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Herodotus · Histories §7.161.1-7.161.3

Athenian Envoys Refusing to Yield Naval Command

Passage 1224 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

In response to Gelon's proposal, the Athenian envoy preempts the Spartan envoy to object. The Athenian asserts that the naval command belongs to Athens unless Lacedaemon claims it, and they will not yield it to anyone else, proudly citing Athens' ancient origin and naval power.

§7.161.1Γέλων μὲν δὴ ταῦτα προετείνετο, φθάσας δὲ ὁ Ἀθηναίων ἄγγελος τὸν Λακεδαιμονίων ἀμείβετό μιν τοῖσιδε. ὦ βασιλεῦ Συρηκοσίων, οὐκ ἡγεμόνος δεομένη ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἀπέπεμψε ἡμέας πρὸς σέ, ἀλλὰ στρατιῆς.
While Gelon was proposing these terms, the Athenian envoy, anticipating the Lacedaemonian, replied to him as follows: "King of the Syracusans, Greece did not send us to you because she was in need of a leader, but of an army.
σὺ δὲ ὅκως μὲν στρατιὴν πέμψεις μὴ ἡγεύμενος τῆς Ἑλλάδος οὐ προφαίνεις, ὡς δὲ στρατηγήσεις αὐτῆς γλίχεαι.
You, however, do not reveal how you will send an army without leading Greece, but you are eager to command her.
§7.161.2ὅσον μέν νυν παντὸς τοῦ Ἑλλήνων στρατοῦ ἐδέεο ἡγέεσθαι, ἐξήρκεε ἡμῖν τοῖσι Ἀθηναίοισι ἡσυχίην ἄγειν, ἐπισταμένοισι ὡς ὁ Λάκων ἱκανός τοι ἔμελλε ἔσεσθαι καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀμφοτέρων ἀπολογεύμενος·
Now, as long as you demanded to lead the entire Greek army, it was sufficient for us Athenians to keep quiet, knowing that the Laconian would be sufficient to answer you on behalf of both of us.
ἐπείτε δὲ ἁπάσης ἀπελαυνόμενος δέεαι τῆς ναυτικῆς ἄρχειν, οὕτω ἔχει τοι· οὐδʼ ἢν ὁ Λάκων ἐπιῇ τοι ἄρχειν αὐτῆς, ἡμεῖς ἐπήσομεν· ἡμετέρη γὰρ ἐστὶ αὕτη γε, μὴ αὐτῶν βουλομένων Λακεδαιμονίων.
But since, being shut out of the whole, you demand to command the fleet, the matter stands thus for you: even if the Laconian permits you to command it, we will not permit it; for this, at least, is ours, unless the Lacedaemonians themselves wish to have it.
τούτοισι μὲν ὦν ἡγέεσθαι βουλομένοισι οὐκ ἀντιτείνομεν, ἄλλῳ δὲ παρήσομεν οὐδενὶ ναυαρχέειν.
Therefore, if they wish to lead, we do not oppose them; but we will yield the command of the fleet to no other.
§7.161.3μάτην γὰρ ἂν ὧδε πάραλον Ἑλλήνων στρατὸν πλεῖστον εἴημεν ἐκτημένοι, εἰ Συρηκοσίοισι ἐόντες Ἀθηναῖοι συγχωρήσομεν τῆς ἡγεμονίης, ἀρχαιότατον μὲν ἔθνος παρεχόμενοι, μοῦνοι δὲ ἐόντες οὐ μετανάσται Ἑλλήνων·
For in vain should we possess here the largest naval force of the Greeks, if we, being Athenians, should yield the leadership to Syracusans—we who present the oldest nation and are the only ones among the Greeks who are not immigrants.
τῶν καὶ Ὅμηρος ὁ ἐποποιὸς ἄνδρα ἄριστον ἔφησε ἐς Ἴλιον ἀπικέσθαι τάξαι τε καὶ διακοσμῆσαι στρατόν.
It was of them that Homer the epic poet said the best man went to Ilium to marshal and array an army.
οὕτω οὐκ ὄνειδος οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἐστι λέγειν ταῦτα.
Thus, it is no disgrace at least for us to say these things."

Notes

  1. 7.161.1φθάσας δὲ ὁ Ἀθηναίων ἄγγελος τὸν Λακεδαιμονίων — The participle φθάσας of the verb φθάνω ('to anticipate, do beforehand') takes the accusative τὸν Λακεδαιμονίων (with ἄγγελον omitted) as its object, meaning 'anticipating the Lacedaemonian envoy.' It indicates that the Athenian envoy spoke before the Lacedaemonian envoy could.
  2. 7.161.2ἐπισταμένοισι — Dative plural present participle agreeing with the dative ἡμῖν τοῖσι Ἀθηναίοισι in the impersonal construction ἐξήρκεε ἡμῖν ('it was sufficient for us Athenians'). The participle expresses cause ('since we knew').
  3. 7.161.2μὴ αὐτῶν βουλομένων Λακεδαιμονίων — A genitive absolute construction. The use of the negative particle μή instead of οὐ indicates a conditional sense ('unless the Lacedaemonians themselves wish [it]').
  4. 7.161.3τῶν — Genitive plural of the relative pronoun. It refers back to the preceding Ἀθηναῖοι (Athenians), functioning as a partitive genitive meaning 'from among whom.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.161.1-7.161.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.161.1-7.161.3

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