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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.88.1

Alcibiades' Departure to Confront Tissaphernes

Passage 896 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Upon learning of Tissaphernes' journey to Aspendus, Alcibiades set sail with thirteen ships toward Phaselis and Caunus, intending to win favor with the Athenians and alienate Tissaphernes from the Peloponnesians.

§8.88.1Ἀλκιβιάδης δὲ ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸν Τισσαφέρνην ᾔσθετο παριόντα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀσπένδου, ἔπλει καὶ αὐτὸς λαβὼν τρεῖς καὶ δέκα ναῦς, ὑποσχόμενος τοῖς ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ ἀσφαλῆ καὶ μεγάλην χάριν (ἢ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἄξειν Ἀθηναίοις τὰς Φοινίσσας ναῦς ἢ Πελοποννησίοις γε κωλύσειν ἐλθεῖν), εἰδώς, ὡς εἰκός, ἐκ πλέονος τὴν Τισσαφέρνους γνώμην ὅτι οὐκ ἄξειν ἔμελλε, καὶ βουλόμενος αὐτὸν τοῖς Πελοποννησίοις ἐς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ Ἀθηναίων φιλίαν ὡς μάλιστα διαβάλλειν, ὅπως μᾶλλον δι’ αὐτὸ σφίσιν ἀναγκάζοιτο προσχωρεῖν.
And Alcibiades, when he perceived that Tissaphernes also was going to Aspendus, sailed himself too with thirteen ships, promising to those at Samos a sure and great favor (for he said that he would either himself bring the Phoenician ships to the Athenians or at least prevent them from coming to the Peloponnesians), knowing, as was likely, Tissaphernes' intention from of old that he did not mean to bring them, and wishing to slander him to the Peloponnesians as much as possible on the score of his friendship with himself and the Athenians, so that on this account he might be the more forced to join them.
καὶ ὁ μὲν ἄρας εὐθὺ τῆς Φασήλιδος καὶ Καύνου ἄνω τὸν πλοῦν ἐποιεῖτο.
And he, having set sail, made his voyage straight for Phaselis and Caunus upward.

Notes

  1. 8.88.1τὴν Τισσαφέρνους γνώμην ὅτι οὐκ ἄξειν ἔμελλε — Prolepsis (anticipation), where 'τὴν Τισσαφέρνους γνώμην' (Tissaphernes' intention), which logically belongs as the subject or topic of the 'ὅτι' clause, is anticipated as the direct object of the participle 'εἰδώς'.
  2. 8.88.1εὐθὺ τῆς Φασήλιδος — The adverb of direction 'εὐθύ' is used prepositionally, governing the genitive case 'τῆς Φασήλιδος καὶ Καύνου', meaning 'straight for Phaselis and Caunus'.
  3. 8.88.1ἀναγκάζοιτο — Present passive optative in the purpose clause introduced by 'ὅπως', acting as an oblique optative (historical optative) after the past main verb 'ἔπλει'.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.88.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.88.1

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