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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §13.53.1-13.53.4

Athenian Rejection of Peace Incited by Cleophon

Passage 232 of 723 · Greek

Summary

In response to Sparta's peace proposals, while the moderate Athenians favored peace, the people were incited by the demagogue Cleophon to reject the offer and continue the war.

§13.53.1τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ τούτοις παραπλήσια τοῦ Λάκωνος διαλεχθέντος, οἱ μὲν ἐπιεικέστατοι τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἔρρεπον ταῖς γνώμαις πρὸς τὴν εἰρήνην, οἱ δὲ πολεμοποιεῖν εἰωθότες καὶ τὰς δημοσίας ταραχὰς ἰδίας ποιούμενοι προσόδους ᾑροῦντο τὸν πόλεμον.
When the Laconian had spoken in this and a similar manner, the most moderate of the Athenians inclined in their opinions toward peace, but those who were accustomed to making war and who made the public disturbances their private sources of income chose war.
§13.53.2συνεπελάβετο δὲ τῆς γνώμης ταύτης καὶ Κλεοφῶν, μέγιστος ὢν τότε δημαγωγός.
Cleophon also, who was then the greatest demagogue, supported this opinion.
ὃς παρελθὼν καὶ πολλὰ πρὸς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν οἰκείως διαλεχθεὶς ἐμετεώρισε τὸν δῆμον, τὸ μέγεθος τῶν εὐημερημάτων προφερόμενος, ὥσπερ τῆς τύχης οὐκ ἐναλλὰξ εἰθισμένης βραβεύειν τὰ κατὰ πόλεμον προτερήματα.
He came forward and, having spoken much in a manner suited to the subject, excited the people, putting forward the magnitude of their successes, as if fortune were not accustomed to decide the advantages in war alternately.
§13.53.3Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν οὖν κακῶς βουλευσάμενοι μετενόησαν ὅτε οὐδὲν ὄφελος, καὶ λόγοις πρὸς ἀρέσκειαν εἰρημένοις ἐξαπατηθέντες οὕτως ἔπταισαν τοῖς ὅλοις, ὥστε μηκέτι δύνασθαι πώποτε αὑτοὺς γνησίως ἀναλαβεῖν.
Thus the Athenians, having made a bad decision, repented when it was of no use, and, being deceived by speeches spoken to please them, tripped up so completely in their fortunes that they were never again able to recover themselves truly.
§13.53.4ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὕστερον πραχθέντα τεύξεται λόγου κατὰ τοὺς ἰδίους χρόνους· τότε δὲ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τοῖς τε εὐημερήμασιν ἐπαρθέντες καὶ πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας ἐλπίδας ἔχοντες ἐν τῷ τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην ἀφηγεῖσθαι τῶν ἰδίων δυνάμεων, ταχέως ᾤοντο τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἀνακτήσασθαι.
But these things, which were done later, will receive mention in their proper times; but at that time the Athenians, elated by their successes and having many great hopes in Alcibiades' leading their own forces, thought they would quickly recover their hegemony.

Notes

  1. 13.53.2ὥσπερ τῆς τύχης οὐκ ἐναλλὰξ εἰθισμένης — The conjunction ὥσπερ is used with the genitive absolute (τῆς τύχης... εἰθισμένης) to express a subjective assumption or comparison, meaning 'as if...'. εἰθισμένης is the perfect middle/passive participle (genitive feminine singular) of ἐθίζω, here used with an active/intransitive force meaning 'accustomed to'.
  2. 13.53.3τοῖς ὅλοις — Dative of respect or relation of the substantivized neuter plural τὰ ὅλα ('the whole', 'general situation', 'entire fortune of the state'). Combined with the intransitive verb ἔπταισαν ('tripped up', 'stumbled'), it means 'stumbled in their entire affairs', i.e., 'suffered a complete disaster'.
  3. 13.53.4ἐν τῷ τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην ἀφηγεῖσθαι — A construction consisting of the preposition ἐν with the neuter dative articular infinitive τῷ ἀφηγεῖσθαι ('in the leading'). τὸν Ἀλκιβιάδην serves as the subject accusative of the infinitive, while the genitive τῶν ἰδίων δυνάμεων ('their own forces') is governed by the verb ἀφηγεῖσθαι ('to lead').

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §13.53.1-13.53.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc4:13.53.1-13.53.4

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