Thucydides, Book 2, Chapter 8
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hawkwing_lbSection 1:
ὀλίγον τε ἐπενόουν οὐδὲν ἀμφότεροι, ἀλλ᾽ ἔρρωντο ἐς τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἀπεικότως: ἀρχόμενοι γὰρ πάντες ὀξύτερον ἀντιλαμβάνονται, τότε δὲ καὶ νεότης πολλὴ μὲν οὖσα ἐν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ, πολλὴ δ᾽ ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις οὐκ ἀκουσίως ὑπὸ ἀπειρίας ἥπτετο τοῦ πολέμου, ἥ τε ἄλλη Ἑλλὰς ἅπασα μετέωρος ἦν ξυνιουσῶν τῶν πρώτων πόλεων.
And no one from either side had small things in mind, but they were eager [to go] to the war, [as was] not unreasonable: for all who begin are keener to take part. [At the beginning all are keener to take part.] And at that time there were many youths in the Peleponnese, and many among the Athenians, [who were] not unwilling by [reason of] inexperience to engage in war, while all the other Greeks were coming together in suspense [about] the first cities.
Section 2:
καὶ πολλὰ μὲν λόγια ἐλέγετο, πολλὰ δὲ χρησμολόγοι ᾖδον ἔν τε τοῖς μέλλουσι πολεμήσειν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν.
And many stories were recounted, and many oracle-mongers sung in the cities intending to go to war and in the other cities also.
Section 3:
ἔτι δὲ Δῆλος ἐκινήθη ὀλίγον πρὸ τούτων, πρότερον οὔπω σεισθεῖσα ἀφ᾽ οὗ Ἕλληνες μέμνηνται: ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ ἐδόκει ἐπὶ τοῖς μέλλουσι γενήσεσθαι σημῆναι. εἴ τέ τι ἄλλο τοιουτότροπον ξυνέβη γενέσθαι, πάντα ἀνεζητεῖτο.
And moreover, Delos had been disturbed a little time before these events, having been shaken by an earthquake, the first which the Greeks remembered. And it was said and considered among the cities intending [to make war] [that] it showed by a sign [the things] about to come to pass. If some other thing of such kind came to pass to happen, always it was investigated.
Section 4:
ἡ δὲ εὔνοια παρὰ πολὺ ἐποίει τῶν ἀνθρώπων μᾶλλον ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, ἄλλως τε καὶ προειπόντων ὅτι τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐλευθεροῦσιν. ἔρρωτό τε πᾶς καὶ ἰδιώτης καὶ πόλις εἴ τι δύναιτο καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ ξυνεπιλαμβάνειν αὐτοῖς: ἐν τούτῳ τε κεκωλῦσθαι ἐδόκει ἑκάστῳ τὰ πράγματα ᾧ μή τις αὐτὸς παρέσται.
The goodwill of men was indeed great towards the Spartans, especially since they proclaimed that they were setting Greece free. They strengthened all things both private and city [i.e., public] if anything was able in word and in deed: in this manner it seemed to each [that] the preparations were hindered when he himself was not present to assist them.
Section 5:
οὕτως <ἐν> ὀργῇ εἶχον οἱ πλείους τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, οἱ μὲν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπολυθῆναι βουλόμενοι, οἱ δὲ μὴ ἀρχθῶσι φοβούμενοι.
Thus the greater number bore anger at the Athenians, on the one hand the ones wanting to be free from their rule, and on the other, the ones fearing lest [the Athenians] would rule [them].
ὀλίγον τε ἐπενόουν οὐδὲν ἀμφότεροι, ἀλλ᾽ ἔρρωντο ἐς τὸν πόλεμον οὐκ ἀπεικότως: ἀρχόμενοι γὰρ πάντες ὀξύτερον ἀντιλαμβάνονται, τότε δὲ καὶ νεότης πολλὴ μὲν οὖσα ἐν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ, πολλὴ δ᾽ ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις οὐκ ἀκουσίως ὑπὸ ἀπειρίας ἥπτετο τοῦ πολέμου, ἥ τε ἄλλη Ἑλλὰς ἅπασα μετέωρος ἦν ξυνιουσῶν τῶν πρώτων πόλεων.
And no one from either side had small things in mind, but they were eager [to go] to the war, [as was] not unreasonable: for all who begin are keener to take part. [At the beginning all are keener to take part.] And at that time there were many youths in the Peleponnese, and many among the Athenians, [who were] not unwilling by [reason of] inexperience to engage in war, while all the other Greeks were coming together in suspense [about] the first cities.
Section 2:
καὶ πολλὰ μὲν λόγια ἐλέγετο, πολλὰ δὲ χρησμολόγοι ᾖδον ἔν τε τοῖς μέλλουσι πολεμήσειν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν.
And many stories were recounted, and many oracle-mongers sung in the cities intending to go to war and in the other cities also.
Section 3:
ἔτι δὲ Δῆλος ἐκινήθη ὀλίγον πρὸ τούτων, πρότερον οὔπω σεισθεῖσα ἀφ᾽ οὗ Ἕλληνες μέμνηνται: ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ ἐδόκει ἐπὶ τοῖς μέλλουσι γενήσεσθαι σημῆναι. εἴ τέ τι ἄλλο τοιουτότροπον ξυνέβη γενέσθαι, πάντα ἀνεζητεῖτο.
And moreover, Delos had been disturbed a little time before these events, having been shaken by an earthquake, the first which the Greeks remembered. And it was said and considered among the cities intending [to make war] [that] it showed by a sign [the things] about to come to pass. If some other thing of such kind came to pass to happen, always it was investigated.
Section 4:
ἡ δὲ εὔνοια παρὰ πολὺ ἐποίει τῶν ἀνθρώπων μᾶλλον ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, ἄλλως τε καὶ προειπόντων ὅτι τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐλευθεροῦσιν. ἔρρωτό τε πᾶς καὶ ἰδιώτης καὶ πόλις εἴ τι δύναιτο καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ ξυνεπιλαμβάνειν αὐτοῖς: ἐν τούτῳ τε κεκωλῦσθαι ἐδόκει ἑκάστῳ τὰ πράγματα ᾧ μή τις αὐτὸς παρέσται.
The goodwill of men was indeed great towards the Spartans, especially since they proclaimed that they were setting Greece free. They strengthened all things both private and city [i.e., public] if anything was able in word and in deed: in this manner it seemed to each [that] the preparations were hindered when he himself was not present to assist them.
Section 5:
οὕτως <ἐν> ὀργῇ εἶχον οἱ πλείους τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, οἱ μὲν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπολυθῆναι βουλόμενοι, οἱ δὲ μὴ ἀρχθῶσι φοβούμενοι.
Thus the greater number bore anger at the Athenians, on the one hand the ones wanting to be free from their rule, and on the other, the ones fearing lest [the Athenians] would rule [them].
