Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 6.8

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Gleich zu Anfang des nächsten Sommers trafen die athe
nischen Gesandten aus Sizilien wieder ein und mit ihnen auch
Gesandte aus Egesta, welche sechzig Talente ungemünztes Silber
als Monatssold für sechzig Schiffe überbrachten, um deren
Sendung sie bitten sollten. Da den Athenern in einer Volks
versammlung von den Egestern und ihren eigenen Gesandten,
allerdings wahrheitswidrig, versichert wurde, daß die Sachen
dort vortrefflich ständen, namentlich in den Kassen und Tempeln
Geld in Menge vorhanden sei, beschlossen sie, sechzig Schiffe
nach Sizilien zu schicken und Alkibiades, Kleinias' Sohn,
Nikias, Nikeratos' Sohn, und Lamachos, Xenophanes' Sohn,
den Oberbefehl darüber zu erteilen mit dem Auftrage, Egesta
gegen Selinus zu unterstützen, arch, falls der Krieg glücklich
verliefe, den Leontinern wieder zu ihrer Stadt zu verhelfen,
im übrigen aber so zu verfahren, wie es nach ihrer Ansicht
den athenischen Interessen in Sizilien am besten entspräche.
Fünf Tage nachher hielten sie eine zweite Versammlung, um
über die schleunige Ausrüstung der Schiffe und die Beschaffung
des den Feldherren für die Fahrt etwa noch sonst Nötigen zu
beschließen. Nikias, der gegen seinen Wunsch zum Feldherrn
gewählt und überzeugt war, man habe einen verderblichen
Beschluß gefaßt und wolle sich unter einem dürftigen und
fadenscheinigen Vorwande in ein so gewaltiges Unternehmen
wie die Unterwerfung von ganz Sizilien stürzen, trat jetzt auf,
um die Athener davor zu warnen, und redete sie also an:

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).) — 6.8.1 focus

[1] τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου θέρους ἅμα ἦρι οἱ τῶν Ἀθηναίων πρέσβεις ἧκον ἐκ τῆς Σικελίας καὶ οἱ Ἐγεσταῖοι μετ’ αὐτῶν ἄγοντες ἑξήκοντα τάλαντα ἀσήμου ἀργυρίου ὡς ἐς ἑξήκοντα ναῦς μηνὸς μισθόν, ἃς ἔμελλον δεήσεσθαι πέμπειν.

[2] καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐκκλησίαν ποιήσαντες καὶ ἀκούσαντες τῶν τε Ἐγεσταίων καὶ τῶν σφετέρων πρέσβεων τά τε ἄλλα ἐπαγωγὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀληθῆ καὶ περὶ τῶν χρημάτων ὡς εἴη ἑτοῖμα ἔν τε τοῖς ἱεροῖς πολλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ κοινῷ, ἐψηφίσαντο ναῦς ἑξήκοντα πέμπειν ἐς Σικελίαν καὶ στρατηγοὺς αὐτοκράτορας Ἀλκιβιάδην τε τὸν Κλεινίου καὶ Νικίαν τὸν Νικηράτου καὶ Λάμαχον τὸν Ξενοφάνους, βοηθοὺς μὲν Ἐγεσταίοις πρὸς Σελινουντίους, ξυγκατοικίσαι δὲ καὶ Λεοντίνους, ἤν τι περιγίγνηται αὐτοῖς τοῦ πολέμου, καὶ τἆλλα τὰ ἐν τῇ Σικελίᾳ πρᾶξαι ὅπῃ ἂν γιγνώσκωσιν ἄριστα Ἀθηναίοις.

[3] μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἡμέρᾳ πέμπτῃ ἐκκλησία αὖθις ἐγίγνετο, καθ’ ὅτι χρὴ τὴν παρασκευὴν ταῖς ναυσὶ τάχιστα γίγνεσθαι, καὶ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς, εἴ του προσδέοιντο, ψηφισθῆναι ἐς τὸν ἔκπλουν.

[4] καὶ ὁ Νικίας ἀκούσιος μὲν ᾑρημένος ἄρχειν, νομίζων δὲ τὴν πόλιν οὐκ ὀρθῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι, ἀλλὰ προφάσει βραχείᾳ καὶ εὐπρεπεῖ τῆς Σικελίας ἁπάσης, μεγάλου ἔργου, ἐφίεσθαι, παρελθὼν ἀποτρέψαι ἐβούλετο, καὶ παρῄνει τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις 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.) — 6.8.1 focus

[1] The next summer, early in the spring, the Athenian ambassadors returned from Sicily, and the ambassadors of Egesta with them, and brought in silver uncoined sixty talents, for a month's pay of sixty galleys, which they would entreat the Athenians to send thither.

[2] And the Athenians, having called an assembly and heard both from the Egestaean and their own ambassadors, amongst other persuasive but untrue allegations, touching their money, how they had great store ready both in their treasury and temples, decreed the sending of sixty galleys into Sicily, and Alcibiades, the son of Cleinias, Nicias, the son of Niceratus, and Lamachus, the son of 8enophanes, for commanders with authority absolute; the which were to aid the people of Egesta against the Selinuntians, and withal, if they had time to spare, to plant the Leontines anew in their city, and to order all other the affairs of Sicily as they should think most for the profit of the Athenians.

[3] Five days after this the people assembled again to consult of the means how most speedily to put this armada in readiness and to decree such things as the generals should further require for the expedition.

[4] But Nicias, having heard that himself was chosen for one of the generals, and conceiving that the state had not well resolved, but affected the conquest of all Sicily, a great matter, upon small and superficial pretences, stood forth, desiring to have altered this the Athenians' purpose, and 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.) — 6.8.1 focus

[1] Early in the spring of the following summer the Athenian envoys arrived from Sicily , and the Egestaeans with them, bringing sixty talents of uncoined silver, as a month's pay for sixty ships, which they were to ask to have sent them.

[2] The Athenians held an assembly, and after hearing from the Egestaeans and their own envoys a report, as attractive as it was untrue, upon the state of affairs generally, and in particular as to the money, of which, it was said, there was abundance in the temples and the treasury, voted to send sixty ships to Sicily , under the command of Alcibiades, son of Clinias, Nicias, son of Niceratus, and Lamachus, son of 8enophanes, who were appointed with full powers; they were to help the Egestaeans against the Selinuntines, to restore Leontini upon gaining any advantage in the war, and to order all other matters in Sicily as they should deem best for the interests of Athens .

[3] Five days after this a second assembly was held, to consider the speediest means of equipping the ships, and to vote whatever else might be required by the generals for the expedition;

[4] and Nicias, who had been chosen to the command against his will, and who thought that the state was not well advised, but upon a slight and specious pretext was aspiring to the conquest of the whole of Sicily , a great matter to achieve, came forward in the hope of diverting the Athenians from the enterprise, and gave them the following counsel:—

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 6.8 focus

Im nächsten Sommer zu Frühlingsanfang kamen die
Gesandten der Athener aus Sieilien zurück und mit ihnen Egestaner,
welche sechzig Talente ungemünzten Silbers mitbrachten als Sold
für sechzig Schiffe auf einen Monat, um deren Zusendung sie
bitten wollten. Die Athener hielten nun eine Volksversammlung,
und nachdem sie von ihren eigenen Gesandten und den Egestanern
sowohl anderes Verlockendes angehört hatten, welchem die Wahrheit
nicht entsprach, als auch von dem vielen Geld, welches in Tempeln
und in Staatskassen bereit läge, so beschloßen sie, sechzig Schiffe nach
Sieilien zu schicken und als Feldherrn mit unumshcränkter Vollmacht
den Alkibiades, Sohn des Kleinias, den Nikias, Sohn des Nikeratos,
und den Lamachos, des Lenophanes Sohn. Diese sollten den
Egestanern gegen die Selinuntier Hülse leisten, und wenn der Krieg ihnen
die Mittel dazu ließe, Leontini wieder neu gründen helfen und auch
sonst diejenigen Einrichtungen in Sieilien treffen, die ihnen für die
Athener die vortheilhaftesten schienen. Am fünften Tage danach
wurde-wieder eine Volksversammlung abgehalten, wie man die
Ausrüstung der Schiffe so rasch als möglich in's Werk setzen! könne, und
um den Feldherrn zu bewilligen, was etwa noch zur Abfahrt
nothwendig sei. Da trat Nikias auf, der gegen seinen Willen zum
Feldherrn gewählt war und glaubte, der Staat habe sich nicht wohl
berathen, sondern unter einem nichtsnutzigen und nur scheinbaren
Vorwande stürze man sich in ein so maßloses Unternehmen, wie die
Eroberung von ganz Sieilien. In der Absicht, die Athener davon
abzubringen, hielt er folgende Rede: ¹²

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 6.8 focus

VIII. L’été suivant, dès le commencement du printemps¹, les ambassadeurs athéniens revinrent de Sicile, et avec eux ceux d’Égeste; Ils apportaient soixante talents d’argent non monnayé², pour un mois de solde de soixante vaisseaux dont ils devaient demander l’envoi. Les Athéniens, réunis en assemblée, écoutèrent les récits séduisants et mensongers des ambassadeurs d’Égeste et des leurs; entre autres choses, qu’il y avait de grandes richesses toutes prêtes dans les temples et dans le trésor public. Ils décrétèrent l’envoi en Sicile ³⁴ de soixante vaisseaux avec des généraux munis de pleins pouvoirs : Alcibiade, fils de Clinias; Nicias, fils de Nicératos; etLamachos, fils de Xénophanes. Ils devaient secourir Égeste contre les Sélinontins, rétablir les Léontins, si la guerre leur en laissait le moyen, et tout disposer en Sicile de la manière qui leur semblerait la plus avantageuse aux Athéniens. Cinq jours après, une nouvelle assemblée eut lieu pour aviser aux moyens d’équiper les vaisseaux le plus promptement possible, et voter aux généraux ce dont ils pourraient avoir besoin pour prendre la mer. Alors Nicias s’avança : élu au commandement malgré lui, il était persuadé qu’on avait pris une résolution funeste, et que sous un prétexte spécieux, mais futile, on voulait entreprendre une tâche immense, la conquête de toute la Sicile. Résolu à combattre ces dispositions, il s’exprima 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.) — 6.8 focus

Dès les premiers jours du printemps suivant ¹, les députés athéniens revinrent de Sicile, avec des envoyés d’Êgeste apportant soixante talents d’argent non monnayé, comme solde d’un mois pour soixante vaisseaux, dont ils se proposaient de solliciter l’envoi ². Les Athéniens tinrent une assemblée, dans laquelle ils entendirent les rapports captieux et mensongers des Égestains et de leurs propres députés, affirmant qu’ils avaient vu de grandes valeurs toutes prêtes, soit dans les temples, soit dans le trésor public. Les Athéniens décrétèrent l’envoi de soixante vaisseaux en Sicile, avec des généraux munis de pleins pouvoirs ; c’étaient Alcibiade fils de Clinias, Nicias fils de Nicératos , et Lamachos fils de Xénophanès. Ils eurent ordre de secourir Egeste contre Sélinonte, de rétablir dans leur patrie les Léontins, si la guerre prenait une tournure favprable; enfin de régler toutes les affaires de Sicile de la manière qu’ils jugeraient la plus avantageuse aux Athéniens.

Cinq jours après cette assemblée, il y en eut une autre pour aviser aux moyens d’activer l’armement de la flotte et pour voter les demandes supplémentaires des généraux. Nicias, qui avait été élu malgré lui, et qui pensait que la ville avait été mal inspirée en formant, sous un prétexte spécieux, le gigantesque projet de conquérir toute la Sicile i parut à la tribune pour détourner le peuple de cette résolution, 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.) — 6.8.1 focus

[1] The next year at the opening of spring the¹ Athenian envoys returned from Sicily, and with them the Egestaeans, bringing sixty talents² of uncoined silver as a month's pay for sixty ships, which they were to ask the

[2] Athenians to send. And the Athenians, calling an assembly and hearing from the Egestaeans and their own envoys other things that were enticing but not true, and that the money was ready in large quantity in the temples and in the treasury, voted to send to Sicily sixty ships, with Alcibiades son of Cleinias, Nicias son of Niceratus, and Lamachus son of Xenophanes as generals with full powers, to aid the Egestaeans against the Selinuntians, and also to join in restoring Leontini, in case they should have any success in the war; and further to settle all other matters in Sicily as they might deem best

[3] for the Athenians. But on the fifth day after this a meeting of the assembly was again held, to determine in what way the ships could be equipped most speedily, and in case the generals should need anything further for the expedition, to vote

[4] it for them. And Nicias, who had been elected to the command against his will, and thought the city had not come to a right decision, but that, with a slight and specious pretext, it was the conquest of all Sicily, a great undertaking, at which they aimed, came forward with the purpose of averting this, and advised the Athenians 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.) — 6.8.1 focus

[1] The following summer, as soon as the spring commenced, the ambassadors of the Athenians came from Sicily, and the Segestans with them, bringing sixty talents of uncoined silver, as a month's pay for sixty ships which they were to beg them to send.

[2] And the Athenians having held an assembly, and heard from the Segestans and their own ambassadors a seductive and untrue report on the other subjects, and also, with regard to the money, that it was provided in abundance in the temples and the treasury; they voted to send sixty ships, with Alcibiades son of Clinias, Nicias son of Niceratus, and Lamachus son of Xenophanes, as commanders, with full powers, to assist the Segestans against the Selinuntines, and to join in re-founding Leontini, should they gain any advantage in the war, and to carry out all other measures in Sicily, as they should deem best for the Athenians.—

[3] On the fifth day after this, an assembly was again held, to consider in what way the preparations for the ships should be most quickly made, and whatever else was wanted by the generals be voted them for the expedition.

[4] Nicias then, who had been chosen against his will to take the command, and thought that the state was not well advised, but, on a trifling and specious pretext, was coveting the whole of Sicily—an arduous design to achieve—came forward with a wish to divert the Athenians from it, and advised them to the following effect:

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 6.8.1 focus

[1] Insequenli aestate vere ineunte Atheniensium legali ex Sicilia redierunt et Egestaei cum ipsis, ferentessexagiuta talenta argenti non signati, menstruum sexaginta navium stipendium, quae ut mitterentur erant oraturi.

[2] Et Athenienses advocata concione, auditisque et Egestaeis et suis legatis, cum alia dicentibus ad persuadendum apposita et falsa, tum vero de pecunia renuntiantibus, multam et in templis et in aerario paratam esse, decreverunt sexaginta naves in Siciliam mittere et duces summa potestate praeditos, Alcibiadem Cliniae et Niciam N icerat i et Lamachum Xenophanis filium, qui opem quidem Egestaeis contra Seli-nuntios ferrent, sed et Leontinos in suis pristinis sedibus collocarent, si quod temporis spatium ipsis in bello super-esset, atque res ceteras in Sicilia gererent, ut reipublicae Atheniensium maxime expedire judicarent.

[3] Quinto post haec die concio rursus habebatur de eo, qua ratione oporteret quam celerrime classem apparare, et decernere, si qua re ducibus ad hanc expeditionem opus esset.

[4] Atque Nicias qui et invitus dux creatus erat et existimaret cives non bonum consilium cepisse, sed exigua et speciosa de causa Siciliae totius imperium, rem arduam, affectare, in medium progressus, a proposito revocare volebat et suadebat Atheniensibus talia.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 6.8 focus

Nella seguente estate al cominciar di primaven tornarono di Sicilia i legati degli Ateniesi, e con essi quelli degli Egestei, recando sessanta talenti d’argento non coniato, da servire per la paga di un mese alle sessanta navi di che voleano domandare la spedizione. Gli Ateniesi tennero adunanza, ove tra le molte cose persuasive , ma non vere, riferite dagli Egestei e dai propri ambasdaton, intesero esservi io pronto molto denaro nei templi e nel pubblico erario. Laonde fermarono di spedire in Sicilia le sessanta navi capitanate con assoluto comando da Alcibiade di Clinia, Nicia di Nicerato, e Lamaco di Xenofane, i quali dovessero soccorrere gli Egestei contro i Selinunti, riunire in patria i Leontini (se pure quella guerra lasciasse loro il modo di farlo), e governare le altre cose di Sicilia in quella guisa che stimassero più profittevole ad Atene. Cinque giorni dopo fuwi di nuovo adunanza per trattare del come si potesse il più prontamente preparare il bisognevole alle navi, e per decretare quel di più che potesse occorrere ai capitani per quella spedizione. Ma Nicia, che contro sua voglia era stato scelto a quel comando, tenendo per cattiva quella risoluzione della città, la quale con piccola e colorata cagione aspirava a conquistare tutta la Sicilia, impresa veramente grande, presentatosi agli Ateniesi cercava di distorli da ciò, c gli ammoniva con tali parole :

Commentary

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

ἧκον —‘returned,’ as often.

ὡς —with μισθόν. According to the figures, each member of the crew of 200 is to receive one drachma a day, which was double the ordinary pay.

ἐκ. ποιήσαντες —cf. Andoc. I. 82 ἐκ. ποιήσαντες ἐβουλεύσασθε καὶ ἐψηφίσασθε. Technically only the πρυτάνεις could summon the Assembly, the technical phrase being προγράφειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. (Aristot. Ath. Pol. c. 43; Schomann de Com. Ath. p. 53; Gilbert, II. p. 269.)

πρέσβεων —this must have oceurred either at the third or the fourth Ecclesia of the seventh Prytany, in the latter part of the month Anthesterion, Ol. xcii. (Cf. Aristot. l.c.) Four meetings of the Eeclesia were held in each Prytany.

Ἀλκιβιάδην —Intr. p. xii. αὐτοκράτορας does not, as is often asserted, imply that the generals were released from the obligation to render accounts ( εὔθυναι), but only that the details were left to them. It was apparently—and quite naturally— usual to give to one or more generals such extended powers for distant and important expeditions (Gilbert, Bcitrage, p. 39). Aristot. Ath. Pol. c. 61, speaking of the Strategi gencrally, says κύριοι δέ εἰσιν, ὅταν ἡγῶνται, καὶ δῆσαί τιν’ ἀτακτοῦντα καὶ ἐκκηρῦξαι (expel) καὶ ἐπιβολὴν ἐπιβάλλειν (fine). Lys. 13, 67, says that Lamachus during the expedition executed a soldier who was deteeted signalling to the enemy. This may have been an exercise of his special powers.

ξυγκατοικίσαι —inf. of purpose, M T. § 770.

ἤν τι περιγίγνηται —observe the tense: the aor. would express the sense, but the pres. gives the meaning ‘if they should find that they were succeeding.’ M.T. § 88. τι goes with τοῦ. π. Stein renders ‘if they had anything left from.’

ἐκκλησία . . καθ’ ὅ τι —for καθ’ ὄ τι= how cf. I. 69 σκοπεῖν καθ’ ὅτι ἀμυνούμεθα.

τοῖς στρατηγοῖς —another object of the mecting. This dat. depends directly on ἐκκλησία ἐγίγνετο—cf. Andoc. I. 11 ἦν μὲν γὰρ ἐκκλησία τοῖς στρατηγοῖς τοῖς εἰς Σικελίαν—and the inf. ψηφισθῆναι, subject εἴ του προσδέοιντο, is added as an epexegcsis. (It is absurd, as Hude points out, to make ψηφισθῆναι depend on χρή, as though they were to discuss ‘how’ to vote. But the insertion of τοῦ is unnecessary.) ψηφισθῆναι is not inf. of purpose, but depends on ἐκκλησία ἐγίγνετο, which is constructed like ἔδοξε: it gives the terms of the resolution proposed.

βραχείᾳ —‘slight.’

μεγάλου ἔργου —this is taken as in apposition to Σικελίας, though in sense belonging to ἐφίεσθαι τῆς Σικ. Stahl refers to Eur. Herc. 323 ὡς μὴ τἐκν’ εἰσίδωμεν, ἀνόσιον θέαν, ψυχορραγοῦντα, which is quite different, because τέκνα ψυχορραγοῦντα= θέα α·νόσιος is possible, whereas Σικελία= ἔργον μέγα is impossible except as a brachylogy. Hence perhaps ἔργου μεγάλου was in apposition to < ἄρξαι> (ingressive) τῆς Σικελίας.

ἀποτρέψαι —on the action of Nicias see c. 14.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.8

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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