Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator), 1.24

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Èpidamne est une ville située à droite en entrant dans le golfe Ionien¹; près d’elle habitent les Taulantiens, Barbares de race illyrienne. Cette ville fut fondée par les Corcyréens; le chef de la colonie fut le Corinthien Phalios, fils d’Ëratoclidès et descendant d’Hercule, appelé de la métropole suivant l’antique usage; des Corinthiens et d’autres Grecs d’origine dorienne se joignirent à cet établissement. Avec le temps Ëpidamne devint grande et peuplée; mais, à la suite de dissensions intestines qui durèrent, dit-on, de longues années, elle eut beaucoup à souffrir d’une guerre contre les Barbares du voisinage, et perdit une partie de sa puissance. Enfin, peu avant la guerre actuelle, le peuple ayant chassé les riches, ceux-ci se. retirèrent chez· les Barbares, avec lesquels ils se mirent à piller par terre et par mer ceux d’Ëpidamne. Ainsi pressés, les Êpidamniens de la ville envoyèrent des députés à leur métropole de Corcyre, avec prière de ne pas les laisser écraser, mais de les réconcilier avec les bannis et de mettre fin à la guerre des Barbares. Ils firent cette requête assis en suppliants dans le temple de Ju-non²; mais les Corcyréens n’y eurent aucun égard et les renvoyèrent sans rien leur accorder.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator). Paris. 1863.

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Current edition First1KGreek

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

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 1.24.1 focus

[1] Ἐπίδαμνός ἐστι πόλις ἐν δεξιᾷ ἐσπλέοντι ἐς τὸν Ἰόνιον κόλπον· προσοικοῦσι δ’ αὐτὴν Ταυλάντιοι βάρβαροι, Ἰλλυρικὸν ἔθνος.

[2] ταύτην ἀπῴκισαν μὲν Κερκυραῖοι, οἰκιστὴς δ’ ἐγένετο Φαλίος Ἐρατοκλείδου Κορίνθιος γένος τῶν ἀφ’ Ἡρακλέους, κατὰ δὴ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον ἐκ τῆς μητροπόλεως κατακληθείς. ξυνῴκισαν δὲ καὶ Κορινθίων τινὲς καὶ τοῦ ἄλλου Δωρικοῦ γένους.

[3] προελθόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνου ἐγένετο ἡ τῶν Ἐπιδαμνίων δύναμις μεγάλη καὶ πολυάνθρωπος·

[4] στασιάσαντες δὲ ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἔτη πολλά, ὡς λέγεται, ἀπὸ πολέμου τινὸς τῶν προσοίκων βαρβάρων ἐφθάρησαν καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τῆς πολλῆς ἐστερήθησαν.

[5] τὰ δὲ τελευταῖα πρὸ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ὁ δῆμος αὐτῶν ἐξεδίωξε τοὺς δυνατούς, οἱ δὲ ἐπελθόντες μετὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐλῄζοντο τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει κατά τε γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν.

[6] οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει ὄντες Ἐπιδάμνιοι ἐπειδὴ ἐπιέζοντο, πέμπουσιν ἐς τὴν Κέρκυραν πρέσβεις ὡς μητρόπολιν οὖσαν, δεόμενοι μὴ σφᾶς περιορᾶν φθειρομένους, ἀλλὰ τούς τε φεύγοντας ξυναλλάξαι σφίσι καὶ τὸν τῶν βαρβάρων πόλεμον καταλῦσαι.

[7] ταῦτα δὲ ἱκέται καθεζόμενοι ἐς τὸ Ἥραιον ἐδέοντο. οἱ δὲ Κερκυραῖοι τὴν ἱκετείαν οὐκ ἐδέξαντο, ἀλλ’ ἀπράκτους ἀπέπεμψαν.

Translations (9)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 1.24.1 focus

[1] Epidamnus is a city situated on the right hand to such as enter into the Ionian Gulf. Bordering upon it are the Taulantii, barbarians, a people of Illyris.

[2] This was planted by the Corcyraeans; but the captain of the colony was one Phalius, the son of Heratoclidas, a Corinthian of the lineage of Hercules, and, according to an ancient custom, called to this charge out of the metropolitan city.

[3] Besides that, the colony itself consisted in part of Corinthians and others of the Doric nation. In process of time the city of Epidamnus became great and populous;

[4] and having for many years together been annoyed with sedition, was by a war, as is reported, made upon them by the confining barbarians brought low and deprived of the greatest part of their power.

[5] But that which was the last accident before this war was that the nobility, forced by the commons to fly the city, went and joined with the barbarians and both by land and sea robbed those that remained within.

[6] The Epidamnians that were in the town, oppressed in this manner, sent their ambassadors to Corcyra, as being their mother city, praying the Corcyraeans not to see them perish but to reconcile unto them those whom they had driven forth and to put an end to the barbarian war.

[7] And this they entreated in the form of suppliants, sitting down in the temple of Juno. But the Corcyraeans, not admitting their supplication, sent them away again without effect.

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.) — 1.24.1 focus

[1] The city of Epidamnus stands on the right of the entrance of the Ionic gulf. Its vicinity is inhabited by the Taulantians, an Illyrian people.

[2] The place is a colony from Corcyra , founded by Phalius, son of Eratocleides, of the family of the Heraclids, who had according to ancient usage been summoned for the purpose from Corinth , the mother country. The colonists were joined by some Corinthians, and others of the Dorian race.

[3] Now, as time went on, the city of Epidamnus became great and populous;

[4] but falling a prey to factions arising, it is said, from a war with her neighbors the barbarians, she became much enfeebled, and lost a considerable amount of her power.

[5] The last act before the war was the expulsion of the nobles by the people. The exiled party joined the barbarians, and proceeded to plunder those in the city by sea and land;

[6] and the Epidamnians finding themselves hard pressed, sent ambassadors to Corcyra beseeching their mother country not to allow them to perish, but to make up matters between them and the exiles, and to rid them of the war with the barbarians.

[7] The ambassadors seated themselves in the temple of Hera as suppliants, and made the above requests to the Corcyraeans. But the Corcyraeans refused to accept their supplication, and they were dismissed without having effected anything.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 1.24 focus

Epidamnos ist eine Stadt, welche zur Rechten liegen
bleibt, wenn man in den Ionischen sadriatischen^ Meerbusen einfährt.
Sie ist rings von Taulantiern umwohnt, Barbaren Jllyrischer
Abkunft, und ist eine Pflanzstadt der Kerkyräer. Ihr Gründer war
Phalios, des Eratokleides Sohn, ein Korinther aus dem Stamm der
Herakliden, welcher der alten Sitte gemäß aus der Mutterstadt
berufen worden war 66). Es waren auch einige Korinther und Andere ¹²³
Dorischer Abkunft mit ausgewandert. Im Verlaufe der Zeit nun
wurde die Stadt der Epidamnier groß und volkreich; sie lebten aber
dann, wie erzählt wird, viele Jahre lang in inneren Zwistigkeiten
und erlitten in deren Folge durch einen Krieg mit den benachbarten
Barbaren große Verluste, und ihre Macht gerieth in Verfall. Zuletzt,
unmittelbar vor dem Beginn dieses Krieges, jagte das Volk die
Aristokraten aus der Stadt. Diese schlossen sich an die Barbaren an und
übten mit deren Hilfe an denen in der Stadt Räubereien zu Land
und zn Wasser. Da nun die in Epidamnos in die Enge geriethen,
so schickten sie Gesandte nach Kerkyra, ihrem Mutterstaat, mit der
Bitte, doch ihrem Verderben nicht zusehen zu wollen, sondern zwischen
ihnen und den Ausgetriebenen zu vermitteln und dem.Krieg mit den
Barbaren ein Ende zu machen. Dies Anliegen trugen sie sitzend im
Tempel der Hera als Schutzflehende vor ^); die Kerkyräer aber gaben
ihrer Bitte nicht Statt, sondern ließen sie nnverrichteter Sache wieder
abziehen.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 1.24 focus

Epidamnos ist eine Stadt, die man bei der Einfahrt in
den Ionischen Meerbusen zur Rechten hat. Das Hinterland
wird von Barbaren, den Taulautiern, einer illyrischen Völker
schaft, bewohnt. Die Stadt ist eine Kolonie von Kerkyra und
wurde gegründet unter Führung des Phalios, Eratokleides'
Sohns, eines Herakliden aus Korinth, den man dazu, wie
daS ja in solchem Fall alter Brauch war, aus der Mutterstadt
berufen hatte. Doch waren auch einige Korinther und sonstige
Angehörige des dorischen Stammes an der Gründung be
teiligt. Im Laufe der Zeit war Epidamnos eine große und
volkreiche Stadt geworden, dann aber hatte sie, angeblich nach
langen inneren Kämpfen, in einem Kriege mit den benachbarten
Barbaren schwere Verluste erlitten und ihre frühere Macht
gutenteils eingebüßt. Kurz vor dem Ausbruch dieses Krieges
Vertrieb das Volk die Aristokraten aus der Stadt, die sich
darauf zu den Barbaren begaben und im Verein mit ihnen
die Einwohner zu Wasser und zu Lande beraubten. In dieser
ihrer Bedrängnis schickten die Epidamnier in der Stadt Ge
sandte nach Kerkyra mit der Bitte, als ihre Mutterstadt möge
sie sie in ihrer Not nicht im Stich lassen, sondern einen Aus
gleich zwischen ihnen und ihren vertriebenen Landsleuten
herbeiführen und den Krieg mit den Barbaren beizulegen suchen.
Die Gesandten trugen auch ihre Bitte im Heratempel in Kerkyra
als Schutzflehende vor, fanden aber damit kein Gehör und
mußten unverrichteter Sache wieder abziehen.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 1.24 focus

XXIV. Épidamne¹ est une ville qu’on trouve à droite en entrant dans le golfe d’Ionie. Dans le voisinage habitent les Taulantiens, barbares de race illyrique. C’est une colonie de Corcyre, fondée sous les auspices du Corinthien Phalius, fils d’Ératoclide et descendant d’Hercule : Phalius avait été appelé dans ce but de la métropole suivant l’antique usage², et quelques Corinthiens, ainsi que d’autre Grecs de race dorique, avaient concouru à la colonisation. Avec le temps, Épidamne devint une cité vaste et populeuse. Mais après des dissensions intestines prolongées pendant nombre d’années, elle fut écrasée dans nne grande guerre contre les barbares ses voisins, et vit sa puissance presque anéantie. En dernier lieu les riches, chassés par le peuple, peu de temps avant la guerre actuelle, se retirèrent chez les barbares et s’unirent à eux pour piller ceux de la ville par terre et par mer. Les Épidamniens restés dans la ville, ainsi harcelés, envoyèrent une dé- putation à Corcyre, comme à leur métropole : ils demandaient qu’on ne les abandonnât pas dans leur détresse ; qu’on réconciliât avec eux les exilés et qu’on mît fin à la guerre des barbares. Les ambassadeurs adressèrent ces demandes, assis en suppliants dans le temple de Junon ; mais leur prière fut repoussée, et les Corcyréens les renvoyèrent sans leur rien accorder.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides, Vol. 1-4. Smith, Charles Foster, translator. London and Cambridge, MA: Heinemann and Harvard University Press, 1919-1923.) — 1.24.1 focus

[1] There is a city called Epidamnus on the right hand as one sails into the Ionian gulf, and its next-door neighbours are a barbarian tribe, the Taulantians, of Illyrian race.

[2] The city was colonized by the Corcyraeans, and its founder was Phalius, son of Eratocleides, of Corinthian stock and a descendant of Heracles, who was invited from the mother-city according to the ancient custom;

[3] but some Corinthians and other Dorians joined the Corcyraeans in establishing the colony. As time passed the city of the Epidamnians became great and populous;

[4] but civil wars ensued, lasting, it is said, for many years, and in consequence of a war with the neighbouring barbarians they were crippled and stripped of most of their power.

[5] Finally, just before the Peloponnesian war, the populace expelled the aristocrats, and they, making common cause with the barbarians and attacking Epidamnus, plundered those who were in the city both by land and sea.

[6] These, when they were being hard pressed, sent envoys to Corcyra, as being their mother-city, beg g them not to look on and see them destroyed, but to reconcile them with the exiles and to put a stop to the war with the barbarians.

[7] This petition they made, sitting as suppliants in the temple of Hera. But the Corcyraeans denied their supplication, and sent them back unsuccessful.

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.) — 1.24.1 focus

[1] Epidamnuis is a, city situated on the right hand as you sail into the Ionian Gulf; bordering upon it, are the Taulantii, a barbarian people of Illyria.

[2] It was planted by the Corcyraeans, but the leader of the colony was one Phalius, the son of Heratoclidas, a Corinthian of the lineage of Hercules who, ¹ according to the ancient custom, was invited for this object from the mother city.

[3] There were also some of the Corinthians, and of the rest of the Doric nation, who joined in the colony.

[4] In process of time, the city of Epidamnus became great and populous; but having for many years together, as is reported, been torn by factions arising from a war made upon them by the neighboring barbarians, they were brought low, and deprived of the greatest part of their power.

[5] But the last thing which had taken place before this war was, that the commons had driven out the nobles, who, having retired, were plundering those in the city both by land and sea, in conjunction with the barbarians.

[6] The Epidamnians that were in the town, being hard pressed, sent ambassadors to Corcyra, as being their mother-city, praying the Corcyraens not to stand by and see them perish, but to reconcile their exiles to them, and to put an end to the barbarian war.

[7] And this they entreated in the character of suppliants, sitting down in the temple of Juno. But the Corcyraeans, not admitting their supplication, sent them away again without effect.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 1.24.1 focus

[1] Epidamnus est urbs ad dextram sita invehentibus in Ionium s num, eique finitimi sunt Taulantii barbari, gens'Illyrica.

[2] Hanc urbem Corcyraei quidem missa colonia condiderunt, sed dux coloniae fuit Phalius Eratoclidae filius, genere Corinthius, ab Hercule oriundus, prisco more ex metropoli arcessitus. Socii autem ejus coloniae etiam nonnulli Corintldi, et alii praeterea Doricae gentis homines fuerunt.

[3] Progressu vero temporis Epidamniorum urbs magna populoque frequens evasit;

[4] sed quum cives jam multos annos, ut fertur, seditionibus intestinis laborassent, quodam finitimorum barbarorum bello attriti, magnaque potentia privati sunt.

[5] Novissime vero ante hoe bellum illorum plebs optimates ejecit; at hi quum discessissent, cum barbaris eos, qui in urbe erant, terra marique praedabantur.

[6] Epidamnii vero, qui in urbe erant, quum laborarent, Corcyram, ut ad suae coloniae matrem, legatos mittunt, orantes, ne se perdi sinerent, sed et exules sibi reconciliarent, bellumque barbarorum finirent.

[7] Haec quidem supplices in Junonis templo considentes rogabant; Corcyraei vero preces non admiserunt, sed re infecta eos dimiserunt.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 1.24 focus

Epidamno è città alla destra di chi entra nel seno ionico, colla quale confinano i Taulanzii barbari di nazione illirica. I Corfuotti vi avevano fondata colonia di cui fu capoFalio figliolo di Eratoclide di stirpe corintia, di quei della discendenza di Ercole, fatto venire dalla città madre giusta l’antica usanza. Si unirono con lui a questa fondazione alcuni di Corinto ed altri di stirpe dorica. In progresso di tempo la città degli Epidamni divenne grande e popolosa : ma dopo molti anni di sedizioni interne furono, come è fama, da non so qual guerra dei vicini barbari malmenati e privati in gran parte di loro potere. Finalmente innanzi questa guerra i popolani cacciarono i magnati; e questi usciti si accordarono co’barbari a infestar co’ ladronecci per mare e per terra i rimasti in città. Gli Epidamni adunque che erano in città trovandosi alle strette spediscono legati a Corfù, come a città madre, pregandola di non essere indifferente sulla loro sciagura, ma a riconciliare con loro gli usciti, e por tino alla guerra dei barbari. In atto supplichevole seduti nel tempio di Giunone chiedevano queste cose ; ma i Corfuotti non prestarono orecchio alle loro supplicazioni, e gli rimandarono senza effetto.

Notes on the current edition

History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydide, ainsi qu’Hérodote, donne à l’Adriatique le nom de golfe Ionien ou de golfe de la mer Ionienne. Épi-damne était située sur une presqu’île de Plllyrie, à quarante lieues au N. de Corcyre. Elle fut fondée en 627 av. J. C. Corcyre elle-même avait été fondée par les Corinthiens sept cent trente-cinq ans av. J. C., la même année que Syracuse. Les Romains changèrent le nom d’JÊ-pidamne en celui de Dyrrachium. C’est aujourd’hui la Ville de Durraxzo.

Les députés d’Épidamne se constituaient suppliants, parce que, venant d’une ville qui avait fait une révolution populaire, ils craignaient que le gouvernement aristocratique de Corcyre ne voulût pas les écouter. La posture des suppliants consistait à s'asseoir sur les marches d’un autel, en tenant à la main un rameau d’olivier entouré de Biine. Par ce moyen on était sûr d’obtenir audience. Junon était la divinité nationale de Corcyre.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.24

Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator)

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