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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.47.1-8.47.2

Alcibiades Plots His Return and an Oligarchic Coup

Passage 855 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Alcibiades plots his return to Athens by utilizing his influence with Persia, sending a proposal to the Athenian forces at Samos for his repatriation on the condition of establishing an oligarchy. Consequently, the Athenian oligarchs at Samos begin to move toward overthrowing the democracy.

§8.47.1ὁ δὲ Ἀλκιβιάδης ταῦτα ἅμα μὲν τῷ Τισσαφέρνει καὶ [τῷ] βασιλεῖ, ὢν παρ’ ἐκείνοις, ἄριστα εἶναι νομίζων παρῄνει, ἅμα δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κάθοδον ἐς τὴν πατρίδα ἐπιθεραπεύων, εἰδώς, εἰ μὴ διαφθερεῖ αὐτήν, ὅτι ἔσται ποτὲ αὐτῷ πείσαντι κατελθεῖν· πεῖσαι δ’ ἂν ἐνόμιζε μάλιστα ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου, εἰ Τισσαφέρνης φαίνοιτο αὐτῷ ἐπιτήδειος ὤν· ὅπερ καὶ ἐγένετο.
Alcibiades on the one hand gave this advice to Tissaphernes and the King, while he was with them, believing it to be the best course, but on the other hand he was managing his own return to his country, knowing that, if he did not ruin it, it would one day be possible for him to return by persuading them; and he thought he could best persuade them from such a position, if Tissaphernes appeared to be friendly to him; which indeed came to pass.
§8.47.2ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔσθοντο αὐτὸν ἰσχύοντα παρ’ αὐτῷ οἱ ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ Ἀθηναίων στρατιῶται, τὰ μὲν καὶ Ἀλκιβιάδου προσπέμψαντος λόγους ἐς τοὺς δυνατωτάτους αὐτῶν ἄνδρας ὥστε μνησθῆναι περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐς τοὺς βελτίστους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὅτι ἐπ’ ὀλιγαρχίᾳ βούλεται καὶ οὐ πονηρίᾳ οὐδὲ δημοκρατίᾳ τῇ αὐτὸν ἐκβαλούσῃ κατελθὼν καὶ παρασχὼν Τισσαφέρνην φίλον αὐτοῖς ξυμπολιτεύειν, τὸ δὲ πλέον καὶ ἀπὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν οἱ ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ τριήραρχοί τε τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ δυνατώτατοι ὥρμηντο ἐς τὸ καταλῦσαι τὴν δημοκρατίαν.
For when the Athenian soldiers at Samos perceived that he had great influence with him, partly because Alcibiades sent messages to the most powerful men among them to make mention of him to the best citizens, stating that he wished to return under an oligarchy, and not under a rogue government or the democracy that had banished him, and to share in the government with them after making Tissaphernes their friend, but to a greater extent also from their own impulse, the Athenian trierarchs and most powerful men at Samos were eager to overthrow the democracy.

Notes

  1. 8.47.1εἰ μὴ διαφθερεῖ — Conditional clause with future indicative ("if he did not ruin it [the country]"). The subject is Alcibiades himself, implying that as long as he does not destroy Athens entirely by his intrigues, a way for his future return remains open.
  2. 8.47.1πεῖσαι δ’ ἂν — An infinitive with ἂν (potential infinitive) serving as the object of the verb ἐνόμιζε ("he thought"). In direct speech, this would correspond to ἂν πείσαιμι ("I would persuade").
  3. 8.47.2τὰ μὲν ... τὸ δὲ πλέον — An adverbial contrast meaning "partly... but to a greater extent...". It weighs the two factors that drove the Athenian oligarchs to overthrow the democracy: Alcibiades' instigation on the one hand, and their own spontaneous initiative on the other.
  4. 8.47.2ὥστε μνησθῆναι — A ὥστε clause expressing result (or purpose). The infinitive μνησθῆναι is an aorist passive in form but functions with an active or middle meaning ("to make mention of").

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.47.1-8.47.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.47.1-8.47.2

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