Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 2.52

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Zu allem Elend kam dann noch der Zusammenfluß so
vieler Menschen vom Lande in die Stadt, und diese selbst
hatten darunter am meisten zu leiden. Denn da sie nicht Häuser
genug vorfanden und die Sommerzeit in heißen und dumpfigen
Buden zubringen mußten, trat unter ihnen ein grauenhaftes
Sterben ein. So wie sie übereinander verreckten, blieben sie
als Leichen liegen, oder sie wälzten sich halbtot auf den Straßen
oder vor Gier nach Wasser um die Brunnen. Selbst die
Tempel, in denen sie untergekommen und dann gestorben waren,
tagen voller Leichen. Bei dem grenzenlosen Elend wußten die
Menschen eben nicht mehr, was sie anfangen sollten, und
kümmerten sich nicht länger um Religion und fromme Sitte.
Auch über alles, was bis dahin bei Begräbnissen Rechtens ge
wesen war, setzte man sich hinweg, und jeder begrub seine
Toten, so gut er konnte. Manche gingen dabei gradezu scham
los zu Werke, weil ihnen schon so viele gestorben waren, daß
es ihnen an den nötigen Mitteln für ein Begräbnis fehlte.
Sie legten ihre Toten auf fremde Scheiterhaufen und zündeten
sie an, ehe die Leute, die sie aufgeschichtet hatten, dazu kamen,
oder warfen die mitgebrachte Leiche auf den ersten besten,
schon brennenden Scheiterhaufen und machten dann, daß sie
wegkamen.

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).) — 2.52.1 focus

[1] ἐπίεσε δ’ αὐτοὺς μᾶλλον πρὸς τῷ ὑπάρχοντι πόνῳ καὶ ἡ ξυγκομιδὴ ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν ἐς τὸ ἄστυ, καὶ οὐχ ἧσσον τοὺς ἐπελθόντας.

[2] οἰκιῶν γὰρ οὐχ ὑπαρχουσῶν, ἀλλ’ ἐν καλύβαις πνιγηραῖς ὥρᾳ ἔτους διαιτωμένων ὁ φθόρος ἐγίγνετο οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ νεκροὶ ἐπ’ ἀλλήλοις ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἔκειντο καὶ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐκαλινδοῦντο καὶ περὶ τὰς κρήνας ἁπάσας ἡμιθνῆτες τοῦ ὕδατος ἐπιθυμίᾳ.

[3] τά τε ἱερὰ ἐν οἷς ἐσκήνηντο νεκρῶν πλέα ἦν, αὐτοῦ ἐναποθνῃσκόντων· ὑπερβιαζομένου γὰρ τοῦ κακοῦ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅτι γένωνται, ἐς ὀλιγωρίαν ἐτράποντο καὶ ἱερῶν καὶ ὁσίων ὁμοίως.

[4] νόμοι τε πάντες ξυνεταράχθησαν οἷς ἐχρῶντο πρότερον περὶ τὰς ταφάς, ἔθαπτον δὲ ὡς ἕκαστος ἐδύνατο. καὶ πολλοὶ ἐς ἀναισχύντους θήκας ἐτράποντο σπάνει τῶν ἐπιτηδείων διὰ τὸ συχνοὺς ἤδη προτεθνάναι σφίσιν· ἐπὶ πυρὰς γὰρ ἀλλοτρίας φθάσαντες τοὺς νήσαντας οἱ μὲν ἐπιθέντες τὸν ἑαυτῶν νεκρὸν ὑφῆπτον, οἱ δὲ καιομένου ἄλλου ἐπιβαλόντες ἄνωθεν ὃν φέροιεν ἀπῇσαν.

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.) — 2.52.1 focus

[1] Besides the present affliction, the reception of the country people and of their substance into the city oppressed both them and much more the people themselves that so came in.

[2] For having no houses but dwelling at that time of the year in stifling booths, the mortality was now without all form; and dying men lay tumbling one upon another in the streets, and men halfdead about every conduit through desire of water. The temples also where they dwelt in tents were all full of the dead that died within them.

[3] For oppressed with the violence of the calamity and not knowing what to do, men grew careless both of holy and profane things alike.

[4] And the laws which they formerly used touching funerals were all now broken, every one burying where he could find room. And many for want of things necessary, after so many deaths before, were forced to become impudent in the funerals of their friends. For when one had made a funeral pile, another getting before him would throw on his dead and give it fire. And when one was in burning, another would come and, having cast thereon him whom he carried, go his way again.

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.) — 2.52.1 focus

[1] An aggravation of the existing calamity was the influx from the country into the city, and this was especially felt by the new arrivals.

[2] As there were no houses to receive them, they had to be lodged at the hot season of the year in stifling cabins, where the mortality raged without restraint. The bodies of dying men lay one upon another, and half-dead creatures reeled about the streets and gathered round all the fountains in their longing for water.

[3] The sacred places also in which they had quartered themselves were full of corpses of persons that had died there, just as they were; for as the disaster passed all bounds, men, not knowing what was to become of them, became utterly careless of everything, whether sacred or profane.

[4] All the burial rites before in use were entirely upset, and they buried the bodies as best they could. Many from want of the proper appliances, through so many of their friends having died already, had recourse to the most shameless sepultures: sometimes getting the start of those who had raised a pile, they threw their own dead body upon the stranger's pyre and ignited it; sometimes they tossed the corpse which they were carrying on the top of another that was burning, and so went off.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 2.52 focus

Es bedrängte sie aber zudem vorhandenen Elend mehr noch
der Zusammenfluß von Menschen vom Lande nach der Stadt, und
nicht weniger litten dadurch die Ankömmlinge selbst. Denn da die
Häuser für sie nicht hinreichten, sondern sie sich zur Sommerszeit in
dumpfigen Hütten aushalten mußten, so gingen sie in wüstem Unwesen
zu Grunde, ja sogar aus und über einander starben sie dahin und
blieben als Leichen liegen, oder sie wälzten sich auf den Straßen und
um alle Brunnen, halbtodt aus Begierde nach Wasser. Die Tempel,
in denen sie ein Unterkommen gesucht hatten, waren gestillt mit Leichen,
da sie an heiliger Stelle dahin starben. Denn ganz überwältigt von ¹
dem Elend wußten die Menschen nicht, was da noch werden sollte, <
und fingen an sich nm göttliche wie um menschliche Dinge nicht mehr
zu kümmern. Alle gesetzlichen Gebräuche, die man früher bei
Begräbnissen beobachtet hatte, wurden vernachlässigt, und Jeder begrub seine
Todten, wie er eben konnte. Viele ans Mangel an den nöthigen
Erfordernissen, da ihnen schon zu Viele gestorben waren, wurden so
schamlos, daß sie ihre Todten auf fremde Scheiterhaufen legten und
diese in Brand steckten, ehe noch die dazu kommen konnten, welche sie
ausgerichtet hatten, oder auch warfen sie ihren mitgebrachten Leichnam
aus den ersten besten brennenden Scheiterhaufen und machten sich davon.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 2.52 focus

LII. Ce qui contribua surtout à aggraver les maux du moment fut l’affluence de ceux qui vinrent de la campagne à la ville. Ces derniers eurent particulièrement à souffrir : sans maisons, sans autre abri, au plus fort de la chaleur, que des cabanes privées d’air, ils périssaient en foule ; en l’absence de tout ordre, les morts restaient entassés les uns sur les autres. On voyait des malheureux se rouler dans les rues, autour de toutes les fontaines, à demi morts et dévorés par la soif. Les temples mêmes étaient remplis des cadavres de ceux qui étaient venus s’y abriter et mourir. Car tel fut l’excès du mal et de l’abattement, que, ne sachant plus que devenir, on perdit tout respect pour les choses soit sacrées, soit profanes. Les lois suivies jusque-là pour les funérailles furent mises en oubli ; chacun ensevelissait ses morts comme il pouvait. Beaucoup même, manquant du nécessaire pour les sépultures, parce qu’ils avaient déjà perdu un grand nombre des leurs, eurent recours sans pudeur à d’indignes moyens : les uns allaient déposer leurs morts sur un bûcher étranger, et, devançant ceux qui l’avaient élevé, y mettaient le feu ; d’antres, pendant qu’on brûlait un cadavre, jetaient par-dessus le corps qu’ils portaient et s’en allaient.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 2.52 focus

Ce qui aggrava encore le fléau, ce fut l’entassement des campagnards dans la ville. Les nouveaux venus eurent particulièrement à souffrir. Ne trouvant plus de maisons disponibles, ils se logeaient, au cœur de l’été, dans des huttes privées d’air; aussi mouraient-ils en foule. Les corps inanimés gisaient pêle-mêle. On voyait des infortunés se rouler dans les rues, autour de toutes les fontaines, à demi morts et consumés par la soif. Les lieux saints où l’on campait étaient jonchés de cadavres; oar les hommes, atterrés par l’immensité du mal, avaient perdu le respect des choses divines et sacrées. Toutes les coutumes observées jusqu’alors pour les inhumations furent violées; on enterrait comme on pouvait. Les objets nécessaires aux funérailles étant devenus rares dans quelques familles, il y eut des gens qui eurent recours à des moyens infâmes : les uns allaient déposer leurs morts sur des bûchers qui ne leur appartenaient pas, et, devançant ceux qui les avaient dressés, ils j mettaient je feu; d’autres, pendant qu’un premier cadavre brûlait, jetaient le leur par-dessus et s’enfuyaient.

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.) — 2.52.1 focus

[1] But in addition to the trouble under which they already laboured, the Athenians suffered further hardship owing to the crowding into the city of the people from the country districts; and this affected the new arrivals especially.

[2] For since no houses were available for them and they had to live in huts that were stifling in the hot season, they perished in wild disorder. Bodies of dying men lay one upon another, and half-dead people rolled about in the streets and, in their longing for water, near all the fountains.

[3] The temples, too, in which they had quartered themselves were full of the corpses of those who had died in them; for the calamity which weighed upon them was so overpowering that men, not knowing what was to become of them, became careless of all law, sacred as well as profane.

[4] And the customs which they had hitherto observed regarding burial were all thrown into confusion, and they buried their dead each one as he could. And many resorted to shameless modes of burial because so many members of their households had already died that they lacked the proper funeral materials. Resorting to other people's pyres, some, anticipating those who had raised them, would put on their own dead and kindle the fire; others would throw the body they were carrying upon one which was already burning and go away.

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.) — 2.52.1 focus

[1] In addition to the original calamity, what oppressed them still more was the crowding into the city from the country, especially the new comers.

[2] For as they had no houses, but lived in stifling cabins at the hot season of the year, the mortality amongst them spread without restraint; bodies lying on one another in the death-agony, and half-dead creatures rolling about in the streets and round all the fountains, in their longing for water. The sacred places also in which they had quartered themselves, were full of the corpses of those that died there in them:

[3] for in the surpassing violence of the calamity, men not knowing what was to become of them, came to disregard every thing, both sacred and profane, alike. And all the laws were violated which they before observed respecting burials;

[4] and they buried them as each one could. And many from want of proper means, in consequence of so many of their friends having already died, had recourse to shameless modes of sepulture; for on the piles prepared for others, some, anticipating those who had raised them, would lay their own dead relative and set fire to them; and others, while the body of a stranger was burning, would throw on the top of it the one they were carrying, and go away.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 2.52.1 focus

[1] Pressit eos autem magis etiam praeter laborem, quo jam vexabantur, ipsa quoque ex agris in urbem commigra-lio, et praecipue quidem eos, qui accesserant.

[2] Quum enim aedes non suppeterent, sed in tuguriolis aestuosis ob anni tempus habitarent, strages edebatur nullo ordine, sed etiam mortui alii super alios qot peribant jacebant; et in viis volutabantur et circa fontes omnes semimortui aquae desiderio.

[3] Et templa, in quibus tabernacula habitandi causa fecerant, cadaveribus erant referta eorum, qui ibi moriebantur; malj enim violentia supra modum urgente, homines non habentes, quid se fieret, publica privataque sacra pariter negligere coeperunt.

[4] Omnesque leges» quibus ante in sepultura utebantur, sunt conturbatae, et sepeliebant, ut quisque poterat Multique ad impudentia sepulcra se converterunt, quum justa deficerent propter multitudinem eorum, qui sibi ex suis jam ante mortui erant; in alienos enim rogos, antevertentes illos, qui eos exstruxerant, alii mortuum suum imponebant, igneque subjecto accendebant, alii vero, dum alterius cadaver arderet, suo cadavere, quod ipsi ferebant, superjecto, discedebant.

Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides First1KGreek (Thucydides. Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides. Gürsching, Heinrich, translator. Augsburg: Wirth, 1856.) — 2.46.1 focus

[1] Und nun, da ich als Festredner nach bestem Wissen dem Gesetze genügt, und die Veranstaltungen zur Ehre der Bestatteten theils schon beendigt, theils die alsbaldige Uebemahme der Erziehung ihrer Söhne bis zum Mannesalter vom Staate freigebig beschlossen ist — und solche Aufopferung jetzt und in Zukunft nicht ungelohnt zu lassen, ist er sich schuldig; denn je grösser der Ehrenpreis, der den Tapfern erwartet, desto mehr zuverlässige Männer hat der Staat —

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 2.52 focus

Ma l’introduzione della gente di campagna in città, oltre al malore che soffrivano, oppresse anche più gli Ateniesi, e principalmente gli ultimi venuti. Condor siachè per mancanza di case alloggiando questi in tuguri, ove per la stagione che correva restavano soffocati dal caldo, morivano in mezzo alla confusione, e spirando giacevano ammonticati gli uni su gli altri ; e per bramosia d’acqua semivivi voltolavansi per le strade e presso tutte le fontane. Gli stessi sacri recinti ove avevano dispiegato le tende erano pieni dei cadaveri di quei che vi morivano. E poiché senza modo cominciò a montare la ferocità della pestilenza , posero in non cale le cose sacre e profane egualmente, non sapendo quello che di sé addiverrebbe; cosicché le sacre cerimonie usate dianzi nel seppellire erano tutte perturbate, dando ciascuno sepoltura in quel modo che poteva. Molti furono che per le già accadute continue morti dei loro , trovandosi privi dei congiunti si volsero a cercar sepolture senza nissuno onesto riguardo ; perciocché alcuni gettavano il morto sulle pire altrui, prevenendo quelli che le avevano accatastate, e vi appiccavano il fuoco ; altri nel mentre si bruciava un cadavere ponevanvi quello avevano in su le spalle e se n’ andavano.

Commentary

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

Ἐπίεσε .. ἡ ξυγκομιδὴ —the in version makes both emphatic.

ἡ ξυγκομιδὴ ἐκ τῶν ἀ —for the art. not repeated before the prep., cf. c. 18, 3, 38, 1. ( a) The noun or adj. must be connected with a verb which takes the construction used with it ( κομίζομαι ἐκ τῶν ἀ.) to admit of this inversion of the order, ( b) if the words which are inverted precede (see on c. 7, 2), the object is to produce an antithesis; but if, as more commonly, they follow the noun or adj., it is merely for the sake of convenience.

οὐχ ἧσσον — = μᾶλλον.

Καλύβαις —Aristoph. (see c. 17, 1) says ἐν ταῖς πιθάκναισι καὶ γυπαρίοις καὶ πυργιδίοις. ὥρᾳ ἔτους—Suidas gives ὥρα ἔτους· τὸ ἔαρ καὶ τὸ θέρος, and rightly takes ὥρα to denote the best time, as we use ‘the season.’

οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ —it may be judged from tragedy how important the Greeks thought it to make a graceful exit from the world.

ἀλλὰ καὶ —expresses οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ in a positive form. [

ἀποθνῄσκοντες ] —a gloss on ἡμιθνῆτες. (It is not possible to take this as imperf. partic., like ἀπογιγνομένων in 51, 5, since not νεκροὶ ἀποθνῄσκοντες, but νεκροὶ ἀποθνῃσκόντων would be necessary; for νεκρὸς ἀπέθανεν could not be right) καλινδούμενοι—καλινδοῦμαι is figurative in meaning) ( κυλίνδομαι is literal.

Ἐναποθνῃσκόντων —gen. abs. ‘men dying there.’

ἔχοντες — = εἰδότες. ὅ τι —cf. Eur. Or. 418 δουλεύομεν θεοῖς, ὄ τι ποτ’ εἰσὶν οἱ θεοἰ. ἱερῶν καὶ ὁσίων —cf. Isocr. 7, 66 τὴν δημοκρατίαν κος μήσασαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τοῖς ἱεροῖς καὶ τοῖς ὀσίοις, and 53, 4 θεῶν φόβος ἢ ἀνθρώπων νόμος .

Θήκας —for ταφάς, ‘modes of burial.’ This meaning is sufficiently proved by Sta., who quotes Plat. Rep. 427 B.

ἐπιτηδείων —neut., whatever was required for the burning and burial.

ἐπὶ πυρὰς —governed both by ἐπιθέντες and ἐπιβαλόντες. For ἐπὶ πυρὰς ... ἑπιθέντες . . ὑφῆπτον, see c. 13, 2.

ὃν φέροιεν — M. T. 522.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.52

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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