Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 1.38

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„So aber haben sie sich weder gegen uns noch gegen
andere benommen. Obgleich unsere Kolonie, haben sie sich
völlig von uns getrennt und führen jetzt Krieg mit uns, indem
sie sagen, sie seien nicht dazu ausgesandt, um schlecht von uns
behandelt zu werden. Wir aber sagen, daß auch wir sie nicht
ausgesandt haben, um uns von ihnen mit Füßen treten zu
lassen, sondern um unseren Rang als Mutterstadt ihnen gegen
über zu behaupten und die uns gebührenden Ehren zu genießen.
Alle unsere anderen Kolonien geben uns diese Ehren, und
niemand hält lieber zu unS als unsere alten Landsleute. Wenn
aber die anderen alle mit uns zufrieden sind, so beweist das
eben, daß sie keinen Grund haben, allein mit uns unzufrieden
zu sein, und daß wir uns nur infolge ausgesuchter Beleidi
gungen zu diesem unnatürlichen Kriege gegen unsere eigene
Tochterstadt entschlossen haben. Ihnen hätte es Ehre gemacht,
selbst wenn wir gefehlt, unsere Empfindlichkeit zu schonen, uns
aber zur Schande gereicht, solcher Bescheidenheit gegenüber
dann doch Gewalt zu gebrauchen. In ihrem Übermut aber
und auf ihren Reichtum pochend, glauben sie sich alles gegen
uns erlauben zu können, und so haben sie jetzt auch Epidamnos,
das uns gehört und um das sie sich, solange es in Not war,
nie bekümmert hatten, als wir ihm zu Hilfe kamen, eingenommen
und sich gewaltsam angeeignet.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Theodor Braun (Translator). Leipzig. 1917.

Current edition First1KGreek

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs (German) (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 1.38.1 focus

[1] ἀλλ’ οὔτε πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους οὔτε ἐς ἡμᾶς τοιοίδε εἰσίν, ἄποικοι δ’ ὄντες ἀφεστᾶσί τε διὰ παντὸς καὶ νῦν πολεμοῦσι, λέγοντες ὡς οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ κακῶς πάσχειν ἐκπεμφθεῖεν.

[2] ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδ’ αὐτοί φαμεν ἐπὶ τῷ ὑπὸ τούτων ὑβρίζεσθαι κατοικίσαι, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τῷ ἡγεμόνες τε εἶναι καὶ τὰ εἰκότα θαυμάζεσθαι.

[3] αἱ γοῦν ἄλλαι ἀποικίαι τιμῶσιν ἡμᾶς, καὶ μάλιστα ὑπὸ ἀποίκων στεργόμεθα·

[4] καὶ δῆλον ὅτι, εἰ τοῖς πλέοσιν ἀρέσκοντές ἐσμεν, τοῖσδ’ ἂν μόνοις οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἀπαρέσκοιμεν, οὐδ’ ἐπιστρατεύομεν ἐκπρεπῶς μὴ καὶ διαφερόντως τι ἀδικούμενοι.

[5] καλὸν δ’ ἦν, εἰ καὶ ἡμαρτάνομεν, τοῖσδε μὲν εἶξαι τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ὀργῇ, ἡμῖν δὲ αἰσχρὸν βιάσασθαι τὴν τούτων μετριότητα·

[6] ὕβρει δὲ καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ πλούτου πολλὰ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἄλλα τε ἡμαρτήκασι καὶ Ἐπίδαμνον ἡμετέραν οὖσαν κακουμένην μὲν οὐ προσεποιοῦντο, ἐλθόντων δὲ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ ἑλόντες βίᾳ ἔχουσιν.

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.) — 1.38.1 focus

[1] "But they are not such, neither towards others nor towards us. For being our colony, they have not only been ever in revolt, but now they also make war upon us and say they were not sent out to be injured by us.

[2] But we say again that we did not send them forth to be scorned by them but to have the leading of them and to be regarded by them as is fit.

[3] For our other colonies both honour and love us much:

[4] which is an argument, seeing the rest are pleased with our actions, that these have no just cause to be offended alone, and that without some manifest wrong we should not have had colour to war against them.

[5] But say we had been in an error, it had been well done in them to have given way to our passion, as it had been also dishonourable in us to have insulted over their modesty. But through pride and wealth they have done wrong, both in many other things and also in this; that Epidamnus being ours which whilst it was vexed with wars they never claimed, as soon as we came to relieve it, was forcibly seized by them, and so holden.

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.) — 1.38.1 focus

But such has not been their conduct either towards others or towards us. The attitude of our colony towards us has always been one of estrangement, and is now one of hostility; for, say they,

We were not sent out to be ill-treated.

We rejoin that we did not found the colony to be insulted by them, but to be their head, and to be regarded with a proper respect.

At any rate, our other colonies honor us, and we are very much beloved by our colonists;

and clearly, if the majority are satisfied with us, these can have no good reason for a dissatisfaction in which they stand alone, and we are not acting improperly in making war against them, nor are we making war against them without having received signal provocation.

Besides, if we were in the wrong, it would be honorable in them to give way to our wishes, and disgraceful for us to trample on their moderation;

but in the pride and license of wealth they have sinned again and again against us, and never more deeply than when Epidamnus , our dependency, which they took no steps to claim in its distress, upon our coming to relieve it, was by them seized, and is now held by force of arms.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 1.38 focus

„Aber sie haben sich gegen Andere so wenig, wie gegen
uns so gezeigt. Obgleich sie ein Pflanzvolk von uns sind, haben sie
sich gänzlich von uns losgesagt, und jetzt führen sie Krieg gegen uns
und sagen, sie seien nicht deshalb als Ansiedler ausgesandt worden,
um sich Unrecht gefallen zu lassen. Wir aber sagen: wir haben sie nicht
ausgesandt, um von ihnen eine übermüthige Behandlung zu erfahren. ¹
sondern um als ihr Oberhaupt betrachtet und nach Gebühr geehrt zu
werden. Auch schätzen uns ja die übrigen Kolonien, und wir erfahren
von unseren Ansiedlern die größte Anhänglichkeit. Wenn nun die
Mehrzahl mit uns zufrieden ist, so ist es klar, daß diese allein keinen
genügenden Grund zur Unzufriedenheit haben, und wir selbst führen
auch keinen so auffälligen Krieg, ohne auffällig beleidigt worden zu
sein. Aber selbst wenn wir gefehlt hätten, wäre es für sie schicklich
gewesen, unserer Gereiztheit nachzugehen, und uns würde es dann
zur Schande gereicht haben, ihrer Mäßigung gegenüber mit
Anwendung von Gewalt zu verfahren. Sie haben aber in ihrem Uebermuthe
und im Trotz auf die Macht ihres Geldes sich auch noch anderweitig
viel an uns vergangen, und auch Epidamnos, das uns gehört, und
wonach sie nie Verlangen getragen haben, so lange die Stadt in Noth
war, haben sie mit Gewalt in Besitz genommen, als wir zur
Hilfeleistung unterwegs 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.) — 1.38 focus

XXXVIII. Mais telle n’a été leur conduite ni envers les autres ni à notre égard : colonie de Corinthe, ils se sont de tout temps montrés rebelles ; et maintenant ils nous font la guerre, sous prétexte qu’ils n’ont pas été envoyés pour être maltraités. Et nous aussi nous prétendons n’avoir pas fondé une colonie pour en recevoir des offenses, mais pour lui commander et obtenir d’elle les égards qui nous sont dus. Les autres colonies nous honorent ; les colons nous chérissent ; entourés de l’affection du plus grand nombre, nous déplaisons à eux seuls ; d’où il suit évidemment qu’il doit y avoir de leur faute, et que ce n’est pas sans raison, sans avoir à venger de graves outrages, que nous leur faisons la guerre. Eussions-nous tort, il eût été beau pour eux de céder à notre colère ; la honte serait à nous si, malgré leur modération, nous nous fussions abandonnés à la violence. Loin de là, insolents eux-mêmes et gonflés de leurs richesses, ils se sont portés envers nous à de nombreux outrages, particulièrement à propos d’Épi- damne : lorsque cette ville, qui nous appartient, était en proie aux horreurs de la guerre, ils n’intervinrent pas ; puis, quand nous sommes venus la secourir, ils s’en sont emparés et la retiennent de vive force.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 1.38 focus

« Mais ils n’ont garde d’agir ainsi ni .avec les autres, ni avec nous. Bien qu’ils soient nos colons, ils n’ont cessé de se séparer de nous, et maintenant ils nous combattent, sous prétexte qu’on ne les a pas envoyés en colonie pour être maltraités. A notre tour nous prétendons ne pas les avoir établis pour être en butte à leurs insultes, mais pour être leurs chefs et recevoir d’eux les hommages requis. Nos autres colonies nous vénèrent, et il n’y a pas de métropole plus chère que nous à ses colons. Si donc nous sommes bien vus du plus grand nombre, il est clair que nous ne saurions avec justice déplaire uniquement à ceux-ci, et que nous ne leur ferions pas une guerre exceptionnelle, si nous n’avions été exceptionnellement offensés. Et quand nous aurions des torts, il serait beau à eux de céder à notre colère, comme il serait honteux à nous de faire violence à leur modération. Mais non; pleins d’arrogance et infatués de leurs richesses, ils ont commis divers outrages envers nous, et en dernier lieu ils se sont emparés de notre ville d’Épidamne, qu'ils se gardaient bien de revendiquer quand elle était dans la détresse, mais qu’ils ont prise de force quand nous sommes allés à son secours.

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.) — 1.38.1 focus

[1] "But neither toward others nor toward us have they shown themselves honest men; on the contrary, although they are colonists of ours, they have constantly stood aloof from us, and now they are at war with us, claiming that they were not sent out to be ill treated.

[2] But neither did we colonize them to be insulted by them, but to be their leaders and to receive from them all due reverence.

[3] The rest of our colonies, at any rate, honour us, and by our colonists we are beloved more than is any other mother-city.

[4] And it is clear that, if we are acceptable to the majority, it cannot be on good grounds that we are unacceptable to these alone; nor are we making war upon them in a way so unusual without being also signally wronged.

[5] And even if we were at fault, the honourable course for them would have been to make allowance for our temper, in which case it would have been shameful for us to outrage their moderation; but in the insolence and arrogance of wealth they have wronged us in many other ways, and particularly in the case of Epidamnus, our colony, which they made no claim to when it was in distress, but seized by force the moment we came to its relief, and continue to hold.

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.) — 1.38.1 focus

[1] "But neither to others nor to us are they of such a character; but although our colonists, they have all along revolted from us, and are now making war upon us; saying that they were not sent out to be ill-treated.

[2] But we say that neither did we settle them there to be insulted by them, but to be their leaders, and to be properly respected by them.

[3] Our other colonies, at least, honour us, and we are very much beloved by our colonists;

[4] and it is evident, that if we are pleasing to the greater part, we should not, on a right view of the case, be displeasing to these alone; nor do we attack them unbecomingly, ¹ without being also signally injured by them.

[5] Even if we were in the wrong, it had been honourable for them to have yielded to our humour; but disgraceful for us to have done violence to their moderation: but through pride, and power of wealth, they have both acted wrongly towards us in many other things, and with regard to Epidamnus, which belonged to us, when it was ill-treated they did not claim it; but when we went to its assistance, they took it by force, and keep it.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 1.38.1 focus

[1] « Sed neque erga alios, neque erga nos tales existunt. Nam quum nostri sint coloni, tamen quum semper ante a nobis alieni fuerunt tum nunc etiam bellum faciunt, dicentes se, non ut maleficiis afficerentur, deductos.

[2] Nos vero respondemus, ne nos equidem idcirco coloniam deduxisse, ut ab ipsis contumelia afficeremur, sed ut ipsorum duces essemus, et quoad decet ab illis coleremur.

[3] Et vero ceterae coloniae nos honorant, et maxime a colonis diligimur.

[4] Atque patet, si majori numero grati sumus, nos istis solis immerito esse invisos, neque bellum ipsis egregie illaturos esse, nisi etiam insignem aliquam injuriam pateremur.

[5] Sed quamvis peccassemus, tamen illis quidem gloriosum erat, iracundiae nostrae cessisse; nobis vero foedum, eorum moderationi vim attulisse.

[6] Sed petulantia opumque licentia quum alia multa in nos peccaverunt, tum etiam Epidamnum, nostrae ditionis coloniam, donec quidem bello vexaretur, non affectabant; sed nobis auxilii causa eo profectis, per vim captam retinent.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 1.38 focus

« Ma non adoperano così nè con gli altri nè con noi. Anzi tutto clic nostri coloni, ci sono sempre stati ri' belli, ed or di più ci fanno guerra, allegando non essere stati mandati per soffrir danno : e noi pure diciamo avervi mandato colonia, non per patire insulti, ma per averne il governo e riscuoterne il dovuto rispetto. Certo le altre colonie ci onorano, ed è la gente al maggior segno contenta di noi: onde è chiaro che se siamo bene dei più, non può darsi che questi soli sicno giustamente disgustati di noi. Nè contro il nostro decoro porteremmo ad essi la guerra, ove non fossimo grandemente offesi. Ma sia pur nostro lo sbaglio : sarebbe stato nondimeno quanto dignitoso per loro cedere al nostro sdegno, altrettanto vergognoso per noi oppor violenza alla lor moderazione : laddove essi, oltre a mille altre offese, dopo non essersi data alcuna premura per Epidamno travagliata dal nemico, andati appena noi a soccorrerla, hanno colla loro petulanza e licenza, causata dalle ricchezze, espugnato cotesta città di nostra giurisdizione ; e la ritengono tuttora.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 1.38

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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