Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Adolf Wahrmund (Translator), 6.35

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So redete Hermokrates; das Äolk der Syrakusier aber
gerieth unter sich in großen Streit, denn die Einen meinten, daß die
Athener unmöglich kommen könnten, und was Hermokrates gesagt
habe, sei nicht wahr; die Andern aber sagten: und wenn sie wirklich
kämen, was sie ihnen denn anthun könnten, ohne selber noch Größeres
dafür leiden zu müssen. Noch Andere hielten die ganze Sache nicht
für des Redens werth und zogen sie in's Lächerliche. Einige Wenige
aber glaubten dem Hermokrates und waren besorgt wegen der
Zukunft. Da trat aber Athenagoras auf, der bedeutendste Führer der
Volkspartei, welcher unter den damaligen Verhältnissen bei den
Meisten das größte Vertrauen genoß, und redete also:

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).) — 6.35.1 focus

[1] καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἑρμοκράτης τοσαῦτα εἶπεν· τῶν δὲ Συρακοσίων ὁ δῆμος ἐν πολλῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔριδι ἦσαν, οἱ μὲν ὡς οὐδενὶ ἂν τρόπῳ ἔλθοιεν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι οὐδ’ ἀληθῆ ἐστὶν ἃ λέγει, τοῖς δέ, εἰ καὶ ἔλθοιεν, τί ἂν δράσειαν αὐτοὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἂν μεῖζον ἀντιπάθοιεν. ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ πάνυ καταφρονοῦντες ἐς γέλωτα ἔτρεπον τὸ πρᾶγμα. ὀλίγον δ’ ἦν τὸ πιστεῦον τῷ Ἑρμοκράτει καὶ φοβούμενον τὸ μέλλον.

[2] παρελθὼν δ’ αὐτοῖς Ἀθηναγόρας, ὃς δήμου τε προστάτης ἦν καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι πιθανώτατος τοῖς πολλοῖς, ἔλεγε τοιάδε.

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.) — 6.35.1 focus

[1] Thus spake Hermocrates. But the people of Syracuse were at much strife amongst themselves, some contending that the Athenians would by no means come and that the reports were not true, and others that if they came they would do no more harm than they were likely again to receive. Some contemned and laughed at the matter; but some few there were that believed Hermocrates and feared the event.

[2] But Athenagoras, who was chief magistrate of the people, and at that time most powerful with the commons, spake as followeth:

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.) — 6.35.1 focus

[1] Thus far spoke Hermocrates. Meanwhile the people of Syracuse were at great strife among themselves; some contending that the Athenians had no idea of coming and that there was no truth in what he said; some asking if they did come what harm they could do that would not be repaid them tenfold in return; while others made light of the whole affair and turned it into ridicule. In short, there were few that believed Hermocrates and feared for the future.

[2] Meanwhile Athenagoras, the leader of the people and very powerful at that time with the masses, came forward and spoke as follows:—

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 6.35 focus

So redete Hermvkrates. Unter den Syrakusern aber
kam es zu heftigem Streit. Die einen behaupteten, die
Athener würden auf keinen Fall kommen, und was Hermv
krates sage, sei nicht wahr; die anderen, wenn sie auch kämen,
was würden sie ihnen denn tun können, was sie nicht zehnmal
wiederkriegten? Nur wenige waren es, welche Hermvkrates
glaubten und mit Sorge in die Zukunft sahen. Da trat
Athenagoras, der Führer der Volkspartei und zurzeit bei der
großen Menge der einflußreichste Mann, vor ihnen auf und
sagte:

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 6.35 focus

XXXV. Ainsi parla Hermocrate. De longs débats s’élevèrent parmi les Syracusains : ceux-ci prétendaient que les Athéniens ne viendraient en aucune façon, et que les assertions d’Hermocrate étaient fausses; a et, « quand ils viendraient, disaient ceux-là, quel mal « pourraient-ils nous faire, sans être plus maltrai- « tés en retour? » D’autres, avec un souverain dédain, tournaient la chose en raillerie. Il y en avait bien peu qui crussent Hermocrate et conçussent des craintes pour l’avenir. Athénagoras s’avança : c'était un des chefs du peuple et l’homme qui avait alors le plus d’ascendant sur la multitude. Il parla ainsi :

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 6.35 focus

Lorsque Hermocratès eut fini de parler, une longue discussion s’engagea dans l'assemblée. Les uns révoquaient en doute ses assertions, et soutenaient que les Athéniens ne viendraient point; d’autres disaient : « S’ils viennent, quel mal nous feront-ils que nous ne leur rendions avec usure? » D’autres enfin affectaient un souverain mépris , et tournaient en dérision toute cette affaire. Quelques-uns seulement croyaient Hermocratès et appréhendaient l’avenir. Athénagoras, qui était alors le chef du parti populaire et l’orateur le mieux écouté, parut à la tribune et prononça le discours suivant :

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.) — 6.35.1 focus

[1] Such was the speech of Hermocrates. But the Syracusan people were at great strife among themselves: some maintained that the Athenians would not come at all and that the reports were not true; others asked, even if they did come, what could they do to them that they would not themselves suffer still more; others quite contemptuously turned the matter into ridicule. There were, however, a few who believed Hermocrates and feared what was coming.

[2] But Athenagoras, who was a popular leader and at the present time most influential with the masses, came forward and addressed them as follows:—

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.) — 6.35.1 focus

[1] Such was the speech of Hermocrates. But the people of Syracuse were at great strife one with another; some maintaining that the Athenians would by no means come, and that what he said was not the truth; others asking what they could do, if they did come, which they would not suffer on a larger scale in return. Others, again, treated the matter with utter contempt, and turned it to ridicule; while there were but few who believed Hermocrates, and were afraid of what was coming.

[2] Athenagoras, who was a leader of the people, and most influential with the multitude at the present time, then came forward to them and spoke as follows:

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 6.35.1 focus

[1] Atque Hermocrates quidem haec dixit; inter populum vero Syracusanum ingens altercatio erat, quod alii quidem Athenienses nullo modo venturos dicerent, et quae ille dixerat, non vera esse, alii vero dicerent, etiam si illi veniant, quid se facere possint, quo non et ipsi vicissim gravius malum sint accepturi. Quinetiam alii rem istam prorsus contemnebant et in risum convertebant Pauci vero erant, qui Hermocrati fidem haberent, et futurum formidarent

[2] Progressus autem ad eos Athenagoras», qui populi princeps, et id temporis propter popularem facundiam apud plebem gratiosissimus erat, dicebat luec :

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 6.35 focus

Con tanta forza parlò Ermocrate , e nel popolo siràcusano fuvvi gran repetio , dicendo alcuni che gli Ateniesi non verrebbero in nessun modo, e che false erano le cose recitate da Ermocrate ; altri che quand’anche venissero sarebbe più il danno che riceverebbero di quello che farebbero ; altri poi dispregiavano adatto e volgevano in riso la cosa, Pochi vi erano che credessero ad Ermocrate, e temessero del futuro. Ma Atenagora, capo del popolo ed allora per la sua facondia accettissimo alla moltitudine , fattosi fra loro innanzi disse queste parole :

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6 (Thucydides, Book VI. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1909.) focus

ἐν πολλῇ ἔριδι ἦσαν, ὡς —cf. II. 54 ἐγένετο ἔρις τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μὴ λοιμὸν ὠνομάσθαι.

οὐδ’ ἀληθῆ ἐστιν ἃ λέγοιτο —for the dependent verb in opt. in O.O. when the leading verb retains the indic., M T. § 690. See crit. note, and Intr. p. xxiii.

οἱ δέ —the sentenee proceeds as if ἔλεγον in place of έν ἕριδι ἦσαν were the verb. On the MSS. reading τοῖς δέ Stahl notes that whereas there are examples of a passing from an oblique case into the nom. ( e.g. c 24, 3 n.; and not unfrequent in tragedy), there are no other examples of a passing from the nom. into an oblique ease. The difference ean be appreciated by comparing Eur. Phoen. 1474 (Poppo) ἦν δ’ ἔρις στρατηλάταις, | οἱ μὲν πατάξαι πρόσθε Πολυνείκην δορί, | οἱ δ’ ὡς θανόντων οὐδαμοῦ νίκη πέλοι.

εἰ καὶ ἕλθοιεν —the brevity of the form finely expresses the keenness of the ἔρις .

αὐτούς —more regularly σφᾶς.

ἐς γέλωτα ἔτρεπον —Aristoph. Wasps 1253 εἰς γέλων τὸ πρᾶγμ) ἔτρεψας.

τὸ πιστεῦον —the neut. is often so used by Thuc colleetively for the masc. plur.; cf. c. 69, 3 τὸ ὑπηκοον τῶν ξυμμάχων, and with adverb without partic. τὸ μὴ ἐκποδὼν τετίμηται II. 45 ; πᾶν τὸ ἐξ ἐναντίας, καὶ εἰ φίλιον εἴη τῶν φευγόντων VII. 44 .

Ἀθηναγόρας —nothing more is heard of him, but, from the mention of his name and the description given of him, he must have been famous. He would, however, as leader of the popular party and opposed to Hermocrates, be promment only in time of peace.

δήμου προστάτης —cf. c. 28, 2 δήμου προεστάναι. The phrase is often applied to unofficial leaders of a popular party, and in Ath. Pol. is interchanged with δημαγωγός, and is contrasted with τῶν γνωρίμων, εὐπόρων, ἐπιφανῶν, προστάτης. He was ‘the man whom the multitude expected to come forward as their champion— ἐν τῷ παρόντι, as long as they eontinued to trust him’ (Freeman). Of course he might be a στρατηγός, as Pericles, but was not necessarily in any official position. The speech that follows is very remarkable; like the Funeral Oration ( II. 35 ), it does not apply only to the matter immediately under consideration, but has a wider range as illustrating the politics of Syracuse, and indeed of all democracies. It shows how ‘it is much easier to draw up a democratic constitution than to work it, when drawn up, in a democratic spirit’ (Freeman).

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.35

Adolf Wahrmund (Translator)

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