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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.93.1-8.93.3

March of the Hoplites into Athens and Accord for Harmony

Passage 901 of 917 · Greek

Summary

On the following day, while the Four Hundred assemble, the hoplites from Piraeus release Alexicles and march into the city. Emissaries from the Four Hundred persuade the soldiers to stay calm, and both sides agree to hold an assembly for harmony on an appointed day.

§8.93.1τῇ δ’ ὑστεραίᾳ οἱ μὲν τετρακόσιοι ἐς τὸ βουλευτήριον ὅμως καὶ τεθορυβημένοι ξυνελέγοντο· οἱ δ’ ἐν τῷ Πειραιεῖ ὁπλῖται τόν τε Ἀλεξικλέα ὃν ξυνέλαβον ἀφέντες καὶ τὸ τείχισμα καθελόντες ἐς τὸ πρὸς τῇ Μουνιχίᾳ Διονυσιακὸν θέατρον ἐλθόντες καὶ θέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα ἐξεκλησίασαν, καὶ δόξαν αὐτοῖς εὐθὺς ἐχώρουν ἐς τὸ ἄστυ καὶ ἔθεντο αὖ ἐν τῷ Ἀνακείῳ τὰ ὅπλα.
On the following day, the Four Hundred, although in great embarrassment, nevertheless assembled in the council-chamber; while the hoplites in Piraeus, having released Alexicles whom they had seized and having demolished the fortification, went to the Dionysiac theatre close to Munychia, and having piled their arms, held an assembly. Deciding on this, they immediately marched to the city and piled their arms again in the Anakeion.
§8.93.2ἐλθόντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν τετρακοσίων τινὲς ᾑρημένοι πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀνὴρ ἀνδρὶ διελέγοντό τε καὶ ἔπειθον οὓς ἴδοιεν ἀνθρώπους ἐπιεικεῖς αὐτούς τε ἡσυχάζειν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους παρακατέχειν, λέγοντες τούς τε πεντακισχιλίους ἀποφανεῖν, καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἐν μέρει ᾗ ἂν τοῖς πεντακισχιλίοις δοκῇ τοὺς τετρακοσίους ἔσεσθαι, τέως δὲ τὴν πόλιν μηδενὶ τρόπῳ διαφθείρειν μηδ’ ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀνῶσαι.
Thereupon, certain persons chosen from the Four Hundred came to them and parleyed with them man to man, persuading such moderate men as they saw both to remain quiet themselves and to keep the others back, saying that they would publish the names of the Five Thousand, and that from these the Four Hundred would be appointed in turn in such manner as should seem good to the Five Thousand; and that in the meantime they should by no means ruin the city or drive it into the hands of the enemy.
§8.93.3τὸ δὲ πᾶν πλῆθος τῶν ὁπλιτῶν ἀπὸ πολλῶν καὶ πρὸς πολλοὺς λόγων γιγνομένων ἠπιώτερον ἦν ἢ πρότερον καὶ ἐφοβεῖτο μάλιστα περὶ τοῦ παντὸς πολιτικοῦ· ξυνεχώρησάν τε ὥστε ἐς ἡμέραν ῥητὴν ἐκκλησίαν ποιῆσαι ἐν τῷ Διονυσίῳ περὶ ὁμονοίας.
And the whole body of the hoplites, as many speeches were made by and to many persons, became more placid than before, and was chiefly afraid for the safety of the whole state; and they agreed to hold an assembly on an appointed day in the Dionysion to consult on harmony.

Notes

  1. §8.93.1δόξαν αὐτοῖς — An accusative absolute construction using the neuter singular accusative participle of the impersonal verb δοκεῖ (it seems good, it is resolved). It means 'it having seemed good to them' or 'having decided.'
  2. §8.93.2ἀνῶσαι — The aorist active infinitive of ἀνωθέω (to push back, drive into), forming 'not to drive the city into the hands of the enemy.' Some interpret it as the aorist active infinitive of ἀνίημι (to surrender, give up), but morphologically the former is more standard.
  3. §8.93.3ἀπὸ πολλῶν καὶ πρὸς πολλοὺς λόγων γιγνομένων — A genitive absolute construction. Literally, 'many words being spoken from many and to many,' indicating that extensive discussions took place among the crowd.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.93.1-8.93.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.93.1-8.93.3

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