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Herodotus · Histories §9.87.1-9.87.2

Timegenidas' Proposal and Theban Surrender Talks

Passage 1542 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

As the Greek devastation continues, Timegenidas proposes that the Thebans either pay money from the public treasury or surrender the accused leaders to save the state; the Thebans agree and send a herald to Pausanias.

§9.87.1καὶ οὐ γὰρ ἐπαύοντο σινόμενοι, εἰκοστῇ ἡμέρῃ ἔλεξε τοῖσι Θηβαίοισι Τιμηγενίδης τάδε. ἄνδρες Θηβαῖοι, ἐπειδὴ οὕτω δέδοκται τοῖσι Ἕλλησι, μὴ πρότερον ἀπαναστῆναι πολιορκέοντας ἢ ἐξέλωσι Θήβας ἢ ἡμέας αὐτοῖσι παραδῶτε, νῦν ὦν ἡμέων εἵνεκα γῆ ἡ Βοιωτίη πλέω μὴ ἀναπλήσῃ,
And since they did not cease from devastating the land, on the twentieth day Timegenidas spoke to the Thebans as follows: "Men of Thebes, since the Greeks have thus resolved not to withdraw their besieging forces before they either capture Thebes or you surrender us to them, now therefore let not the Boeotian land suffer any more evils on our account.
§9.87.2ἀλλʼ εἰ μὲν χρημάτων χρηίζοντες πρόσχημα ἡμέας ἐξαιτέονται, χρήματά σφι δῶμεν ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ (σὺν γὰρ τῷ κοινῷ καὶ ἐμηδίσαμεν οὐδὲ μοῦνοι ἡμεῖς), εἰ δὲ ἡμέων ἀληθέως δεόμενοι πολιορκέουσι, ἡμεῖς ἡμέας αὐτοὺς ἐς ἀντιλογίην παρέξομεν. κάρτα τε ἔδοξε εὖ λέγειν καὶ ἐς καιρόν, αὐτίκα τε ἐπεκηρυκεύοντο πρὸς Παυσανίην οἱ Θηβαῖοι θέλοντες ἐκδιδόναι τοὺς ἄνδρας.
But if, on the one hand, they are demanding us as a pretext while they really desire money, let us give them money from the public treasury (for we medized in common with the state, and not we alone); but if they are besieging because they truly want us, we will surrender ourselves to make our defense." He was thought to speak very well and to the purpose; and the Thebans immediately sent a herald to Pausanias, expressing their willingness to deliver up the men.

Notes

  1. 9.87.1σινόμενοι — Supplementary participle with the verb `ἐπαύοντο`, expressing the cessation of an action: 'they (the Greeks) did not cease from devastating.'
  2. 9.87.1πλέω μὴ ἀναπλήσῃ — `μὴ ἀναπλήσῃ` is a hortatory/prohibitive subjunctive (aorist active of `ἀναπίμπλημι`, to fill or infect). `πλέω` is the contracted form of `πλέονα` (neuter plural accusative, 'more things/evils') serving as the object, meaning 'let not the Boeotian land be filled with/suffer more evils on our account.'
  3. 9.87.2πρόσχημα ἡμέας ἐξαιτέονται — `πρόσχημα` is a predicative accusative (meaning 'as a pretext') used with `ἐξαιτέονται` and its direct object `ἡμέας`, meaning 'they demand us as a pretext.'
  4. 9.87.2σὺν γὰρ τῷ κοινῷ καὶ ἐμηδίσαμεν — `τῷ κοινῷ` refers to the state, community, or commonwealth of Thebes. This parenthetical clause emphasizes that the Medism was a public decision of the state, not of private individuals, thus providing Timegenidas' justification for paying the money from the public treasury.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.87.1-9.87.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.87.1-9.87.2

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