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Plutarch · Life of Cimon §14.1-14.4

Conquest of the Chersonese and Thasos, and Bribery Trial

Passage 14 of 19 · Greek

Summary

Cimon expels the Persians from the Chersonese, subdues Thasos to expand Athenian territories, and is subsequently put on trial on suspicion of bribery for declining to invade Macedonia.

§14.1ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν Περσῶν τινες οὐκ ἐβούλοντο τὴν Χερρόνησον ἐκλιπεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς Θρᾷκας ἄνωθεν ἐπεκαλοῦντο καταφρονοῦντες τοῦ Κίμωνος μετʼ ὀλίγων παντάπασι τριήρων Ἀθήνηθεν ἐκπεπλευκότος, ὁρμήσας ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τέσσαρσι μὲν ναυσὶ τρισκαίδεκα τὰς ἐκείνων ἔλαβεν, ἐξελάσας δὲ τοὺς Πέρσας καὶ κρατήσας τῶν Θρᾳκῶν πᾶσαν ᾠκειώσατο τῇ πόλει τὴν Χερρόνησον.
When some of the Persians did not wish to leave the Chersonese, but even called upon the Thracians from above, despising Cimon who had sailed out from Athens with altogether few triremes, he rushed against them with four ships and captured thirteen of theirs; then, having driven out the Persians and conquered the Thracians, he made the whole Chersonese belonging to his city.
§14.2ἐκ δὲ τούτου Θασίους μὲν ἀποστάντας Ἀθηναίων καταναυμαχήσας τρεῖς καὶ τριάκοντα ναῦς ἔλαβε καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐξεπολιόρκησε καὶ τὰ χρυσεῖα τὰ πέραν Ἀθηναίοις προσεκτήσατο καὶ χώραν, ἧς ἐπῆρχον Θάσιοι, παρέλαβεν.
After this, having defeated the Thasians who had revolted from the Athenians in a sea-fight, he captured thirty-three ships and besieged and took their city, acquired the gold mines on the opposite mainland for the Athenians, and took possession of the territory which the Thasians used to rule.
ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ῥᾳδίως ἐπιβῆναι Μακεδονίας καὶ πολλὴν ἀποτεμέσθαι παρασχόν, ὡς ἐδόκει, μὴ θελήσας αἰτίαν ἔσχε δώροις ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀλεξάνδρου συμπεπεῖσθαι, καὶ δίκην ἔφυγε τῶν ἐχθρῶν συστάντων ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
Although it was easy from there, as it seemed, to invade Macedonia and cut off a large part of it, because he was unwilling, he was accused of having been bribed by King Alexander, and faced trial when his enemies conspired against him.
§14.3ἀπολογούμενος δὲ πρὸς τοὺς δικαστὰς οὐκ Ἰώνων ἔφη προξενεῖν οὐδὲ Θεσσαλῶν, πλουσίων ὄντων, ὥσπερ ἑτέρους, ἵνα θεραπεύωνται καὶ λαμβάνωσιν, ἀλλὰ Λακεδαιμονίων, μιμούμενος καὶ ἀγαπῶν τὴν παρʼ αὐτοῖς εὐτέλειαν καὶ σωφροσύνην, ἧς οὐδένα προτιμᾶν πλοῦτον, ἀλλὰ πλουτίζων ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων τὴν πόλιν ἀγάλλεσθαι.
In making his defense before the judges, he said that he was not a proxenos of the Ionians or the Thessalians, who were wealthy, as others were, in order to be courted and to receive gifts, but of the Lacedaemonians, because he imitated and loved the simplicity and moderation among them, which he valued above any wealth, and rather rejoiced in enriching his city from the enemies.
§14.4μνησθεὶς δὲ τῆς κρίσεως ἐκείνης ὁ Στησίμβροτός φησι τὴν Ἐλπινίκην ὑπὲρ τοῦ Κίμωνος δεομένην ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας τοῦ Περικλέους (οὗτος γὰρ ἦν τῶν κατηγόρων ὁ σφοδρότατος), τὸν δὲ μειδιάσαντα γραῦς εἶ, φάναι, γραῦς, ὦ Ἐλπινίκη, ὡς τηλικαῦτα διαπράττεσθαι πράγματα· πλὴν ἔν γε τῇ δίκῃ πρᾳότατον γενέσθαι τῷ Κίμωνι καὶ πρὸς τὴν κατηγορίαν ἅπαξ ἀναστῆναι μόνον, ὥσπερ ἀφοσιούμενον.
Stesimbrotus, mentioning that trial, says that Elpinice came to the door of Pericles (for he was the most vehement of the accusers) to entreat on behalf of Cimon, and that he smiled and said: "You are an old woman, Elpinice, an old woman, to manage such great affairs." Yet in the trial itself he became very mild toward Cimon, and rose up only once to speak in accusation, as if merely to discharge a formal duty.

Notes

  1. 14.1καταφρονοῦντες τοῦ Κίμωνος μετʼ ὀλίγων παντάπασι τριήρων Ἀθήνηθεν ἐκπεπλευκότος — The participle ἐκπεπλευκότος (perfect active genitive) can be interpreted either as agreeing with the genitive object τοῦ Κίμωνος governed by καταφρονοῦντες, or as a genitive absolute. There is little difference in meaning, as both constructions convey that the enemies despised Cimon because he had sailed from Athens with very few ships.
  2. 14.2παρασχόν — An accusative absolute of the impersonal verb παρέχει (to afford an opportunity, be possible) in the neuter singular present participle. It functions concessively ("although it was possible/offered an opportunity"), with the infinitive phrase ῥᾳδίως ἐπιβῆναι... καὶ πολλὴν ἀποτεμέσθαι serving as its logical subject.
  3. 14.2δίκην ἔφυγε — A technical legal idiom. The verb φεύγω here does not mean "to flee," but is used in a technical legal sense meaning "to be a defendant" or "to be prosecuted," which together with δίκην (lawsuit) means "to stand trial as a defendant." Its antonym is δίκην διώκω (to prosecute as a plaintiff).
  4. 14.4ὡς τηλικαῦτα διαπράττεσθαι πράγματα — A construction of ὡς with the infinitive expressing result or limiting the subject's capacity. Following the assertion "you are an old woman" (γραῦς εἶ), it conveys Pericles' sarcastic implication that Elpinice is too old to manage or accomplish such grand affairs.
  5. 14.4ὥσπερ ἀφοσιούμενον — The participle ἀφοσιούμενον (present middle/passive accusative neuter singular) derives from the primary sense of "expiating or averting a taboo," but is used here idiomatically to mean "acting merely to satisfy a formal duty" or "pro forma." It describes how Pericles' prosecution of Cimon was not driven by real hostility, but was done simply as a matter of obligatory routine.

Cite this passage

Plutarch, Life of Cimon §14.1-14.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg035.humanitext-grc2:14.1-14.4

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