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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.78.1

Discontent of the Peloponnesian Fleet at Miletus

Passage 886 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Peloponnesian soldiers at Miletus express growing discontent with the inactivity of Astyochus and the broken promises of Tissaphernes, demanding an immediate decisive naval battle.

§8.78.1ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ Μιλήτῳ τῶν Πελοποννησίων ἐν τῷ ναυτικῷ στρατιῶται κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς διεβόων ὡς ὑπό τε Ἀστυόχου καὶ Τισσαφέρνους φθείρεται τὰ πράγματα, τοῦ μὲν οὐκ ἐθέλοντος οὔτε πρότερον ναυμαχεῖν, ἕως ἔτι αὐτοί τε ἔρρωντο μᾶλλον καὶ τὸ ναυτικὸν τῶν Ἀθηναίων ὀλίγον ἦν, οὔτε νῦν, ὅτε στασιάζειν τε λέγονται καὶ αἱ νῆες αὐτῶν οὐδέπω ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ εἰσίν, ἀλλὰ τὰς παρὰ Τισσαφέρνους Φοινίσσας ναῦς μένοντες, ἄλλως ὄνομα καὶ οὐκ ἔργον, κινδυνεύσειν διατριβῆναι·
Around this time, the Peloponnesian soldiers in the fleet at Miletus also began to complain among themselves that their cause was being ruined by Astyochus and Tissaphernes. For the former was unwilling to fight a battle either beforehand, when they themselves were still stronger and the Athenian fleet was small, or now, when the Athenians are said to be in factional strife and their ships are not yet assembled in the same place; but by waiting for the Phoenician ships from Tissaphernes—which were a mere name and no reality—they risked being worn out by delay.
τὸν δ’ αὖ Τισσαφέρνην τάς τε ναῦς ταύτας οὐ κομίζειν, καὶ τροφὴν ὅτι οὐ ξυνεχῶς οὐδ’ ἐντελῆ διδοὺς κακοῖ τὸ ναυτικόν.
Tissaphernes, on the other hand, was not bringing these ships, and was ruining the navy by not providing maintenance continuously or in full.
οὔκουν ἔφασαν χρῆναι μέλλειν ἔτι, ἀλλὰ διαναυμαχεῖν.
Therefore, they declared that they must no longer delay, but must fight a decisive battle.

Notes

  1. 8.78.1τοῦ μὲν οὐκ ἐθέλοντος ... τὸν δ’ αὖ Τισσαφέρνην — While 'τοῦ μὲν' forms a genitive absolute (referring to Astyochus), the contrasted clause 'τὸν δ’ αὖ Τισσαφέρνην' shifts to an accusative-with-infinitive construction ('τὸν ... Τισσαφέρνην ... οὐ κομίζειν'), showing an anacoluthon in the indirect speech.
  2. 8.78.1κινδυνεύσειν — A future infinitive within the indirect speech introduced by 'διεβόων ὡς'. The implied subject is the soldiers themselves ('that they risked being worn out').
  3. 8.78.1ὅτι οὐ ξυνεχῶς οὐδ’ ἐντελῆ διδοὺς κακοῖ — The conjunction 'ὅτι' introduces a clause with the indicative 'κακοῖ' (ruining) as its main verb. The participle 'διδοὺς' with negatives expresses the means ('by not providing').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.78.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.78.1

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