τῶν νεῶν καὶ Λωρύμοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ προσβαλόντες ἀπέπλευσαν ἐς τὴν Σάμον.
The Athenians, with all their ships from Samos, when they heard of the battle, sailed to Syme; they did not make any attack upon the fleet at Cnidus, nor did those others attack them, but they took the tackle of the ships which was at Syme, and after touching at Loryma on the mainland, sailed back to Samos.
§8.43.2ἅπασαι δ’ ἤδη οὖσαι ἅμα ἐν τῇ Κνίδῳ αἱ τῶν Πελοποννησίων νῆες ἐπεσκευάζοντό τε εἴ τι ἔδει καὶ πρὸς τὸν Τισσαφέρνην (παρεγένετο γάρ) λόγους ἐποιοῦντο οἱ ἕνδεκα ἄνδρες τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων περί τε τῶν ἤδη πεπραγμένων, εἴ τι μὴ ἤρεσκεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος πολέμου, ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἄριστα καὶ ξυμφορώτατα ἀμφοτέροις πολεμήσεται.
The Peloponnesian ships, being now all together at Cnidus, were being repaired wherever it was necessary, and the eleven Lacedaemonian commissioners held conferences with Tissaphernes (for he had arrived) both about what had already been done, if anything displeased them, and about the future war, as to how it might be carried on in the best and most advantageous manner for both parties.
§8.43.3μάλιστα δὲ ὁ Λίχας ἐσκόπει τὰ ποιούμενα, καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς οὐδετέρας, οὔτε τὰς Χαλκιδέως οὔτε τὰς Θηριμένους, ἔφη καλῶς ξυγκεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ δεινὸν εἶναι εἰ χώρας ὅσης βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ πρόγονοι ἦρξαν πρότερον, ταύτης καὶ νῦν ἀξιώσει κρατεῖν· ἐνεῖναι γὰρ καὶ νήσους ἁπάσας πάλιν δουλεύειν καὶ Θεσσαλίαν καὶ Λοκροὺς καὶ τὰ μέχρι Βοιωτῶν, καὶ ἀντ’ ἐλευθερίας ἂν Μηδικὴν ἀρχὴν τοῖς Ἕλλησι τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους περιθεῖναι.
Lichas especially scrutinized the proceedings, and declared that neither treaty, neither that of Chalcideus nor that of Therimenes, was well drafted; but it was a terrible thing if the King should now claim to rule over all the territory which he and his ancestors had formerly ruled, for this would involve that all the islands should be enslaved again, as well as Thessaly, the Locrians, and everything as far as Boeotia, and the Lacedaemonians, instead of giving the Greeks freedom, would be imposing upon them the Persian yoke.
§8.43.4ἑτέρας οὖν ἐκέλευε βελτίους σπένδεσθαι, ἢ ταύταις γε οὐ χρήσεσθαι, οὐδὲ τῆς τροφῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις δεῖσθαι οὐδέν.
He therefore demanded that they should make another and better treaty, or else they would not use these, nor did they want any support for maintenance on these terms.
ἀγανακτῶν δὲ ὁ μὲν Τισσαφέρνης ἀπεχώρησεν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν δι’ ὀργῆς καὶ ἄπρακτος,
Tissaphernes, being annoyed, went away from them in anger and without accomplishing anything.

Notes

  1. 8.43.1οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖνοι ἐπ’ ἐκείνους — There is an ellipsis of the verb of motion or attack (such as `ὥρμησαν`), corresponding to `οὐχ ὁρμήσαντες` in the preceding clause. `ἐκεῖνοι` (the Peloponnesians) is the subject and `ἐκείνους` (the Athenians) is the object of the preposition.
  2. 8.43.2ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἄριστα καὶ ξυμφορώτατα ἀμφοτέροις πολεμήσεται — `πολεμήσεται` is an impersonal passive (or future middle used passively), meaning "how war will be waged". `ὅτῳ τρόπῳ` is a dative of manner.
  3. 8.43.3ἀλλὰ δεινὸν εἶναι εἰ... — An accusative with infinitive construction dependent on `ἔφη` in indirect speech. The `εἰ` clause does not state a mere hypothetical condition, but functions as a substantive clause introducing the ground for indignation ("it was monstrous if...").
  4. 8.43.3ἐνεῖναι γὰρ καὶ νήσους ἁπάσας πάλιν δουλεύειν — The infinitive `ἐνεῖναι` (from `ἔνειμι`, "to be implied/contained in"), which is in indirect speech introduced by `γάρ`, takes the accusative and infinitive clause `νήσους ἁπάσας ... δουλεύειν` ("that all the islands should be enslaved") as its subject.
  5. 8.43.3ἀντ’ ἐλευθερίας ἂν Μηδικὴν ἀρχὴν τοῖς Ἕλλησι τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους περιθεῖναι — The particle `ἂν` goes with the infinitive `περιθεῖναι` (aorist of `περιτίθημι`), representing a potential optative (or indicative with `ἄν`) in direct speech ("would impose"). `τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους` is the accusative subject of this infinitive.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.43.1-8.43.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.43.1-8.43.4

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