Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Thomas Hobbes (Translator), 6.48.1

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[1] Alcibiades said it would not do well to have come out from Athens with so great a power and then dishonourably without effect to go home again; but rather to send heralds to every city but Selinus and Syracuse and assay to make the Siculi revolt from the Syracusians and others to enter league with the Athenians, that they might aid them with men and victual; and first to deal with the Messanians, as being seated in the passage and most opportune place of all Sicily for coming in, and having a port and harbour sufficient for their fleet; and when they had gained those cities, and knew what help they were to have in the war, then to take in hand Syracuse and Selinus, unless these would agree with the Egestaeans and the other suffer the Leontines to be replanted.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Thomas Hobbes (Translator). London. 1843.

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The History of the Grecian War (English) (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.)

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Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 6.48.1 focus

[1] Ἀλκιβιάδης δὲ οὐκ ἔφη χρῆναι τοσαύτῃ δυνάμει ἐκπλεύσαντας αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀπράκτους ἀπελθεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἔς τε τὰς πόλεις ἐπικηρυκεύεσθαι πλὴν Σελινοῦντος καὶ Συρακουσῶν τὰς ἄλλας, καὶ πειρᾶσθαι καὶ τοὺς Σικελοὺς τοὺς μὲν ἀφιστάναι ἀπὸ τῶν Συρακοσίων, τοὺς δὲ φίλους ποιεῖσθαι, ἵνα σῖτον καὶ στρατιὰν ἔχωσι, πρῶτον δὲ πείθειν Μεσσηνίους (ἐν πόρῳ γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ προσβολῇ εἶναι αὐτοὺς τῆς Σικελίας, καὶ λιμένα καὶ ἐφόρμησιν τῇ στρατιᾷ ἱκανωτάτην ἔσεσθαι)· προσαγαγομένους δὲ τὰς πόλεις, εἰδότας μεθ’ ὧν τις πολεμήσει, οὕτως ἤδη Συρακούσαις καὶ Σελινοῦντι ἐπιχειρεῖν, ἢν μὴ οἱ μὲν Ἐγεσταίοις ξυμβαίνωσιν, οἱ δὲ Λεοντίνους ἐῶσι κατοικίζειν.

Translations (9)

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.) — 6.48.1 focus

[1] Alcibiades said that a great expedition like the present must not disgrace itself by going away without having done anything; heralds must be sent to all the cities except Selinus and Syracuse , and efforts be made to make some of the Sicels revolt from the Syracusans, and to obtain the friendship of others, in order to have corn and troops; and first of all to gain the Messinese, who lay right in the passage and entrance to Sicily , and would afford an excellent harbour and base for the army. Thus, after bringing over the towns and knowing who would be their allies in the war, they might at length attack Syracuse and Selinus ; unless the latter came to terms with Egesta and the former ceased to oppose the restoration of Leontini.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 6.48 focus

Alkibiades aber erklärte: nachdem man mit so großer
Macht ausgefahren fei, dürfe man nicht so schimpflich und ganz
unverrickteter Dinge l zurückkehren; man solle vielmehr Herolde an
sämmtliche Städte mit Ausnahme von Selinus und Syrakus schicken
und auch versuchen, die Sikuler theils zum Abfall von den
Syrakusanern zu bewegen, theils auch zu Freunden zu gewinnen, damit man
Getreide und Zuzug an Mannschaft erhalte; vor Allem aber müsse
man die Messenier zum Beitritt bewegen, denn diese seien-san der
Meerenge und am günstigsten Landungspunkt auf Sieilien gelegen
und' würden für das Heer einen Hasen und den günstigsten
Ausgangspunkt zu Unternehmungen bieten. Habe man auf diese Weise
die'Städtö gewonnen, und wisse nun / wen man im Krieg auf seiner
Seite habe, dann solle man sofort Syrakus und Selinus angreifen,
wemi diese Stadt sich nicht mit den Egestanern gütlich vertrage, und
jene ihnen die Neugründung von Leontini nicht gestatte. P

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 6.48 focus

Alkibiades dagegen sagte, nachdem man mit einer so
mächtigen Flotte ausgefahren sei, dürfe man nicht schimpflich
wieder abziehen, ohne etwas ausgerichtet zu haben. Vielmehr
solle man alle Städte bis auf Syrakus und Selinus durch
Herolde beschicken, auch die Sikeler zum Abfall von Syrakus
zu bewegen, die unabhängigen auf seine Seite zu bringen
suchen, um Lebensmittel und Soldaten von ihnen zu erhalten.
Zunächst aber müsse man das unmittelbar an der Meerenge
für eine Landung in Sizilien so günstig gelegene, auch als
Hafenplatz und Stützpunkt für weitere Unternehmungen äußerst
wertvolle Messene zu gewinnen suchen. Erst wenn man die
Städte gewonnen und wisse, inwieweit man sie auf seiner
Seite haben werde, sei eS dann an der Zeit, Syrakus und
Selinus anzugreifen, falls dieses sich nicht mit Egesta ver
tragen, jenes den Leontinern ihre Stadt nicht wieder ein
räumen wolle.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 6.48 focus

XLVIII. Alcibiade dit qu’il ne fallait pas, après avoir mis en mer avec de pareilles forces, s’en retourner honteusement sans avoir rien fait : qu’on devait envoyer des hérauts dans toutes les villes, Sélinonte et Syracuse exceptées, agir auprès des Sicèles, détacher les uns de Syracuse et se concilier l’amitié des autres pour en obtenir des subsistances et une armée. Qu’avant tout il fallait gagner les Messéniens; que leur ville était le point le plus favorable pour la traversée et l’abordage en Sicile, et qu’elle offrirait à l’armée un bon port et une excellente base d’opérations; qu’enfin, après avoir attiré à soi les villes et reconnu le parti que chacun embrasserait, on attaquerait Syracuse et Sélinonte, si elles refusaient, celle-ci de s’accorder avec Egcsle, celle-là de rétablir les Léontins.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 6.48 focus

Alcibiade soutint qu’après être partis avec de si grandes forces, il serait honteux de revenir sans résukatobtenu ; qu’il fallait envoyer des hérauts dans toutes les villes, sauf à Sélinonte et à Syracuse, se mettre en rapport avec lesSicules, pour détacher des Syracusains’ les uns et se concilier l’amitié des autres, afin d’en tirer des vivres et des renforts; qu’avant tout il fallait persuader Messine, qui occupait le passage et le principal abord de la Sicile, et où la flotte trouverait un port et un lieu de croisière.excellents; qu’une fois les villes gagnées et les alliés déclarés, on agirait contre Syracuse et Sélinonte» à moins que celle-ci ne fît accord avec Égeste, et que celle-là ne consentît au rétablissement des Léontins.

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.) — 6.48.1 focus

[1] Alcibiades insisted that they ought not, after sailing out with so great an armament, to go back in disgrace without effecting anything; but urged rather that they send heralds to the other cities, except Selinus and Syracuse, and try to detach some of the Sicels from the Syracusans, and to make friends of others, in order that these might furnish grain and troops, but first of all that they try to persuade the Messenians; for their city, he urged, was most conveniently situated on a line of traffic¹ and at the approach to Sicily and would be a harbour and a most suitable watch-station for the armament. Then, after they had brought over these cities and knew with whose assistance they would carry on the war, they should proceed to attack Syracuse and Selinus, unless the latter came to terms with the Egestaeans, and the former permitted them to restore the Leontines.

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.) — 6.48.1 focus

[1] Alcibiades, on the other hand, said that they ought not, after sailing from home with so large a force, to return with dishonour and without effecting their purpose; but to send heralds to all the other cities, except Selinus and Syracuse, and endeavour also to get some of the Sicels to revolt from the Syracusans, and to gain the friendship of others amongst them, with a view to obtaining corn and troops; but first of all to win over the Messanians; (for they lay just in the passage and approach to Sicily, and there would be a harbour for them there, and the most suitable station for observing the enemy.) When, then, they had brought over the cities, and knew with whose assistance they would carry on the war, then they should attack Syracuse and Selinus, if the latter did not come to terms with Segesta, and the former permit them to settle the Leontines.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 6.48.1 focus

[1] Alcibiades vero dicebat, non oportere cura tantis copiis emissos turpiter et infecto negotio abire, sed ad omnes civitates, praeter Selinuntem et Syracusas, legatos mittendos et operam dandam, ut et Siculos partim ad defectionem a Syracusanis faciendam solicitarenl, partim amicos sibi facerent, ut et commeatum et copias haberent; ac primum quidem Messanenses adducendos (hot euirn potissimum in trajectu et opportuno loco, quo ad Siciliam appelli posset, sitos esse, et portum atque stationem exercitui eam commodissimam fore); civitatibus autem in amicitiam adductis, ubi nossent, quos belli socios essent habituri, ita demum Syracusas et Selinuntem aggrediendas, nisi hi quidem compositionem cum Egestatis facerent, illi vero Leontinos in suas pristinas sedes redire sinerent.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 6.48 focus

Alcibiade all’opposto diceva che dopo essersi messi in mare con sì grossa armata, non volevasi partire turpemente e senza effetto, ina si spedissero araldi varie città (tranne Seimunte e Siracusa), si tentassero animi dei Siculi, parte per ribellarli ai Siracusani, j» per farseli amici acciò si ottenessero soldati e frumenl si cominciasse dal persuadere Messina situata acconc mente per passare ed approdare in Sicilia, e fornita porto e di ricovero sufficiente per l’armata; e procacciai l’amicizia delle città, e sapendo con chi ciascuna si nnireb alla guerra, si andasse subito contro Siracusa e Selinnnti ove questa non si accordi con gli Egestei, e l’altra non pi inetta ai Leontini di rimpatriare.

Commentary

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

Ἀλκιβιάδης —(1) to form alliances with the Siceliots and Sieels, and encourage the subjects of Syracuse to revolt; (2) then attack Syracuse and Selmus, unless they complied with the demands made of them.

ἔχωσι —‘obtain’ from them. See crit. note. ?σχῶσι.

Μεσσηνίους —c. 4, 6.

πόρῳ ‘passage,’

προσβολῇ ‘approach.’

ἐφόρμησιν —a point from which to watch the enemy.

κατοικίζειν —subject ‘the Athenians.’ Observe that the plan of Alcibiades would afford him great opportunities for the employment of diplomacy, in which he excelled.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.48.1

Thomas Hobbes (Translator)

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