Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 2.7

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Nachdem das Gewitter in Platää zum Ausbruch gekommen
war, konnte natürlich vom Frieden keine Rede mehr sein, und
die Athener rüsteten zum Kriege. Die Lakedämonier aber und
ihre Bundesgenossen rüsteten ebenfalls. Auch schickten beide
Teile gleich Gesandtschaften an den Perserkönig und solche
barbarische Völkerschaften, von denen sie sich irgendwelche Hilfe
versprachen, wie sie sich auch unter den unabhängigen Staaten
nach Bundesgenossen umsahen. Die Lakedämonier wiesen die
ihnen befreundeten Städte in Italien und Sizilien an, zur
Verstärkung der auf fünfhundert Segel zu bringenden pelo
ponnesischen Flotte je nach ihrer Größe eine Anzahl Schiffe
einzustellen und sich auf bestimmte Geldleistungen einzurichten,
im übrigen aber bis zur Vollendung der Rüstungen ruhig zu
bleiben und auch die Athener, wenn sie nur mit einem einzelnen
Schiffe kämen, nach wie vor in ihren Häfen zuzulassen. Die
Athener aber musterten die Kräfte ihres Seebundes und be
schickten namentlich auch die um den Peloponnes liegenden
Orte, Kerkyra, Kephallenia, Akarnanien und Zakynthos, da ihnen
einleuchtete, wenn sie mit denen auf gutem Fuße ständen, würden
sie den Peloponnes von allen Seiten nachdrücklich bekämpfen
können.

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).) — 2.7.1 focus

[1] γεγενημένου δὲ τοῦ ἐν Πλαταιαῖς ἔργου καὶ λελυμένων λαμπρῶς τῶν σπονδῶν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς πολεμήσοντες, παρεσκευάζοντο δὲ καὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι, πρεσβείας τε μέλλοντες πέμπειν παρὰ βασιλέα καὶ ἄλλοσε πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους, εἴ ποθέν τινα ὠφελίαν ἤλπιζον ἑκάτεροι προσλήψεσθαι, πόλεις τε ξυμμαχίδας ποιούμενοι ὅσαι ἦσαν ἐκτὸς τῆς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεως.

[2] καὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν πρὸς ταῖς αὐτοῦ ὑπαρχούσαις ἐξ Ἰταλίας καὶ Σικελίας τοῖς τἀκείνων ἑλομένοις ναῦς ἐπετάχθη ποιεῖσθαι κατὰ μέγεθος τῶν πόλεων, ὡς ἐς τὸν πάντα ἀριθμὸν πεντακοσίων νεῶν ἐσομένων, καὶ ἀργύριον ῥητὸν ἑτοιμάζειν, τά τε ἄλλα ἡσυχάζοντας καὶ Ἀθηναίους δεχομένους μιᾷ νηὶ ἕως ἂν ταῦτα παρασκευασθῇ.

[3] Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ τήν τε ὑπάρχουσαν ξυμμαχίαν ἐξήταζον καὶ ἐς τὰ περὶ Πελοπόννησον μᾶλλον χωρία ἐπρεσβεύοντο, Κέρκυραν καὶ Κεφαλληνίαν καὶ Ἀκαρνᾶνας καὶ Ζάκυνθον, ὁρῶντες, εἰ σφίσι φίλια ταῦτ’ εἴη βεβαίως, πέριξ τὴν Πελοπόννησον καταπολεμήσοντες.

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.) — 2.7.1 focus

[1] This action falling out at Plataea and the peace now clearly dissolved, the Athenians prepared themselves for war; so also did the Lacedaemonians and their confederates, intending on either part to send ambassadors to the king and to other barbarians, wheresoever they had hope of succours, and contracting leagues with such cities as were not under their own command.

[2] The Lacedaemonians besides those galleys which they had in Italy and Sicily, of the cities that took part with them there, were ordered to furnish, proportionably to the greatness of their several cities, so many more as the whole number might amount to five hundred sail and to provide a sum of money assessed, and in other things not to stir farther but to receive the Athenians coming but with one galley at once till such time as the same should be ready.

[3] The Athenians, on the other side, surveyed their present confederates and sent ambassadors to those places that lay about Peloponnesus, as Corcyra, Cephalonia, Acarnania, and Zacynthus, knowing that as long as these were their friends, they might with the more security make war round about upon the coast of Peloponnesus.

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.) — 2.7.1 focus

[1] After the affair at Plataea the treaty had been broken by an overt act, and Athens at once prepared for war, as did also Lacedaemon and her allies. They resolved to send embassies to the king and to such other of the barbarian powers as either party could look to for assistance, and tried to ally themselves with the independent states at home.

[2] Lacedaemon , in addition to the existing marine, gave orders to the states that had declared for her in Italy and Sicily to build vessels up to a grand total of five hundred, the quota of each city being determined by its size, and also to provide a specified sum of money. Till these were ready they were to remain neutral and to admit single Athenian ships into their harbors.

[3] Athens on her part reviewed her existing confederacy, and sent embassies to the places more immediately round Peloponnese , Corcyra , Cephallenia, Acarnania , and Zacynthus ; perceiving that if these could be relied on she could carry the war all round Peloponnese .

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 2.7 focus

Da nun an dem Vorfall in Patäa Nichts mehr zu ändern
und der Friede offenkundig gebrochen war, so rüsteten die Athener
zum Krieg. Aber auch die Lakedämonier samt ihren Bundesgenossen
rüsteten, und beiderseits war man bedacht, an den großen König
Gesandtschaften zu schicken, und auch sonst zn den Barbaren, woher man
nur immer hoffen konnte Unterstützung zu gewinnen; und mit den
Städten, die ihnen nicht unterworfen waren, schlossen sie
Bundessreundschast. Die Lakedämonier forderten auch zu den Schiffen, die
sie bereits an ihren Küsten hatten, noch andere von den italischen und
sikelischen Städten, welche zu ihnen hielten, je nach der Größe der
einzelnen Städte, denn sie wollten ihre Flotte ans 500 Segel
bringen; und auch bestimmte Geldsummen befahlen sie ihnen in
Bereitschaft zu halten, sonst aber sollten sie sich wie im Frieden benehmen
und den Athenern, wenn sie mit einzelnen Schiffen kämen, den Zutritt
nicht wehren, so lange diese Rüstungen noch unvollendet seien. Aber
auch die Athener schätzten die Kräfte der zu ihnen stehenden
Bundesgenossen ab und beschickten auch vorzüglich die um den Peloponnes
gelegenen Staaten mit Gesandtschaften, Kerkyra nämlich und
Kephallenia und die Akarnaner und Zakynthos^); denn sie sahen wohl, ¹
daß sie den Peloponnes von allen Seiten ringsumher mit großem ²
Nachdruck bekriegen könnten, wenn sie jene zu Freunden hätten.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 2.7 focus

VII. Après le coup de main sur Platée, la trêve était ouvertement rompue : les Athéniens sc préparèrent à la guerre ; les Lacédémoniens et leurs alliés en firent autant de leur côté. De part et d'autre on se disposa à envoyer des ambassades au roi et chez les autres barbares, partout enfin où chacun espérait obtenir des secours. En même temps ils agissaient auprès des villes en dehors de leur domination pour les rattacher à leur alliance. Les Lacédémoniens, indépendamment des vaisseaux que leur fournissaient l’Italie et la Sicile, ordonnèrent aux villes qui avaient embrassé leur parti d’en construire d’autres, en proportion de leur importance, de manière à ce que la flotte comptât en tout cinq cents vaisseaux¹. Ils avertirent leurs alliés de préparer une somme déterminée, de se tenir d’ailleurs en repos, et de n’admettre qu’un vaisseau athénien à la fois jusqu’à ce que tous les préparatifs fussent terminés. Les Athéniens, de leur côté, firent le recensement de leurs alliés et envoyèrent de toutes parts des députés, particulièrement dans les pays qui entourent le Péloponnèse, à Corcyre, à Céphallénie, chez les Acarnanes, à Zacynthe ; car ils sentaient qu’avec l'amitié de ces peuples ils pourraient, en toute confiance, porter le ravage autour du Péloponnèse².

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 2.7 focus

L’affaire de Platée était une violation flagrante de la paix. Les Athéniens se préparèrent donc à la guerre ; les Lacédémoniens et leurs alliés en firent autant. Les deux partis se disposèrent à envoyer des ambassades soit en Perse soit à d’autres nations barbares, de qui ils espéraient obtenir des secours; enfin ils mirent tout en œuvre pour attirer dans leur alliance les villes étrangères à leur domination. Les Lacédémoniens, indépendamment des vaisseaux qu’ils avaient sous la main, commandèrent aux villes d’Italie et de Sicile qui avaient pris parti pour eux d’en construire d’autres, chacune proportionnellement à sa grandeur, en sorte que la flotte atteignît le chiffre de cinq cents navires. Leurs alliés eurent ordre de préparer un premier contingent d’argent, et, pour le surplus, de demeurer tranquilles, sans recevoir chez eux plus d’un vaisseau athénien à la fois, jusqu’à ce que tout fût prêt. Les Athéniens firent la revue de leurs alliés et envoyèrent des députations, particulièrement aux États qui avoisinent le Péloponèse, à Corcyre, à Céphallénie, en Acarnanie et à Zacynthe. Ils sentaient bien que, s’ils avaient ces peuples pour amis, ils pourraient en toute sûreté porter la guerre sur tous les points du Péloponèse.

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.) — 2.7.1 focus

[1] Now that the affair at Plataea had occurred and the treaty had been glaringly violated, the Athenians began preparing for war, and the Lacedaemonians and their allies also began; both sides were making ready to send embassies to the King and to the barbarians of any other land,¹ where either of them hoped to secure aid, and they were negotiating alliances with such cities as were outside of their own sphere of influence.

[2] The Lacedaemonians, on their part, gave orders to those in Italy and Sicily who had chosen their side² to build, in proportion to the size of their cities, other ships, in addition to those which were already in Peloponnesian ports, their hope being that their fleet would reach a grand total of five hundred ships, and to provide a stated sum of money; but as to other matters, they were instructed to remain inactive and to refuse their ports to Athenians if they came with more than a single ship, until these preparations had been completed.

[3] The Athenians, on the other hand, began to examine their existing list of allies and also sent embassies more particularly to the countries lying about the Peloponnesus—Corcyra, Cephallenia, Acarnania, and Zacynthus—perceiving that if they were sure of the friendship of these places they would be able to encircle the Peloponnesus and subdue it.

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.) — 2.7.1 focus

[1] When the business at Plataea had occurred, and the treaty had been clearly broken, the Athenians began to prepare for going to war; and so did the Lacedaemonians and their allies, both intending to send embassies to the king, and to the barbarians in other parts, from whatever quarter either party hoped to gain any assistance, and bringing into alliance with them such states as were not in their power.

[2] And ¹ on the side of the Lacedaemonians, in addition to the ships already on the spot in Sicily and Italy, belonging to those who had espoused their cause, they were ordered to build more according to the greatness of the cities, so that in the whole number they should amount to five hundred; and to get ready a certain sum of money which was mentioned, while they remained quiet in other respects, and received the Athenians coming with a single ship, till these preparations should be made.

[3] The Athenians, on the other hand, were inspecting their present confederacy, and sending ambassadors to the countries more immediately around the Peloponnese, as Corcyra, Cephallenia, Acarnania, and Zacynthus; seeing that if these were firm friends to them, they would successfully carry on the war round the Peloponnese.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 2.7.1 focus

[1] Hoc autem facinore Plataeis patrato et foederibus aperte ruptis, Athenienses se parabant ad gerendum bellum; parabant se autem Lacedaemonii quoque eorumque socii et utrique legationes ad Regem et ad alios barbaros erant missuri, si quod auxilium alicunde se sibi adjuncturos sperabant; et societatem coibant cum civitatibus, quae erant extra ipsorum imperium.

[2] Et Lacedaemonii quidem, praeter illas, quas ibi in sua ditione habebant, ex Italia et Sicilia iis, qui ipsorum partes sequebantur, imperarunt naves faccre pro ci- vitatium magnitudine, ita ut universarum numerus et summa esset quingentarum navium, et certam pecuniae summam parare; cetera quiescentes, et Athenienses, si unica navi venirent, recipientes, donec haec essent parata.

[3] Athenienses vero quum pristinos socios recensebant, tum etiam accuratius in loca circa Peloponnesum legatos mittebant, in Corcyram, et Cephalleniam, et Acarnaniam, et Zacynthum , quia videbant, si haec loca sibi essent amica, se tutius circa Peloponnesi fines bellum esse gesturos.

Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides First1KGreek (Thucydides. Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides. Gürsching, Heinrich, translator. Augsburg: Wirth, 1856.) — 2.35.1 focus

[1] Wenn es bisher bei den Rednern an dieser Stätte fast allgemeiner Brauch geworden, den Mann zu rühmen, der mit der Bestattung diese Rede verband, weil an dem Grabe gefallener Krieger ein ehrendes Wort sich zieme, so würde ich es für hinreichend gehalten haben, dass man Helden der That mit einer festlichen Handlung ehre, — wie das denn der Staat durch die Bestattung gethan hat, deren Zeugen ihr so eben gewesen — und würde die Verherrlichung so vieler Männer nicht einem Einzelnen und der zufälligen Wirkung seines Vortrags anheimgegeben haben.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 2.7 focus

Dopo questo fatto di Platea essendo manifestamente rotta la tregua , gli Ateniesi si preparavano alla guerra : preparavano co’ loro alleati anche i Lacedemoni, ed erano entrambi in su lo spedire ambasciate al re ed altrove ai barbari, donde che potesse sperarsi di trarre qualche soccorso, e si imivano con quelle città che erano fuori del loro dominio. I Lacedemoni, in aggiunta allo navi avevano nel Peloponneso, commettevano ai popoli die seguitavano la parte loro in Italia di costruirne un numero proporzionevole alla grandezza delle città, talché in tutte sommassero a cinquecento: di avere in pronto il denaro imposto , starsene dèi rimanente tranquilli, e non ricettare gli Ateniesi, salvo che con una sola nave, fino a che queste cose fossero tutte apparecchiate. Gli Ateniesi recavano a novero gli alleati che avevano ; ma erano principalmente intesi a spedire ambasciatori nei luoghi attorno al Peloponneso, cioè a Corfù, a Cefallene, agli Acamani, a Zacinto ; perchè vedevano che avendo amici cotesti luoghi , sosterrebbero certamente con superiorità la guerra nei contorni del Peloponneso.

Commentary

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

λελυμένων —before the attempt on Plataea, each side had interpreted the other's action as σπονδῶν ξύγχυσις ( I. 146 ), but there had been no open violation of the letter of the truce.

λαμπρῶς —cf. I. 49, 7; VIII. 66, 3, 75, 2.

παρεσκευάζοντο δὲ —the anaphora would have been more perfect with παρεσκευάζοντο μὲν preceding, but Thuc. often omits μέν in cases where it is not required, though a writer more careful about symmetry would msert it: perhaps he purposely avoids a rhetorical formula in narrative. The common cases in Thuc. are very simple, as πολλοὶ μὲν ... πολλοὶ δέ, εἰ μὲν .. εἰ δέ, ἅμα μὲν ... ἅμα δέ. Cf. I. 28 with πέμπετε; VI. 20, 4; also c. 41, 3 μόνη γὰρ καὶ μόνη. μέλλοντες—belongs to both subjects, as ποιούμενοι below. Probably both intended sending to Persia, though the Athenians did not carry out their intention. See c. 67.

πέμπειν — M. T. 73, 96.

ἀλλόσε —see c. 29.

ἑαυτῶν —for σφετέρας. Cf. c. 92, 4, and see c. 3, 4.

Λακεδαιμονίοις ... ἐπετάχθη — i.e. Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἐπέταξαν. This dat. of the agent is very rare with other parts of the pass. than perf. It occurs in I. 51 τοῖς Κερκυραίοις οὐχ ἑωρῶντο, IV. 64 τίνες ἂν δικαιότερον πᾶσι ... μισοῖντο , ib. 109 πόλεις οἰκοῦνται ξυμμίκτοις ἔθνεσι. There are only two instances in the Orators.

αὐτοῦ —in the harbours of Peloponnese.

ἐξ Ἰ. καὶ Σ. —with τοῖς ἑλομένοις, but placed first for the sake of the antithesis with αὐτοῦ. Cf. c. 18, 3 κατὰ τὴν ἄλλην πορείαν ἡ σχολαιότης. ναῦς ἐπετάχθη—Stahl supports his reading with great ability. It will be noticed that these Dorian cities, reckoned by Sparta among her allies, are not mentioned in c. 9 with the ξύμμαχοι, because there only those who actually contributed to the armament are given, and these cities contributed nothing. III. 86, 2.

ποιεῖσθαι —middle, ναῦς being the object. Cf. I. 14, 2.

ἐς τὸν πάντα ἀ —‘in all.’ When the article precedes πᾶς, the whole is regarded as the sum of its component parts.

πεντακοσίων —by no means realised. The Spartan navy in the Archidamian War was contemptible. See c. 66 and 85. Thuc. speaks with some irony.

τά τ’ ἄλλα —perhaps τἆλλα should be read here, the τ’ being due to dittography.

ἡσυχάζοντας —the change from the dat. ἑλομένοις is due to the infin. This change from gen. or dat. is always possible except when a word is the predicate to a gen. or dat., as I. 71 βουλομένων ὑμῶν εἶναι προθύμων. See c 24, 1.

μιᾷ νηὶ —

si singulis navibus venissent; nam pluribus venientes timendum esse ne hostiliter agerent,

Pp. This gives an example to show how they were to refrain from hostile acts ( ἡσυχάζοντας).

ἕως ἂν — whereas with πρίν, μέχρι and μέχρι οὗ Thuc. occasionally omits ἂν when subjunctive is used, according to the older Attic idiom, this is never the case with ἕως. Cf. c. 72, 3.

τὰ περὶ Π. —‘in the neighbourhood of P.’ like circa. Cf. c. 99, 3.

μᾶλλον —‘more than elsewhere,’ so ‘especially.’ Cf. c. 15 ἑτέρων μᾶλλον. Κέρκυραν— the places are given in inverse order, the final point reached coming first. Cf. c. 93, 1. Eur. Bach. 13 fol. At present only an ἐπιμαχία existed between Athens and Corcyra. See Intr. p. LXVI.

Κεφαλληνίαν —it took no part in the war at first, but joined Athens towards the end of the summer. See c. 30. Ἀκαρνᾶνας—except the Oeniadae, c. 102, 2, the Acarnanians were reckoned as allies from the first, though no treaty was concluded till the autumn of 430. See c. 68. Ζάκυνθον—its interests and policy coincided with those of Corcyra. Cf. c. 9, 4; I. 47, 2.

εἰ ... εἴη — Recta, ἐὰν ... ᾖ. See 2, 4 .

βεβαίως —cf. IV. 20, 3 φίλους γενέσθαι βεβαίως. πέριξ καταπολεμήσοντες — se undique impugnaturos.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.7

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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