Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 2.28.1

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[1] During the same summer at the beginning of a lunar month¹(the only time, it seems, when such an occurrence is possible) the sun was eclipsed after midday; it assumed the shape of a crescent and became full again, and during the eclipse some stars became visible.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. London. 1919-1923.

Funding provided by National Endownment for the Humanities.

Current edition First1KGreek

History of the Peloponnesian War (English) (Thucydides, Vol. 1-4. Smith, Charles Foster, translator. London and Cambridge, MA: Heinemann and Harvard University Press, 1919-1923.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 2.28.1 focus

[1] τοῦ δ’ αὐτοῦ θέρους νουμηνίᾳ κατὰ σελήνην, ὥσπερ καὶ μόνον δοκεῖ εἶναι γίγνεσθαι δυνατόν, ὁ ἥλιος ἐξέλιπε μετὰ μεσημβρίαν καὶ πάλιν ἀνεπληρώθη, γενόμενος μηνοειδὴς καὶ ἀστέρων τινῶν ἐκφανέντων.

Translations (10)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 2.28.1 focus

[1] Also the same summer, on the first day of the month according to the moon (at which time it seems only possible), in the afternoon happened an eclipse of the sun. The which, after it had appeared in the form of a crescent and withal some stars had been discerned, came afterwards again to the former brightness.

History of the Peloponnesian War Perseus (Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Crawley, Richard, translator. London and Toronto: J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1914.) — 2.28.1 focus

[1] The same summer, at the beginning of a new lunar month, the only time by the way at which it appears possible, the sun was eclipsed after noon. After it had assumed the form of a crescent and some of the stars had come out, it returned to its natural shape.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 2.28 focus

In demselben Sommer, zu einer wirklichen
Neumondszeit '^), — wo es auch allein möglich zu sein scheint, wurde nach
Mittag die Sonne verfinstert und nahm dann wieder ihre volle Gestalt an,
nachdem sie zuvor wie die Mondsichel erschienen und einzelne Sterne
sichtbar gewesen waren.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 2.28 focus

In demselben Sommer trat bei Neumond, wo es an
scheinend auch allein möglich ist, nach Mittag eine Sonnen-'
finsternis ein. Hinterher nahm die Sonne ihre vollständige
Gestalt wieder an, nachdem sie eine Zeitlang wie eine Mond
sichel ausgesehen hatte und auch einzelne Sterne sichtbar ge
worden waren.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 2.28 focus

XXVIII. Dans le cours du même été, le soleil s’éclipsa après midi, à la nouvelle lune, la seule époque où il semble que ce phénomène puisse avoir lieu ; on vit le soleil affecter la forme d’un croissant ; quelques étoiles brillèrent, et le disque reparut ensuite tout entier.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 2.28 focus

Le même été, à l’époque de la pleine lune, seul moment où ce phénomène paraisse possible, le soleil s’éclipsa après midi et remplit de nouveau son disque, après avoir pris la forme d'un croissant et laissé percer quelques étoiles¹.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides. The history of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1-2. Dale, Henry, translator. London: Heinemann and Henry G. Bohn, 1851-1852.) — 2.28.1 focus

[1] The same summer, at the beginning of a new lunar month, (the only time at which it appears possible,) the sun was eclipsed after mid-day, and became full again after it had assumed a crescent form, and after some of the stars had shone out.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 2.28.1 focus

[1] Eadem etiam aestate Calendis Lunaribus, quo quidem tempore solo hoc fieri posse videtur, sol defecit post meridiem, et ex lunata figura, qua tunc apparuit, quum nonnullae etiam stellae conspicuae fuissent, rursus ad pristinam sui orbis plenitudinem rediit.

Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides First1KGreek (Thucydides. Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides. Gürsching, Heinrich, translator. Augsburg: Wirth, 1856.) — 2.35.1 focus

[1] Wenn es bisher bei den Rednern an dieser Stätte fast allgemeiner Brauch geworden, den Mann zu rühmen, der mit der Bestattung diese Rede verband, weil an dem Grabe gefallener Krieger ein ehrendes Wort sich zieme, so würde ich es für hinreichend gehalten haben, dass man Helden der That mit einer festlichen Handlung ehre, — wie das denn der Staat durch die Bestattung gethan hat, deren Zeugen ihr so eben gewesen — und würde die Verherrlichung so vieler Männer nicht einem Einzelnen und der zufälligen Wirkung seines Vortrags anheimgegeben haben.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 2.28 focus

In questa estate al nuovo mese lunare, conforme pare che allora soltanto possa ciò accadere , dopo mezzodi fu eclissi del sole, mostrandosi cornuto a guisa di luna , comparvero delle stelle, e quindi riprese la sua piena figura.

Notes on the current edition

History of the Peloponnesian War

1. August 3rd, 431 B.C.

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides Book 2 (Thucydides, Book II. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1891.) focus

Κατὰ σελήνην —see c. 4, 2 on τελευτῶντος τοῦ μηνός. ὥσπερ καὶ—probably Thue. drew his knowledge of natural phenomena from Anaxagoras, whose influence on Pericles and many of the thoughtful men of the time was very great. A. was called ὁ Νοῦς, his chief doctrine being νοῦς ἐστὶν ὁ διακοσμῶν τε καὶ πάντων αἴτιος. Soerates when a young man once believed in him. See Plato, Phaedo 97 C, where S. speaks of A's physical theory with good-humoured banter. Cf. c. 102, 3. According to a story in Cicero ( de Rep. I. 16) and Plutarch, Per. 35, the people were alarmed at this eelipse, and Pericles explained it after Anaxagoras.

ἐξέλιπε — this chapter correets, while it ignores, the current superstitions about eclipses. Herod. I. 74 tells a similar tale of Thales.

γενόμενος καὶ ἐκφανέντων —see c. 4, 4.

ἀστέρων —Mars and Venus.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.28.1

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