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Herodotus · Histories §9.7B.1-9.7B.2

Athenian Envoys' Reproach and Appeal for Spartan Aid

Passage 1462 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian envoys reproach the Spartans for neglecting their alliance once the Isthmian wall was finished, and demand that they immediately dispatch an army to join forces against the Persians on the Thriasian plain.

§9.7B.1ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐς πᾶσαν ἀρρωδίην τότε ἀπικόμενοι μὴ ὁμολογήσωμεν τῷ Πέρσῃ, ἐπείτε ἐξεμάθετε τὸ ἡμέτερον φρόνημα σαφέως, ὅτι οὐδαμὰ προδώσομεν τὴν Ἑλλάδα, καὶ διότι τεῖχος ὑμῖν διὰ τοῦ Ἰσθμοῦ ἐλαυνόμενον ἐν τέλεϊ ἐστί, καὶ δὴ λόγον οὐδένα τῶν Ἀθηναίων ποιέεσθε, συνθέμενοί τε ἡμῖν τὸν Πέρσην ἀντιώσεσθαι ἐς τὴν Βοιωτίην προδεδώκατε, περιείδετέ τε προεσβαλόντα ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν τὸν βάρβαρον.
But you, although at that time you were in utter dread lest we should make an agreement with the Persian, as soon as you had clearly learned our resolve, that we will never betray Greece, and because your wall being built across the Isthmus was finished, you now pay no regard to the Athenians; and although you had agreed with us to face the Persian in Boeotia, you have betrayed us, and stood by and allowed the barbarian to invade Attica.
§9.7B.2ἐς μέν νυν τὸ παρεὸν Ἀθηναῖοι ὑμῖν μηνίουσι· οὐ γὰρ ἐποιήσατε ἐπιτηδέως.
For the present, then, the Athenians are angry with you, for you did not act properly.
νῦν δὲ ὅτι τάχος στρατιὴν ἅμα ἡμῖν ἐκέλευσαν ὑμέας ἐκπέμπειν, ὡς ἂν τὸν βάρβαρον δεκώμεθα ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡμάρτομεν τῆς Βοιωτίης, τῆς γε ἡμετέρης ἐπιτηδεότατον ἐστὶ μαχέσασθαι τὸ Θριάσιον πεδίον.
But now they bid you send out an army with us as quickly as possible, so that we may receive the barbarian in Attica; for since we have lost Boeotia, the Thriasian plain is the most suitable place in our own territory to fight.

Notes

  1. §9.7B.1μὴ ὁμολογήσωμεν — The subjunctive (aorist first-person plural) with μή after an expression of fearing (the nominal phrase ἐς πᾶσαν ἀρρωδίην ἀπικόμενοι, 'falling into every dread'), expressing apprehension: 'lest we should come to terms.'
  2. §9.7B.1περιείδετέ τε προεσβαλόντα — The verb περιοράω (to overlook, allow) takes a participle (προεσβαλόντα, agreeing with τὸν βάρβαρον) to express the idea of standing by and allowing an action to take place: 'you stood by and allowed the barbarian to invade.'
  3. §9.7B.2ὅτι τάχος — An adverbial idiom equivalent to ὡς τάχιστα, meaning 'as quickly as possible.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.7B.1-9.7B.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.7B.1-9.7B.2

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