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. ' , and
According to Thucydides account (I.6678), at the meeting of the Pelo-
ponnesian League at Sparta, the Corinthians urge action against Athens,
and the Athenians answer with a justication of their empire and a thinly
veiled warning about the unpredictable and the accidental in war (`
12 T H U CY D I D E S B OOK I
, ). Then, the Spartan king Archidamus, a man of pru-
dent understanding (`
'
` ), with caution
and foresight lays out for the Spartans in executive session ( `
' ' ).
OBSERVATIONS ON
GRAMMAR AND STYLE
S P E L L I N GS F AV OR E D B Y T H U CY D I D E S
instead of '
instead of , both as preposition and as preverb
' instead of '
instead of Attic (e.g., instead of )
instead of Attic (e.g., instead of )
' instead of '
S OM E F E AT U R E S OF S T Y L E
Schema Thucydideum. Thucydides often likes to use a neuter participle or a
neuter adjective instead of the corresponding abstract noun. E.g., `
[fear] and `
' `
13
14 T H U CY D I D E S B OOK I
` ' `
'
'
`
' [The plan of Aristeus was to keep his army with him on the
isthmus and keep an eye on the Athenians] (I.62.3). Here, the genitive
modies the `
` by a construction according to sense.
The lilies-of-the-eld construction, or prolepsis. The subject of the depen-
dent clause is often anticipated and made the object of the verb of the
principal clause (Sm. 2182), as in the biblical verse Consider the lilies
of the eld, how they grow [ `
` `
'
-
` ` ` ` ' , ` ` ` [[I,
Thucydides,] seeing the rest of Greece taking one side or the other, some
immediately and some thinking about it] (I.1.1): the adverb ' is
balanced by the participle ; [` ] ' `
'
` ' ` `
[[The Corin-
thians] did not refrain from action since they had citizens inside [Potidaea]
and also out of fear for the territory] (I.67.1): The two elements joined by
the . . . are a genitive absolute and a nominative participle;
( ) '
' ` '
[I advise you] to make our complaints known without either openly threat-
ening war or [suggesting] that we will let them [do as they please]] (I.82.1)
and ( ) ' ` ` ` ' ,
` ` '
, `
' '
' '
[Themistocles, getting wind [of this], ed fromthe Peloponnese to Corcyra]
(I.136.1).
Qualication of nouns by adverbs or phrases. E.g., ` '
[our earlier noninvolvement] (I.32.5);
'
[by something
apparent at the moment] (I.42.4); ` ' ' `
` ' ` ' -
[Old-fashioned are your policies toward them] (I.71.2).
Inserted explanation. E.g., ' ` ' ` ` ' -
[And during this time they sent embassies] (I.126.1).
Switching prepositions. Thucydides will use two different balanced preposi-
tions for the same meaning. E.g., ' ' ` ` '
`
' [Neither toward the others nor toward us are they like
that [honorable]] (I.38.1). Here, and ' mean the same.
OUTLINE OF BOOK I
I. Chapter 1Preliminary
II. Chapters 219Archaeology: Development of the political
and military organization of Greece
III. Chapters 2023Discussion of his methods and assessment
of the importance and the causes of the war
IV. Chapters 2465The immediate causes of the war
A. Corcyra: 2455
1. Speeches at Athens
(a) Corcyreans: 3236
(b) Corinthians: 3743
B. Potidaea: 5665
V. Chapters 6688First debate at Sparta (four speeches)
A. Corinthians: 6871
B. Athenians: 7378
C. Archidamus: 8085
D. Sthenilaidas: 86
VI. Chapters 89117Pentecontaetia: History of the years 479
432, from the retreat of the Persians to the outbreak of the war
VII. Chapters 11825Second congress at Sparta
A. Second speech of the Corinthians: 11924
VIII. Chapters 12638Stories of Pausanias and Themistocles
A. Affair of Cylon: 12627
16
Outline of Book I 17
B. Curse of Taenarus and the Brazen House (Pausanias):
12836
C. Themistocles: 13638
IX. Chapters 13946Speech of Pericles