Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Adolf Wahrmund (Translator), 5.104

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Melier: „Auch wir, wisset das wohl, halten es für ¹
schwierig gegen eure Macht und das Glück anzukämpfen,' wenn cS<
seine Gunst nicht gleich vertheilen wird; gleichwohl vertrauen wir,
das Glück, das von den Göttern kommt/werde nnS nicht unterliegen
lassen, weil wir Nichtgerecbten gegenüber für das Heilige einstchen;
was uns aber an Macht abgeht, glauben wir, werde uns durch die
Bundeshülfe der Lakedämonier ersetzt werden, die, wenn auS keinem
andern Grund, doch:schon der Verwandtschaft wegen und um Schande
zu vermeiden,'uns zu Hülfe kommen müssen..- .Unser Vertrauen ist
nicht so ganz und gar blind."

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Adolf Wahrmund (Translator). Stuttgart. 1864.

Current edition First1KGreek

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs (German) (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 5.104.1 focus

ΜΗΛ.

χαλεπὸν μὲν καὶ ἡμεῖς (εὖ ἴστε) νομίζομεν πρὸς δύναμίν τε τὴν ὑμετέραν καὶ τὴν τύχην, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου ἔσται, ἀγωνίζεσθαι· ὅμως δὲ πιστεύομεν τῇ μὲν τύχῃ ἐκ τοῦ θείου μὴ ἐλασσώσεσθαι, ὅτι ὅσιοι πρὸς οὐ δικαίους ἱστάμεθα, τῆς δὲ δυνάμεως τῷ ἐλλείποντι τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων ἡμῖν ξυμμαχίαν προσέσεσθαι, ἀνάγκην ἔχουσαν, καὶ εἰ μή του ἄλλου, τῆς γε ξυγγενείας ἕνεκα καὶ αἰσχύνῃ βοηθεῖν. καὶ οὐ παντάπασιν οὕτως ἀλόγως θρασυνόμεθα.

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.) — 5.104.1 focus

[1] Mel. We think it, you well know, a hard matter for us to combat your power and fortune, unless we might do it on equal terms. Nevertheless we believe that, for fortune, we shall be nothing inferior, as having the gods on our side, because we stand innocent against men unjust; and for power, what is wanting in us will be supplied by our league with the Lacedaemonians, who are of necessity obliged, if for no other cause, yet for consanguinity's sake and for their own honour, to defend us. So that we are confident, not altogether so much without reason as you think.

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.) — 5.104.1 focus

‘You may be sure that we are as well aware as you of the difficulty of contending against your power and fortune, unless the terms be equal. But we trust that the gods may grant us fortune as good as yours, since we are just men fighting against unjust, and that what we want in power will be made up by the alliance of the Lacedaemonians, who are bound, if only for very shame, to come to the aid of their kindred. Our confidence, therefore, after all is not so utterly irrational.’

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 5.104 focus

Melier: „Auch wir, das könnt ihr glauben, sehen die
Schwierigkeit ein, bei so ungleichen Mitteln den Kampf gegen
eure Macht und euer Glück aufzunehmen; wir vertrauen jedoch
auf unser Glück, daß die Gottheit uns nicht wird unterliegen
lassen, da wir eine gerechte Sache gegen einen Gewaltakt ver
treten. Sofern es uns aber selbst an Macht fehlt, rechnen
wir auf die Hilfe der Lakedämonier, die uns als ihre Stammes
genossen schon anstandshalber werden beistehen müssen. So
ganz unbegründet ist unser Vertrauen demnach nicht."

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 5.104 focus

CIV. L es M éliens. « Et nous aussi, nous croyons difficile, n’en doutez pas, de lutter à la fois, dans des conditions inégales, contre votre puissance et contre la fortune; mais du côté de la fortune, nous avons bon espoir, avec la protection des dieux, de ne vous être pas inférieurs en défendant des droits sacrés contre l’injustice; quant à l’infériorité de nos forces, nous espérons que l’alliance des Lacédémoniens y suppléera; car, en dehors même de tout autre motif, la communauté d’origine et l’honneur les obligent à nous venir en aide. Notre confiance n’est donc pas si absolument dépourvue de raison.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 5.104 focus

Les Méliens. Nous aussi, n’en doutez pas, nous croyons difficile d’entrer en lutte avec votre puissance et votre fortune; il faudrait pour cela des armes moins inégales. Toutefois, pour ce qui est de la fortune, nous plaçons notre confiance dans la faveur divine, car notre cause est juste et la vôtre ne l’est pas; et pour ce qui est de nos forces, l’infériorité en sera compensée par l’alliance des Lacédémoniens, alliance dictée par la communauté d’origine et par un sentiment d’honneur. Notre assurance n’est donc pas si mal fondée.

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.) — 5.104.1 focus

[1] MEL. “We, too, be well assured, think it difficult to contend both against your power and against fortune, unless she shall be impartial; but nevertheless we trust that, in point of fortune, we shall through the divine favour be at no disadvantage because we are god-fearing men standing our ground against men who are unjust; and as to the matter of power, that the alliance of the Lacedaemonians will supply what we lack, since that alliance must aid us, if for no other reason, because of our kinship with them and for very shame. So our confidence is not altogether so irrational as you may suppose.”

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.) — 5.104.1 focus

[1] Mel.

Difficult indeed even we, be well assured, consider it to contend against your power and fortune, unless we are able to do it on equal terms. However, we trust that in point of fortune we shall, by the favour of the gods, not be worsted, because we are standing up in a righteous cause against unjust opponents; and that our deficiency in power will be made up by our Lacedaemonian allies; who are under a necessity of succouring us, if for no other reason, yet on account of our connexion with them, and for very shame.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 5.104.1 focus

[1] Mel. Arduum quidem nos quoque (hoc probe sciatis) ducimus esse, et cum vestra potentia et cum fortuna, si non ex aequo utrisque erit, certare; veruntamen confidimus fortuna quidem ob divinum auxilium nos non inferiores futuros, quia pii haud justis obsistimus; ad potentiae vero tenuitatem Lacedaemoniorum societatem nobis adfuturam, quae si nulla alia re, saltem cognatione et pudore adducta opem ferre cogetur. Quare non plane per temeritatem sic audaces sumus.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 5.104 focus

Melii. « Siate certi che noi crediamo ardua cosa quella di combattere contro le vostre forze, e contro la fortuna, se non potremo farlo alla pari. Tuttavia quanto alla fortuna speriamo con l’aiuto degli Dei che non vi saremo inferiori ; perchè noi gente dabbene ci opponiamo alla vostra ingiustizia. Al difetto poi delle forze supplirà l’unione di quelle dei Lacedemoni, obbligati a soccorrerci, se non altro per parentela e per sentimento di onore : onde per queste ragioni non è affatto temeraria la nostra fiducia ».

Notes on the current edition

History of the Peloponnesian War

1. 416
v.
Chr.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 5.104

Adolf Wahrmund (Translator)

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