Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 6.24

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Das sagte Nikias, um die Athener mit Rücksicht auf die
Weitsichtigkeit des Unternehmens zur Änderung ihres Be
schlusses zu bewegen oder, wenn er dennoch hinaus müßte,
dabei wenigstens möglichst sicher zu gehen. Die Athener aber
ließen sich durch die Größe der erforderlichen Rüstungen von
ihrem Vorhaben nicht abbringen, sondern wurden nur um so
eifriger drauf erpicht, so daß er grade daS Gegenteil von
dem erreichte, was er bezweckte. Sie gaben ihm nämlich recht
und glaubten nun vollends, die Sache unbedenklich unter
nehmen zu können. Alle ohne Unterschied wurden von dem
Verlangen ergriffen, den Zug mitzumachen, die Älteren, weil
sie dort auf Eroberungen hofften oder doch an die Möglichkeit
des Unterliegens einer so gewaltigen Macht nicht glaubten;
die Jüngeren aber sehnten sich, das ferne Land kennen zu
lernen und etwas von der Welt zu sehen, indem sie selbst mit
dem Leben davonzukommen hofften; den gemeinen Mann endlich
lockte die Aussicht, als Soldat sogleich ein Stück Geld zu ver
dienen und aufAusdehnung der Macht der Stadt und auf die sich
ihm dadurch auch weiterhin bietende Gelegenheit zu Söldner
diensten. Durch dies ungestüme Verlangen der Mehrheit ließ
mancher sich abhalten, das Wort zu nehmen, auch wenn er
nicht einverstanden war, aus Furcht, wenn er dagegen stimmte,
für einen schlechten Bürger gehalten zu werden.

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).) — 6.24.1 focus

[1] ὁ μὲν Νικίας τοσαῦτα εἶπε νομίζων τοὺς Ἀθηναίους τῷ πλήθει τῶν πραγμάτων ἢ ἀποτρέψειν ἤ, εἰ ἀναγκάζοιτο στρατεύεσθαι, μάλιστ’ 〈ἂν〉 οὕτως ἀσφαλῶς ἐκπλεῦσαι·

[2] οἱ δὲ τὸ μὲν ἐπιθυμοῦν τοῦ πλοῦ οὐκ ἐξῃρέθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀχλώδους τῆς παρασκευῆς, πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον ὥρμηντο, καὶ τοὐναντίον περιέστη αὐτῷ· εὖ τε γὰρ παραινέσαι ἔδοξε καὶ ἀσφάλεια νῦν δὴ καὶ πολλὴ ἔσεσθαι.

[3] καὶ ἔρως ἐνέπεσε τοῖς πᾶσιν ὁμοίως ἐκπλεῦσαι· τοῖς μὲν γὰρ πρεσβυτέροις ὡς ἢ καταστρεψομένοις ἐφ’ ἃ ἔπλεον ἢ οὐδὲν ἂν σφαλεῖσαν μεγάλην δύναμιν, τοῖς δ’ ἐν τῇ ἡλικίᾳ τῆς τε ἀπούσης πόθῳ ὄψεως καὶ θεωρίας, καὶ εὐέλπιδες ὄντες σωθήσεσθαι· ὁ δὲ πολὺς ὅμιλος καὶ στρατιώτης ἔν τε τῷ παρόντι ἀργύριον οἴσειν καὶ προσκτήσεσθαι δύναμιν ὅθεν ἀίδιον μισθοφορὰν ὑπάρξειν.

[4] ὥστε διὰ τὴν ἄγαν τῶν πλεόνων ἐπιθυμίαν, εἴ τῳ ἄρα καὶ μὴ ἤρεσκε, δεδιὼς μὴ ἀντιχειροτονῶν κακόνους δόξειεν εἶναι τῇ πόλει ἡσυχίαν ἦγεν.

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.) — 6.24.1 focus

[1] Thus spake Nicias, imagining that either the Athenians would, upon the multitude of the things required, abandon the enterprise; or if he were forced to go, he might go with the more security.

[2] But the Athenians gave not over the desire they had of the voyage for the difficulty of the preparation, but were the more inflamed thereby to have it proceed; and the contrary fell out of that which he before expected. For they approved his counsel and thought now there would be no danger at all.

[3] And every one alike fell in love with the enterprise: the old men, upon hope to subdue the place they went to, or that at least so great a power could not miscarry; and the young men, upon desire to see a foreign country and to gaze, making little doubt but to return with safety. As for the common sort and the soldiers, they made account to gain by it not only their wages for the time, but also so to amplify the state in power as that their stipend should endure forever.

[4] So that through the vehement desire thereunto of the most, they also that liked it not, for fear if they held up their hands against it to be thought evil-affected to the state, were content to let it pass.

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.) — 6.24.1 focus

[1] With this Nicias concluded, thinking that he should either disgust the Athenians by the magnitude of the undertaking, or, if obliged to sail on the expedition, would thus do so in the safest way possible.

[2] The Athenians, however, far from having their taste for the voyage taken away by the burdensomeness of the preparations, became more eager for it than ever; and just the contrary took place of what Nicias had thought, as it was held that he had given good advice, and that the expedition would be the safest in the world.

[3] All alike fell in love with the enterprise. The older men thought that they would either subdue the places against which they were to sail, or at all events, with so large a force, meet with no disaster; those in the prime of life felt a longing for foreign sights and spectacles, and had no doubt that they should come safe home again; while the idea of the common people and the soldiery was to earn wages at the moment, and make conquests that would supply a never-ending fund of pay for the future.

[4] With this enthusiasm of the majority, the few that liked it not, feared to appear unpatriotic by holding up their hands against it, and so kept quiet.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 6.24 focus

Nikias seinerseits sagte dieß Alles in der Absicht, die
Athener entweder durch den großen Umfang der Kriegserfordernisse
abzuschrecken, oder um aus diese Weise wenigstens mit größtmöglicher
Sicherheit den Seezug antreten zu können, wenn er schon dazu
genöthigt würde. Jenen aber war durch die Mannhaftigkeit der
Kriegsrüstungen keineswegs die Lust benommen worden, sondern sie
wurden jetzt erst noch viel eifriger, so daß Nikias also gerade das
Gegentheil erreicht hatte. Seine Aufforderung wurde gut geheißen,
und erst damit schien die Sache vollends die rechte Sicherheit
gewonnen zu haben. Und Alle in gleicher Weise ergriff die Begierde,
mit auszuziehen. Die Aelteren hofften das Land zu unterwerfen,
gegen welches sie zögen, oder doch bei so gewaltiger Kriegsmacht
einer Niederlage nicht ausgesetzt zu sein; die jüngeres Alters sehnten
sich, entlegene Gegenden zu sehen und kennen zu lernen, und waren
voll guter Hoffnung, wohlbehalten zu bleiben; der große Söldnerhaufe
aber dachte sowohl für den Augenblick Geld zu gewinnen, als auch
die Herrschaft Athens so zu erweitern, daß sie den immerwährenden
Kriegssold zu erwarten hätten. Wenn nun Manchem auch das Alles
nicht gefiel, so mußte er doch bei der allzugroßen Leidenschaftlichkeit
der Mehrzahl fürchten,, durch eine gegentheilige Abstimmung als ¹
schlechtgesinnter Bürger zu ershceinen, und schwieg deßhalb.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 6.24 focus

XXIV. Ainsi parla Nicias : il espérait ou décourager les Athéniens par la multiplicité des demandes, ou du moins, s’il était forcé de faire l’expédition, partir alors avec toute sécurité. Mais l’ardeur des Athéniens ne fut pas refroidie par l’embarras des préparatifs; bien loin de là, elle s’en accrut, et il arriva tout le contraire de ce que voulait Nicias : ses conseils furent ¹ goûtés et on crut désormais n’avoir plus rien à craindre. La fureur de s’embarquer saisit tout le monde à la fois; les vieillards, dans la pensée qu’ils soumettraient le pays but de l’expédition, ou du moins qu’aucun revers n’était à craindre avec de telles forces; les hommes jeunes, par l’envie de voir et de connaître une contrée lointaine, jointe à l’espoir de s’en tirer heureusement; la multitude et les soldats, par l’appât d’une solde pour le moment et l’espérance de trouver dans un accroissement de puissance les éléments d’une solde perpétuelle. Aussi, au milieu de cet entraînement général, si quelques-uns n’approuvaient pas, ils craignaient, en votant contre, de paraître mal intentionnés et se tenaient en repos.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 6.24 focus

Ainsi parla Nicias. Il comptait refroidir le zèle des Athéniens par ses exigences, ou, s’il était obligé de partir, le faire avec moins de danger. Mais il arriva précisément l’inverse: loin de reculer devant l’énormité de l’armement, les Athéniens en conçurent une ardeur nouvelle ; l’avis de Nicias parut excellent, et Ton crut n’avoir plus rien à craindre. La passion de s’embarquer saisit tout le monde à la fois : les vieillards, dans l'espoir qu’on subjuguerait le pays où l’on allait porter la guerre, ou tout au moins qu’une si grande armée n’aurait à redouter aucun malheur; les jeunes gens, dans le désir de visiter une contrée lointaine et dans l’espoir d’échapper aux périls ; la masse et les gens de guerre, par l’appât d'une solde immédiate et de conquêtes qui seraient pour eux une source intarissable de gain. Au milieu de cet élan universel, les citoyens peu nombreux qui désapprouvaient l’entreprise n’osaient ouvrir la bouche ni refuser leur suffrage, de crainte de paraître malintentionnés.

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.) — 6.24.1 focus

[1] So much Nicias said, thinking that he would deter the Athenians by the multitude of his requirements, or, if he should be forced to make the expedition, he would in this way set out most safely.

[2] They, however, were not diverted from their eagerness for the voyage by reason of the burdensomeness of the equipment, but were far more bent upon it; and the result was just the opposite of what he had expected; for it seemed to them that he had given good advice, and that now certainly there would be abundant security.

[3] And upon all alike there fell an eager desire to sail—upon the elders, from a belief that they would either subdue the places they were sailing against, or that at any rate a great force could suffer no disaster; upon those in the flower of their age, through a longing for far-off sights and scenes, in good hopes as they were of a safe return; and upon the great multitude—that is, the soldiers¹—who hoped not only to get money for the present, but also to acquire additional dominion which would always be an inexhaustible source of pay.

[4] And so, on account of the exceeding eagerness of the majority, even if anyone was not satisfied, he held his peace, in the fear that if he voted in opposition he might seem to be disloyal to the state.

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.) — 6.24.1 focus

[1] Thus much spoke Nicias, thinking that he should either deter the Athenians by the vast scale of his measures, or that if he were compelled to join the expedition, he should in this way sail on it most safely.

[2] They, however, had not their desire for the voyage taken from them by the burdensome nature of the preparations, but were much more eager for it than ever; and the result proved just contrary to what he had expected; for it was thought that he had given them good advice, and that now certainly they would have even abundant assurance of success.

[3] And so all alike were seized with a longing to go on the expedition: the elder, from a belief that they should either subdue the places against which they were about to sail, or that a large force would meet with no misfortune: those in the prime of life, from a desire of foreign sights and spectacles, and because they were in good hope of returning safe from it: the mass of the people and of the soldiery, from thinking that they should both make money at present, and gain additional power, from which an unfailing fund for pay would be obtained.

[4] So that owing to the excessive desire of the majority for the measure, even if any one were not pleased with it, he was afraid that by voting against it he might appear ill—affected to the state, and therefore held his peace.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 6.24.1 focus

[1] Atque Nicias quidem haec dixit, sperans se Athenienses vel rerum multitudine de sententia deducturum, vel si cogeretur ad hanc expeditionem proficisci, sic saltem se tuto profecturum;

[2] illis vero cupiditas quidem expeditionis ex animis non exempta est ob apparatus molem, sed multo magis studio efferebantur, et res ipsi cecidit contra ac sperabat; nam et bonum consilium dedisse visus est, et res nunc demum tutissima fore.

[3] Et desiderium navigandi omnes pariter invasit; ac seniores quidem, quod vet in suam potestatem se redacturos sperarent ea, ad quspergerent , vel saltem exercitum, qui tantus esset, nullam cladem accepturum; illos vero, qui erant aetate integra,quod peregrinam regionem visere et spectare cuperent, et bonam spem animo conciperent, fore ut incolumes reverterentur; vulgi autem turba ac miles et in praesenti operabant se pecuniam accepturos, et potentiam se addituros, unde perpetuum stipendium sibi suppeditaturum esset.

[4] Quamobrem propter nimiam plurimorum cupiditatem, si cui forte res ista minus placeret, veritus, ne ceteris refragando reipublicae malevolus esse videretur, silentium agebat.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 6.24 focus

Tutte queste cose disse Ni eia sperando o di rimuovere gli Ateniesi dall’ impresa colla moltiplicità degli ostacoli, o se fosse costretto alla spedizione di potere in quel modo navigare più sicuramente. Essi però con tutta quella farragine di apparecchiamenti uon scemarono U brama della spedizione, ma s’infiammarono viemaggior' mente ; cosicché la cosa gli andò al contrario : perocché fu creduto che egli consigliasse bene , e che l' impresa nel modo detto da lui riuscirebbe prosperamente. E il desiderio di navigare entrò in tutti egualmente ; nei vecchi perchè speravano di soggiogare i luoghi contro i quali andavano, o almeno di non dovere esser battuti con à grossa armala ; in quei di fresca età per la brama di vedere cd osservare un paese lontano, e per la fiducia di avere a tornar sani e salvi ; e la numerosa moltitudine e i soldati ripromettevansene denaro al presente, e nuovo acquisto di potenza, onde otterrebbero gli stipendi a vita. Tantoché per quella viva generai bramosia, se alcuno vera cui ciò non piacesse, se ne stava tranquillo, temendo dì passare per malaffetto alla Repubblica ove col suo voto si opponesse.

Commentary

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

τῶν πραγμάτων —‘by the scale of the requirements’: cf. c. 19, 2 παρασκευῆς πλήθει. The second ἢ = εἰ δὲ μή: the first is probably spurious.

εἰ ἀναγκάξοιτο —if nobody would take the command instead.

ἀσφαλῶς —another of N.'s catch-words, to which there is a sarcastic reference below.

τὸ μὲν ἐπιθυμοῦν —the partic. used as a noun occurs fairly often in Thuc., especially in the speeches. Like thc articular infin., and the frequent use of nouns in ‐σις and ‐τής, it is a mark of the σεμνότης, ‘dignity,’ of Thuc. Very similar is Dr. Johnson's use of long nouns of Latin origin.

τοῦ πλοῦ —this is not the geu. usually employed with the noun-participle: in the ordinary type the partic. expresses a quality belonging to the substantive, as in τὸ ἡσύχαζον τῆς νυκτός VII. 83 ; τὸ θυμούμενον τῆς γνώμης VII. 68 . ἀσφάλεια—δοκῶ, ‘seem,’ usually has thc personal construction. Goodwin, M.T. § 754.

νῦν δή —‘now there would be no risk,’ since N. had explained the measures by which even he admitted it could be avoided.

ἔρως ἐνέπεσε —cf. Aesch. Agam. 332 ἔρως δὲ μή τις πρότερον ἐμπίπτῃ στρατῷ | πορθεῖν ἃ μὴ χρή.

τοῖς μὲν γάρ —sc. ἔρως ἐνέπεσε.

καταστρεψομένοις ἐφ) ἃ ἔπλεον —cf. VII. 11 κρατήσαντας Συρακοσίους ἐφ) οὓς ἐπέμφθημεν.

ἢ (ὡς) οὐδὲν ἂν σφαλεῖσαν μεγ. δύναμιν —the accus. abs., which with personal verbs requires ὡς or ὥσπερ. Goodwin, M.T. § 853.

ἡλικίᾳ — i.e. the age for military service.

τῆς ἀπούσης κτλ = ποθοῦντες ἰδεῖν καὶ θεωρεῖν τὰ ἄποντα, the expression being, as Bohme says, poetical. ὄψεως καὶ θ. = ‘sights and wonders,’ being passive in sense.

εὐέλπιδες ὄντες —anacoluthon, as though οἱ δὲ ἐπόθουν had preceded. Cf. II. 53 , 4 θεῶν φόβος . . οὐδεὶς α·πεῖργε, τὸ μὲν κρίνοντες : III. 36 ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς . . ἐπικαλοῦντες: Eur. Hec. 971 αἰδώς μ’ ἔχει . . τυγχανοῦσα.

ὁ δὲ πολὺς ὅμιλος —sc. εὔελπις ὤν.

καὶ στρατιώτης —Kruger quotes Plut. Per. 12 τὸν θητικὸν ὄχλον καὶ ἰδιώτην, and στρατ. is best taken as an adj., so that the phrase = οἱ πολλοὶ καὶ στρατιῶται. Classen and Bohme object that this leaves καί unexplained, and take καὶ στρατ. as part of the pred. with Dobree. But ὁ πολὺς ὄμιλος = that part of the ὄμιλος which was not so far στρατιώτης—had not, for whatever reason, served before. Thuc. makes two distinct points in the section: (1) all alike were eager to go, both young and old, and were confident; (2) the multitude and all those who had served before hoped to make money. These points would be much clearer if he had begun a new sentence after θεωρίας .

ἀίδιον μισθοφοράν —this is explained by editors to mean that the addition of Sicily to the empire would lead to continual campaigns; but Gilbert rightly paraphrases: ‘they hoped to get permanent employment out of the acquisition somehow’: μισθοφορά is used loosely for pay for any services.

ὑπάρξειν —the attraction of short rel. clauses into infin. in reported speech is less rare in Gk. than in Lat. Thuc. has nine instances.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.24

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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