Literal translation only

1. Θουκυδίδης Ἀθηναῖος ξυνέγραψε τὸν πόλεμον τῶν Πελοποννησίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων, ὡς ἐπολέμησαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ἀρξάμενος εὐθὺς καθισταμένου καὶ ἐλπίσας μέγαν τε ἔσεσθαι καὶ ἀξιολογώτατον τῶν προγεγενημένων, τεκμαιρόμενος ὅτι ἀκμάζοντές τε ᾖσαν ἐς αὐτὸν ἀμφότεροι παρασκευῇ τῇ πάσῃ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο Ἑλληνικὸν ὁρῶν ξυνιστάμενον πρὸς ἑκατέρους, τὸ μὲν εὐθύς, τὸ δὲ καὶ διανοούμενον. [2] κίνησις γὰρ αὕτη μεγίστη δὴ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐγένετο καὶ μέρει τινὶ τῶν βαρβάρων, ὡς δὲ εἰπεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων. [3] τὰ γὰρ πρὸ αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἔτι παλαίτερα σαφῶς μὲν εὑρεῖν διὰ χρόνου πλῆθος ἀδύνατα ἦν, ἐκ δὲ τεκμηρίων ὧν ἐπὶ μακρότατον σκοποῦντί μοι πιστεῦσαι ξυμβαίνει οὐ μεγάλα νομίζω γενέσθαι οὔτε κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους οὔτε ἐς τὰ ἄλλα.

καθισταμένου: come into a certain state: [τοῦ πολέμου] καθισταμένου: when the war started, came to be.
ἀξιολογώτατον τῶν προγεγενημένων: gen of comparison but with a superlative rather than a comparitive e.g. the most honest of all
ἀκμάζω: to be in full bloom, at the prime, at their height
ξυνίστασθαι πρὸς ἑκατέρους: league with one side or the other, to form an alliance, ally
διανοέομαι: to be minded, intend, purpose, contemplating
δὴ: now, in truth, indeed, surely, really
μέρει τινὶ τῶν βαρβάρων: The phrase signifies an appreciable and therefore considerable part. Think after eating a large meal you say: That was "some" meal!, so here it means "some" part of the non-Greek world!
ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων: the greater part, over the largest part of mankind
ἐκ δὲ τεκμηρίων ὧν ἐπὶ μακρότατον σκοποῦντί μοι πιστεῦσαι ξυμβαίνει: The key issue is the form of the relative pronoun 'ὧν'. Why is it genitive? The simplest answer is that it is an example of attraction where its case matches its antecedent 'τεκμηρίων', although within the relative clause itself it should be translated as an 'accusative' or ἅ. So we have: From the evidence which fell to me to trust, after examing it as far back as possible, I do not believe the events (in the past) were as great neither ... etc
ἐπὶ μακρότατον: as far back as possible


Translation:

Thucydides the Athenian has compiled the war of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, how they fought against each other, beginning immediately when it first broke out, and expecting that it will be a huge event and one most worthy of reckoning as compared to events that happened before, taking as his evidence that both sides were at their height in full preparation for it and seeing that the rest of the Greek world were allied with one side or the other, some immediately, others still deciding. For it was the greatest commotion indeed to befall the Greeks and the greater part of the Barbarian world, if not, so to speak, the greatest part of mankind. In regards to the events before this war and those events still farther back it was not possible to learn about them clearly because of the ravages of time, but from the evidence which came to me to trust, after examining it as far back as possible, I do not believe that those events were as great neither in terms of wars nor in other matters.

Notes:
1. We see, albeit in its embryonic form, the beginnings of the erga and logon antithesis: μέγαν τε ἔσεσθαι καὶ ἀξιολογώτατον, the acts of the war and their intellectual reckoning.
2. Likewise, we see the first hint of the active and passive antithesis that will come to define how Athens and Sparta are judged to act: τὸ ἄλλο Ἑλληνικὸν ὁρῶν ξυνιστάμενον πρὸς ἑκατέρους, τὸ μὲν εὐθύς, τὸ δὲ καὶ διανοούμενον. The point being that part of the Greek world acts decisively, perhaps too decisively, while the other acts in a more deliberative manner, perhaps too slowly, when aligning themselves.
3. Finally, we see Thucydides commitment to the examination of the evidence and its limits: ἐκ δὲ τεκμηρίων ὧν ἐπὶ μακρότατον σκοποῦντί μοι πιστεῦσαι ξυμβαίνει


2. φαίνεται γὰρ ἡ νῦν Ἑλλὰς καλουμένη οὐ πάλαι βεβαίως οἰκουμένη, ἀλλὰ μεταναστάσεις τε οὖσαι τὰ πρότερα καὶ ῥᾳδίως ἕκαστοι τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀπολείποντες βιαζόμενοι ὑπό τινων αἰεὶ πλειόνων. [2] τῆς γὰρ ἐμπορίας οὐκ οὔσης, οὐδ᾽ ἐπιμειγνύντες ἀδεῶς ἀλλήλοις οὔτε κατὰ γῆν οὔτε διὰ θαλάσσης, νεμόμενοί τε τὰ αὑτῶν ἕκαστοι ὅσον ἀποζῆν καὶ περιουσίαν χρημάτων οὐκ ἔχοντες οὐδὲ γῆν φυτεύοντες, ἄδηλον ὂν ὁπότε τις ἐπελθὼν καὶ ἀτειχίστων ἅμα ὄντων ἄλλος ἀφαιρήσεται, τῆς τε καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀναγκαίου τροφῆς πανταχοῦ ἂν ἡγούμενοι ἐπικρατεῖν, οὐ χαλεπῶς ἀπανίσταντο, καὶ δι᾽ αὐτὸ οὔτε μεγέθει πόλεων ἴσχυον οὔτε τῇ ἄλλῃ παρασκευῇ. [3] μάλιστα δὲ τῆς γῆς ἡ ἀρίστη αἰεὶ τὰς μεταβολὰς τῶν οἰκητόρων εἶχεν, ἥ τε νῦν Θεσσαλία καλουμένη καὶ Βοιωτία Πελοποννήσου τε τὰ πολλὰ πλὴν Ἀρκαδίας, τῆς τε ἄλλης ὅσα ἦν κράτιστα. [4] διὰ γὰρ ἀρετὴν γῆς αἵ τε δυνάμεις τισὶ μείζους ἐγγιγνόμεναι στάσεις ἐνεποίουν ἐξ ὧν ἐφθείροντο, καὶ ἅμα ὑπὸ ἀλλοφύλων μᾶλλον ἐπεβουλεύοντο. [5] τὴν γοῦν Ἀττικὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον διὰ τὸ λεπτόγεων ἀστασίαστον οὖσαν ἄνθρωποι ᾤκουν οἱ αὐτοὶ αἰεί. [6] καὶ παράδειγμα τόδε τοῦ λόγου οὐκ ἐλάχιστόν ἐστι διὰ τὰς μετοικίας ἐς τὰ ἄλλα μὴ ὁμοίως αὐξηθῆναι: ἐκ γὰρ τῆς ἄλλης Ἑλλάδος οἱ πολέμῳ ἢ στάσει ἐκπίπτοντες παρ᾽ Ἀθηναίους οἱ δυνατώτατοι ὡς βέβαιον ὂν ἀνεχώρουν, καὶ πολῖται γιγνόμενοι εὐθὺς ἀπὸ παλαιοῦ μείζω ἔτι ἐποίησαν πλήθει ἀνθρώπων τὴν πόλιν, ὥστε καὶ ἐς Ἰωνίαν ὕστερον ὡς οὐχ ἱκανῆς οὔσης τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἀποικίας ἐξέπεμψαν.

φαίνεται + participle = it is abundantly clear vs φαίνεται + infinitive = it seems to be the case that
μεταναστάσεις: noun pl fem acc: migrations
τὰ πρότερα: in former times
ὅσον ἀποζῆν: very rare usage but means "as much to live off": ἀποζῆν: pres inf act
ἄδηλον ὂν ὁπότε τις ἄλλος ... indirect question
καὶ ἀτειχίστων ἅμα ὄντων: Symthe: 2168 etc. The term parataxis (παράταξις arranging side by side) ... is restricted to the arrangement of two independent sentences side by side, though one is in *thought* subordinate to the other. So frequently in Attic prose with καί, τὲ . . . καί, ἅμα . . . καί, εὐθὺς . . . καί, and with δέ meaning for ... Thucydides is especially fond of καί or τέ to coördinate two ideas, one of which is subordinate to the other.
So translate the καὶ ... ἅμα as an "especially": i.e. especially because they had no walls
ἡγέομαι: go before, lead the way, believe, hold, rule
ἐπικρατέω: to rule over, get the mastery of, acquire + gen: ἂν goes with επικρατει indicating that in direct discourse, it was a potential optative
πανταχοῦ: anywhere
ἀπανίστημι: make rise up and depart, send away; Med., arise and go away, depart again, emigrate, to root up
ἰσχύω: to be strong: ἴσχυον impf 3rd pl
πλὴν Ἀρκαδίας: except for Arkadia, a rugged land unaffected by invasions and therefore autochthones, and therefore like Attika.

[ (Xen. Hell. 7.1. 23): τις Λυκομήδης Μαντινεύς ... λέγων ὡς μόνοις μὲν αὐτοῖς πατρὶς Πελοπόννησος εἴη, μόνοι γὰρ αὐτόχθονες ἐν αὐτῇ οἰκοῖεν. A certain Lycomedes of Mantinea .. said that it was to them alone (the Arkadians) that the Peloponnesus was a fatherland, since they were the only autochthonous people that lived there.]

ὅσα ἦν κράτιστα: as much as it was fertile
φθείρω: destroy: ἐφθείροντο: 3rd pl imperf ind MP; see: ἐφθείροντο: dwindled; φθείρεσθαι（φθίνειν): declined
λεπτόγειος (λεπτόγεων = adj sg neut acc): thin soil
ἀστασίαστος: not torn by faction or stasis
γοῦν: at least then, at any rate, any way
Note: ὁ αὐτός = "the same man"
ἐπὶ πλεῖστον a complete adv: the remotest time; so ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον: from the remotest time or from a very long time back.
παράδειγμα: pattern, model but also argument, proof from example; (don't just reference Kuhn's use of "paradigm" here for the meaning)

καὶ παράδειγμα τόδε τοῦ λόγου οὐκ ἐλάχιστόν ἐστι ... This sentence has generated huge but in my view unnecessary controversy, and I am not clear why. It is certainly abstract but its meaning is clear: due to the frequent overturn of peoples in other locations, there was not the same increase in population (as there was in Attika), which is the **whole** point of this paragraph ending with Athens sending out colonists when the land was no longer capable of supporting her increasing population.
μὴ ὁμοίως αὐξηθῆναι: impersonal infinitive in indirect discourse governed by "The proof of this argument is that ..."
"The great proof of this argument is that because of the migrations in (and out of) other places, there was not the same increase."
“Here is a very good example to prove my point that, owing to the continual shifting of population, the rest of Greece did not advance (in security) as much as Attica" Gomme

Note here that "αὐξηθῆναι" or "growth" does not actually require the clarification of "growth in something "; instead it is better to leave it as abstract and allow the reader to contemplate its specificity. Or in others words, it has a nice generalized and organic aspect to it, as if referencing potential rather than actualization. It is similar in sense to the earlier "ὸ μὲν εὐθύς, τὸ δὲ καὶ διανοούμενον" where the contemplation is the point, not the decision. One can look to Book 1:69:4 where the Corinthians admonish the Spartans for "ἡσυχάζετε γάρ, μόνοι Ἑλλήνων, ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, οὐ τῇ δυνάμει τινά, ἀλλὰ τῇ μελλήσει ἀμυνόμενοι" "Spartans, you alone of the Greeks, are at rest: you defend yourselves not by some force but by intending". From there in 1:69:4, Thucydides builds out the thought of "τῇ μελλήσει" with tranched layers of meaning: it is quite impressive, as each layer builds upon and then further defines the ones before it to provide the full idea, all stylized in a series of metabolic but antithetical constructions.

ὡς βέβαιον ὂν: since it was stable

*** ἀνεχώρουν:3rd pl imperf ind act: ἀναχωρέω go back; return *** This verb is extremely important in the context of the myth of autochthony. It must mean 'returned' and not 'came to' Attica. This passage is almost always mistranslated but given the logic of the myth and Thucydides adherence to it, it would make absolutely no sense to claim that the same people have always inhabited Attica yet foreigners came to it from different places. Thucydides uses the same verb later in chapter 9 when he writes "καὶ ὡς οὐκέτι ἀνεχώρησεν Εὐρυσθεύς" [ and when Eurystheus did not return] because he was in fact dead, Atreus became king. See below for various manifestations of the autochthonic myths and their salient import. Also note that autochthony does not mean people sprang up from the soil; it means the same peoples have always lived in such and such area.


Translation:

It is evident that what is now called Hellas [Greece] was not stably settled during the ancient period, on the contrary in former times there were migrations and each group readily moved on, continuously forced off by others who were more numerous. There was no trade, peoples did not securely interact with each other, neither on land nor on the sea, each group cultivated their own provisions as much to survive; there was no surplus of wealth nor did they farm the land -- it was not clear when someone else would attack and take their land for themselves, especially because they did not have walls. And believing that would acquire their daily necessities elsewhere, they moved on again without difficulty, and on account of this neither did they have strength in the size of cities nor in any other kind of protection. Above all, the richness of the land produced a continual turnover of inhabitants, lands that are now called Thessaly and Boiatia and the most part of the Peloponessus save for Arkadia, and other locations in as much as they were fertile. Because of the richness of the land, power for certain individuals increased causing stasis under which they declined, and at the same time they began to be plotted against by foreign peoples.

Yet Attika from its earliest time was free from stasis because of its rugged soil and the same people have always lived there. The proof of this argument is not the least of which that because of migrations (i.e. shifting populations) in these other places they did not likewise increase. From the rest of Greece, the most powerful people, after they were disrupted by either war or stasis, **returned** to Athens because it was stable, and since they immediately became citizens from the earliest time they made the city still greater in the number of its inhabitants, with the result that when Attika was no longer sufficient they later sent out colonists to Ionia.


3. δηλοῖ δέ μοι καὶ τόδε τῶν παλαιῶν ἀσθένειαν οὐχ ἥκιστα: πρὸ γὰρ τῶν Τρωικῶν οὐδὲν φαίνεται πρότερον κοινῇ ἐργασαμένη ἡ Ἑλλάς: [2] δοκεῖ δέ μοι, οὐδὲ τοὔνομα τοῦτο ξύμπασά πω εἶχεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πρὸ Ἕλληνος τοῦ Δευκαλίωνος καὶ πάνυ οὐδὲ εἶναι ἡ ἐπίκλησις αὕτη, κατὰ ἔθνη δὲ ἄλλα τε καὶ τὸ Πελασγικὸν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν παρέχεσθαι, Ἕλληνος δὲ καὶ τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ Φθιώτιδι ἰσχυσάντων, καὶ ἐπαγομένων αὐτοὺς ἐπ᾽ ὠφελίᾳ ἐς τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, καθ᾽ ἑκάστους μὲν ἤδη τῇ ὁμιλίᾳ μᾶλλον καλεῖσθαι Ἕλληνας, οὐ μέντοι πολλοῦ γε χρόνου [ἐδύνατο] καὶ ἅπασιν ἐκνικῆσαι. [3] τεκμηριοῖ δὲ μάλιστα Ὅμηρος: πολλῷ γὰρ ὕστερον ἔτι καὶ τῶν Τρωικῶν γενόμενος οὐδαμοῦ τοὺς ξύμπαντας ὠνόμασεν, οὐδ᾽ ἄλλους ἢ τοὺς μετ᾽ Ἀχιλλέως ἐκ τῆς Φθιώτιδος, οἵπερ καὶ πρῶτοι Ἕλληνες ἦσαν, Δαναοὺς δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι καὶ Ἀργείους καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς ἀνακαλεῖ. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ βαρβάρους εἴρηκε διὰ τὸ μηδὲ Ἕλληνάς πω, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, ἀντίπαλον ἐς ἓν ὄνομα ἀποκεκρίσθαι. [4] οἱ δ᾽ οὖν ὡς ἕκαστοι Ἕλληνες κατὰ πόλεις τε ὅσοι ἀλλήλων ξυνίεσαν καὶ ξύμπαντες ὕστερον κληθέντες οὐδὲν πρὸ τῶν Τρωικῶν δι᾽ ἀσθένειαν καὶ ἀμειξίαν ἀλλήλων ἁθρόοι ἔπραξαν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην τὴν στρατείαν θαλάσσῃ ἤδη πλείω χρώμενοι *εξῆλθον*

*[ ξυνεξῆλθον conjectured by others; I disagree so using εξῆλθον.]*


φαίνεται + participle = it is abundantly clear vs φαίνεται + infinitive = it seems to be the case that (really important to understand the difference!)
Supply παράδειγμα i.e. καὶ τόδε παράδειγμα: this is also proof that ...
πρό ... πρότεροv: repeating the same idea
καὶ πάνυ: actually
ἄλλα τε καὶ: especially: note ἄλλα rather than ἄλλως τε και, presumably to agree with κατὰ ἔθνη
παρέχεσθαι: mid: supply of oneself or from one's own means
ἐπάγω: to lead on; Med: bring to oneself, procure or provide for oneself; This verb is regularly used of the inviting of strangers into one's country. τῶν παίδων ... ἰσχυσάντων, καὶ ἐπαγομένων αὐτοὺς: two genitive absolutes but note that they have different subjects. The first's subject is 'τῶν παίδων', the second is assumed within the participal but one could supply, as an example, τινῶν i.e. others. The point being that 'αὐτοὺς' refers to the subject of the first genitive absolute: the children became strong, others invited them (the children) in ...
ἤδη: by this time, before this, already
περ: enclit. Particle, adding force to the word to which it is added, prob. a shortd. form of περί, in the sense of very much, however much; the very ones who
ἀνακαλεῖ: call again and again (this is the force of ἀνα): καλέω call, summon
οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ: nor again
ἀποκρίνω: set apart, be separated
ἀντίπαλος: a wrestling term: wrestling against: hence, antagonist, rival,of things, nearly matched, nearly balanced

οἱ δ᾽ οὖν ὡς ἕκαστοι Ἕλληνες .. This next sentence is initially quite brutal and takes some careful parsing.

ξυνίεσαν 3rd pl imperf ind act (from συνίημι: to bring together, understand): ξ. ἀλλήλων understand one another's language
ἀθρόος: together in body, in crowds, heaps, or masses, crowded together, as a whole
The τε .. καὶ juxtaposes κατὰ πόλει and ξύμπαντες .. e.g. called Greeks city by city, later called Greeks collectively ...
ὅσοι ἀλλήλων ξυνίεσαν: as many began to understand each other (language)
A tricky sentence. The main clause is: before the Trojan War, as an differentiated mob of peoples, those before they were called Greeks did nothing because of their poverty and lack of secure trade.
Or: the Hellenes received their name first of all in separate communities as they spoke a Hellenic dialect intelligible to one another, but later were collectively embraced under one great distinctive appellation, the Hellenes. But during neither of these periods did they enter upon any great common enterprise because of their poverty and the lack of trade

Note that στρατείαν may surely be considered as a cognate accusative after ξυνῆλθον, as στρατείας ἐξῆλθον:
But the MS. ξυνῆλθον will not do: ἐξέρχομαι, ἔξειμι with accus, are not rare in Attic prose in a military sense So: ταύτην τὴν στρατείαν ... εξῆλθον: They assembled this expedition.
ἐξῆλθον δέ τινας καὶ ἄλλας ἐξόδους: The Athenians also made some other expeditions (Xenophon Xen. Hell. 1.2.17)


Translation:

It is clear that this is also [proof] that there was not the least amount of weakness in the ancient period: before the Trojan war it is evident that Greece did not engage in common enterprises. It seems to me - the name Greece did not yet hold anywhere - in the period before Hellen, the son of Deucalion, this name did not actually exist; each tribe especially the Pelasgians most widely provided their own name. But when the children of Hellen himself became powerful in Phthia and peoples invited them in as help in other cities, and each group by this time began to call themselves Greek more from commonality, however even during this time it did win out over a long period. The best evidence is Homer: although he lived even much later than the Trojan War he nowhere called all Greeks, not anyone else except those with Achilles from Phthia, the very ones who were also the first Greeks. But in his Epics, he calls them repeatedly Danaans, Argives and Achaeans. Nor again did speak of barbarians because the Greeks, as it seems to me, were not yet seperated off under one counter name. These peoples then, as each group city by city came to be called Greeks, as many began to understand each other, and later called Greeks as a collective name, did not nothing as a whole before the Trojan War on account of their weakness and their lack of interaction with each other. But they even assembled an expedition because they were already making more use of the sea,

4. Μίνως γὰρ παλαίτατος ὧν ἀκοῇ ἴσμεν ναυτικὸν ἐκτήσατο καὶ τῆς νῦν Ἑλληνικῆς θαλάσσης ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐκράτησε καὶ τῶν Κυκλάδων νήσων ἦρξέ τε καὶ οἰκιστὴς πρῶτος τῶν πλείστων ἐγένετο, Κᾶρας ἐξελάσας καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ παῖδας ἡγεμόνας ἐγκαταστήσας: τό τε λῃστικόν, ὡς εἰκός, καθῄρει ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐδύνατο, τοῦ τὰς προσόδους μᾶλλον ἰέναι αὐτῷ.

ἐγκαθίστημι: place or establish or set up
καθαιρέω: to put down, reduce, destroy
τό τε λῃστικόν: piracy: Note here that Thucydides has a tendency to use "τε" to append ideas to sentences whose propositions already seem complete, or to further expand on those ideas.
προσόδους :public revenues
τοῦ τὰς προσόδους μᾶλλον ἰέναι αὐτῷ: genitive articular infinitive used as a purpose clause: in order that more revenues might come.

Translation:

Minos was the most ancient of those, whom we know about from hearing/reports, that acquired a navy and he became master over the largest part of what we now call the Hellenic sea. And he ruled over the Cycladic islands and was the first colonizer of most of it; he drove out the Carians and established his own sons as leaders. As a result, and right to do so, he reduced piracy as much as he was able in order that more revenues might flow.

5. οἱ γὰρ Ἕλληνες τὸ πάλαι καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων οἵ τε ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ παραθαλάσσιοι καὶ ὅσοι νήσους εἶχον, ἐπειδὴ ἤρξαντο μᾶλλον περαιοῦσθαι ναυσὶν ἐπ᾽ ἀλλήλους, ἐτράποντο πρὸς λῃστείαν, ἡγουμένων ἀνδρῶν οὐ τῶν ἀδυνατωτάτων κέρδους τοῦ σφετέρου αὐτῶν ἕνεκα καὶ τοῖς ἀσθενέσι τροφῆς, καὶ προσπίπτοντες πόλεσιν ἀτειχίστοις καὶ κατὰ κώμας οἰκουμέναις ἥρπαζον καὶ τὸν πλεῖστον τοῦ βίου ἐντεῦθεν ἐποιοῦντο, οὐκ ἔχοντός πω αἰσχύνην τούτου τοῦ ἔργου, φέροντος δέ τι καὶ δόξης μᾶλλον: [2] δηλοῦσι δὲ τῶν τε ἠπειρωτῶν τινὲς ἔτι καὶ νῦν, οἷς κόσμος καλῶς τοῦτο δρᾶν, καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν ποιητῶν τὰς πύστεις τῶν καταπλεόντων πανταχοῦ ὁμοίως ἐρωτῶντες εἰ λῃσταί εἰσιν, ὡς οὔτε ὧν πυνθάνονται ἀπαξιούντων τὸ ἔργον, οἷς τε ἐπιμελὲς εἴη εἰδέναι οὐκ ὀνειδιζόντων. [3] ἐλῄζοντο δὲ καὶ κατ᾽ ἤπειρον ἀλλήλους.καὶ μέχρι τοῦδε πολλὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος τῷ παλαιῷ τρόπῳ νέμεται περί τε Λοκροὺς τοὺς Ὀζόλας καὶ Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ Ἀκαρνᾶνας καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ ἤπειρον. τό τε σιδηροφορεῖσθαι τούτοις τοῖς ἠπειρώταις ἀπὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς λῃστείας ἐμμεμένηκεν:

τῶν βαρβάρων οἵ τε ... καὶ ὅσοι ... partitive genitive refined by two relative clauses: The Hellenes and of the barbarians those who .... and ... those who ...
ἤπειρος: fem noun: mainland, terra firma, land
παραθαλάσσιος: next to the sea, beside the sea
περαιόω: carry over or across: περαιοῦσθαι: pres inf
τρέπω: ἐτράποντο: 3rd pl aor ind mid: in Pass. and Med. also, turn or betake oneself; turn or direct towards a thing, Homer
ἡγέομαι; ἄγω: to go before, lead the way; the think, to hold a thought
οἰκουμένη: inhabited region
ἁρπάζω: to snatch away, carry off, to sieze, plunder
τοῦ σφετέρου αὐτῶν: note the singular reflex with the plural 'αὐτῶν': the point is that the profit is not for the leaders but for all
δηλόω: to make visible, to show, make know, to prove; intransitive: to be clear or plain

The object of δηλοῦσι is the previous discussion about pirates. e.g. [the following] proves [the truth about the pirates]
The two subjects of δηλοῦσι are ἠπειρωτῶν τινὲς ... and οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν ποιητῶν ...
To put it into an English sense: That what I said about the pirates is correct is proved by that still even now ...
Still even now some of the coastal people, for whom it is an honour to do piracy well, prove what I just said to be true ...
smythe: 2086 ὡς: With participles of cause or purpose, etc: ὡς. This particle sets forth the ground of belief on which the agent acts, and denotes the thought, assertion, real or presumed intention, in the mind of the subject of the principal verb or of some other person mentioned prominently in the sentence, without implicating the speaker or writer.
πύστις: inquiry
πυνθάνονται: learn something from a person
ἀπαξιούντων: disclaim as unworthy, disown
ὀνειδιζόντων:to throw a reproach upon one
ληίζομαι: to seize as booty, to carry off as prey; to plunder
ἐπιμελές: adj sg neut nom: careful or anxious about, it was for me my interest or business to know
οἷς τε ἐπιμελὲς εἴη εἰδέναι: why optative? indirect question in secondary sequence? iterative optative?

After secondary tenses, all subordinate verbs in the present, future, or perfect indicative, and all subjunctives, are usually changed to the corresponding tenses of the optative, or they are retained. Subjunctives with ἄν lose ἄν on passing into the optative. Or:

πυνθάνονται ... ἐπιμελὲς εἴη—the forms of the recta and obliqua are combined, as frequently in Xen. = ὧν πυνθανόμεθα ... οἷς ἂν ἐπιμελὲς ᾖ. It expresses the thought of the poets. (Others seem to consider πυνθάνονται as hist. pres. and εἴη as pure iterative opt.)



Translation:

The Greeks and those from among the barbarians who lived on the land by the sea and those many who lived on islands, when they began to increase crossing back and forth to each other on their ships, they turned to piracy; not unpowerful man lead them for both the sake of their collective profit and for the sake of basic needs for the poor, and they attacked unwalled cities and the inhabited regions dotted with villages, and plundered; thereopen they made this the greatest part of their life-style. This activity was not thought as yet as shameful, indeed it carried a certain degree of honour. The proof that this is true is provided by some of the costal peoples for whom still even now to engage in piracy well (καλῶς) is an honour (kosmos); and proof is provided by the ancient poets who alike always ask those who have landed whether they are pirates, as though those they inquire do not deem this activity unworthy, and as though for those it is in their interest to know do not reproach. They also plundered each other on the land. And up to this time much of the Greek world lives in this ancient way in and around the the Ozolian Locrians, the Aetolians, the Acarnanians, and in that region of the continent. The practise of carrying swords for those on the coast remains steadfast from the ancient pirates.

6. πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἐσιδηροφόρει διὰ τὰς ἀφάρκτους τε οἰκήσεις καὶ οὐκ ἀσφαλεῖς παρ᾽ ἀλλήλους ἐφόδους, καὶ ξυνήθη τὴν δίαιταν μεθ᾽ ὅπλων ἐποιήσαντο ὥσπερ οἱ βάρβαροι. [2] σημεῖον δ᾽ ἐστὶ ταῦτα τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἔτι οὕτω νεμόμενα τῶν ποτὲ καὶ ἐς πάντας ὁμοίων διαιτημάτων. [3] ἐν τοῖς πρῶτοι δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι τόν τε σίδηρον κατέθεντο καὶ ἀνειμένῃ τῇ διαίτῃ ἐς τὸ τρυφερώτερον μετέστησαν. καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι αὐτοῖς τῶν εὐδαιμόνων διὰ τὸ ἁβροδίαιτον οὐ πολὺς χρόνος ἐπειδὴ χιτῶνάς τε λινοῦς ἐπαύσαντο φοροῦντες καὶ χρυσῶν τεττίγων ἐνέρσει κρωβύλον ἀναδούμενοι τῶν ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τριχῶν: ἀφ᾽ οὗ καὶ Ἰώνων τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους κατὰ τὸ ξυγγενὲς ἐπὶ πολὺ αὕτη ἡ σκευὴ κατέσχεν. [4] μετρίᾳ δ᾽ αὖ ἐσθῆτι καὶ ἐς τὸν νῦν τρόπον πρῶτοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἐχρήσαντο καὶ ἐς τὰ ἄλλα πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς οἱ τὰ μείζω κεκτημένοι ἰσοδίαιτοι μάλιστα κατέστησαν. [5] ἐγυμνώθησάν τε πρῶτοι καὶ ἐς τὸ φανερὸν ἀποδύντες λίπα μετὰ τοῦ γυμνάζεσθαι ἠλείψαντο: τὸ δὲ πάλαι καὶ ἐν τῷ Ὀλυμπικῷ ἀγῶνι διαζώματα ἔχοντες περὶ τὰ αἰδοῖα οἱ ἀθληταὶ ἠγωνίζοντο, καὶ οὐ πολλὰ ἔτη ἐπειδὴ πέπαυται. ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς βαρβάροις ἔστιν οἷς νῦν, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς Ἀσιανοῖς, πυγμῆς καὶ πάλης ἆθλα τίθεται, καὶ διεζωμένοι τοῦτο δρῶσιν. [6] πολλὰ δ᾽ ἂν καὶ ἄλλα τις ἀποδείξειε τὸ παλαιὸν Ἑλληνικὸν ὁμοιότροπα τῷ νῦν βαρβαρικῷ διαιτώμενον.

ἄφρακτος (φράσσω): adj pl fem acc: unprotected
ἔφοδος: pl fem acc: approach; advance; intercourse; means of approach and communication
δίαιτα: a way of living, mode of life
συνήθης: intimate, customary, habitual; living together; accustomed, customary; the pred. adj. ξυνήθη acc sing fem takes the place of the adv. ξυνήθως
σημεῖον: mark, proof,sign
διαίτημα: pl., rules of life, regimen, esp. in regard of diet; generally, institutions, customs
ἀνίημι: ἀνειμένῃ: part sg perf mid fem dat: relaxed, unconstrained; let go free, untilled, slacken, relax, let down
δίαιτα: dative sing: way of living, mode of life
τρυφερός: delicate, dainty; luxurious
ἁβροδίαιτος: living delicately
οὐ πολὺς χρόνος ἐπειδή: no long time ago
λίνεος: of flax, linen
ἔνερσις:sg fem dat: fitting in, fastening
κρώβυλος: knot of hair
ἀναδέω: bind, tie up, wreath
θρίξ, τριχός: hair
τεττίγων: an onomatopoeic word imitating the sound made by cicadas; the point is that the cicada is earthborn and that golden cicadas worn by the wealthier Athenians hints its role within Plato's noble lie
σκευή: equipment, attire, apparel
ἐσθής: clothing, raiment
μέτριος: within measure, moderate
κατέχω: hold fast, prevail
ἐς τὰ ἄλλα πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς: “in other matters in respect to many”
ἰσοδίαιτος: living on an equal footing
γυμνόω: strip naked
ἀποδύω: stripping
ἀλείφω: anoint the skin with oil
λίπα: used by Homer as a kind of instrumental dative or adverb; others think it is an internal accusative: Homer: ἀλείψασθαι λίπ᾽ ἐλαίῳ anoint oneself with olive oil
διάζωμα: that which is put round as a girdle
αἰδοῖον: privy parts, pudenda
ἆθλον: prize of contest
διαζώννυμι: gird round, encircle, embrace
δράω: do, accomplish


Translation:

All Greece was armed because of their unprotected settlements and their unsafe interactions with each other; they established a habitual way of daily living with weapons, just like the barbarians. Those parts of Greece still living this way are proof of those once common customs that once extended to all. The Athenians were among the first lay down their iron and switched into a relaxed way of living that was more luxurious. The wealthy older men among them because of their refinement, not long since, gave up their continual wearing of the linen Chiton and the woven knot of hair on the head with a fastener of golden cicadas: because of which also this very attire took hold for a long time among the Ionian elders because of their [Athenian] kinship. Moreover, the Lakedaemonians were the first to make use of moderate clothing in the current style and in other ways the wealthy established as much as possible an equal way of living on par with the many: they were the first to be naked and after doffing their clothes in public they covered themselves in oil while exercising. For in the ancient period, even in the Olympic games, the athletes competed wearing girdles around their loins, and it is not many years since it has been stopped. Indeed, still even now among some of the Barbarians, especially among the Asians, when prizes for boxing and wresting are on offer, the contestants wear loin-cloths. And one could show that the early Hellenes had many other customs similar to those of the Barbarians of the present day.

7. τῶν δὲ πόλεων ὅσαι μὲν νεώτατα ᾠκίσθησαν καὶ ἤδη πλωιμωτέρων ὄντων, περιουσίας μᾶλλον ἔχουσαι χρημάτων ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς τείχεσιν ἐκτίζοντο καὶ τοὺς ἰσθμοὺς ἀπελάμβανον ἐμπορίας τε ἕνεκα καὶ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς προσοίκους ἕκαστοι ἰσχύος: αἱ δὲ παλαιαὶ διὰ τὴν λῃστείαν ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀντίσχουσαν ἀπὸ θαλάσσης μᾶλλον ᾠκίσθησαν, αἵ τε ἐν ταῖς νήσοις καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἠπείροις （ἔφερον γὰρ ἀλλήλους τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσοι ὄντες οὐ θαλάσσιοι κάτω ᾤκουν), καὶ μέχρι τοῦδε ἔτι ἀνῳκισμένοι εἰσίν.

πλώιμος: fit for sailing, favourable for sailing; seaworthy
πλωιμωτέρων ὄντων: genitive absolute
αἰγιαλός: sea shore, shore line, beach
ἀπολαμβάνω: take, cut off, intercept
ἰσχύος: genitive from ἰσχύς strength
ἀντέχω: hold against; prevail; extend, reach
φέρω: to bear, to carry, carry off, to carry off as booty or plunder, to rob, plunder
κάτω: Adv. down from, on the coast
ἀνοικίζω: to move up country, to shift one's dwelling up the country, to migrate inland
μέχρι: genitive: up to my time: with the Art., τὸ μ. ἐμεῦ up to my time


As regards to cities recently founded, as shipping became more prevalent and there was an increase in the surplus of wealth, they began to build their cities on the shoreline with walls and to enclose their isthmuses off both for trade and also for the protection of their inhabitants against their neighbours. The older cities were built farther away from the sea because piracy prevailed for a long time, those older cities both on the islands and on the coast (the pirates plundered each other as well as many of those who although not sea people, resided along the coast), and still up to this time they live inland.

8. καὶ οὐχ ἧσσον λῃσταὶ ἦσαν οἱ νησιῶται, Κᾶρές τε ὄντες καὶ Φοίνικες: οὗτοι γὰρ δὴ τὰς πλείστας τῶν νήσων ᾤκησαν. μαρτύριον δέ: Δήλου γὰρ καθαιρομένης ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων ἐν τῷδε τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ τῶν θηκῶν ἀναιρεθεισῶν ὅσαι ἦσαν τῶν τεθνεώτων ἐν τῇ νήσῳ, ὑπὲρ ἥμισυ Κᾶρες ἐφάνησαν, γνωσθέντες τῇ τε σκευῇ τῶν ὅπλων ξυντεθαμμένῃ καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ ᾧ νῦν ἔτι θάπτουσιν. [2] καταστάντος δὲ τοῦ Μίνω ναυτικοῦ πλωιμώτερα ἐγένετο παρ᾽ ἀλλήλους （οἱ γὰρ ἐκ τῶν νήσων κακοῦργοι ἀνέστησαν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὅτεπερ καὶ τὰς πολλὰς αὐτῶν κατῴκιζε）, [3] καὶ οἱ παρὰ θάλασσαν ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον ἤδη τὴν κτῆσιν τῶν χρημάτων ποιούμενοι βεβαιότερον ᾤκουν, καί τινες καὶ τείχη περιεβάλλοντο ὡς πλουσιώτεροι ἑαυτῶν γιγνόμενοι: ἐφιέμενοι γὰρ τῶν κερδῶν οἵ τε ἥσσους ὑπέμενον τὴν τῶν κρεισσόνων δουλείαν, οἵ τε δυνατώτεροι περιουσίας ἔχοντες προσεποιοῦντο ὑπηκόους τὰς ἐλάσσους πόλεις. [4] καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ μᾶλλον ἤδη ὄντες ὕστερον χρόνῳ ἐπὶ Τροίαν ἐστράτευσαν.

μαρτύριον: testimony, proof
καθαίρω: cleanse, purify, purge
ἀναιρέω: take up, take away
θήκη: case, chest, tomb
θάπτω: honour with funeral rites, bury
κάκουργος: ill doers; no do good doers; nasties; bad men!
ἑαυτῶν: than they were before; the comp. with gen. of refl. pron. measures progress by change in the subj. itself.
ἐφίημι: send to, bid, [middle: long for, desire]
ὑπομένω: 3rd pl imperf ind act: stay behind;to be patient under, abide patiently, submit to any evil that threatens one
ἥσσους adj pl masc nom comp contr: inferior, less, weaker
δουλεία is often used of political dependence
κρείσσων: stronger, mightier
ἐλάσσων: smaller: from ἐλαχύς: small short little
προσποιέω: make over to, add [ middle: procure for oneself; to bring over to oneself ]
ὑπήκοος hearkening; abs. as Subst., ὑπήκοοι, οἱ, subjects, τὸ ὑ. τῶν ξυμμάχων Th.6.69; the subject allies of Athens were called ὑπήκοοι, opp. αὐτόνομοι, Th.7.57, cf. 6.22, 8.2.


And the islanders, both the Carians and the Phoenicians, did not make up a lesser number of pirates: the Carians in particular inhabited most of the islands. This is the proof : when Delos was purified by the Athenians during this war and many of the graves of those who died on the island were removed, about half appeared to be Carians, they learned this frm the arrangement of weapons buried along side them and which is still now the way they bury. After Minos' navy was established, ship traffic back and forth became more prevalent; under his hands the wrong doers were expelled from the islands as he began to colonize most of them. The coastal populations now started to orientate themselves more to the acquisitioning of wealth and they began to live more stable lives; some even began to build walls around their cities as they became richer than they were before.

They desired profit:
the weaker settled into servitude under the stronger,
the more powerful because they possessed wealth began to procure the smaller cities as subjects

Later on, when they were already more organized in this way, they campaigned against Troy

9. Ἀγαμέμνων τέ μοι δοκεῖ τῶν τότε δυνάμει προύχων καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον τοῖς Τυνδάρεω ὅρκοις κατειλημμένους τοὺς Ἑλένης μνηστῆρας ἄγων τὸν στόλον ἀγεῖραι. [2] λέγουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ τὰ σαφέστατα Πελοποννησίων μνήμῃ παρὰ τῶν πρότερον δεδεγμένοι Πέλοπά τε πρῶτον πλήθει χρημάτων, ἃ ἦλθεν ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας ἔχων ἐς ἀνθρώπους ἀπόρους, δύναμιν περιποιησάμενον τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τῆς χώρας ἔπηλυν ὄντα ὅμως σχεῖν, καὶ ὕστερον τοῖς ἐκγόνοις ἔτι μείζω ξυνενεχθῆναι, Εὐρυσθέως μὲν ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ ὑπὸ Ἡρακλειδῶν ἀποθανόντος, Ἀτρέως δὲ μητρὸς ἀδελφοῦ ὄντος αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπιτρέψαντος Εὐρυσθέως, ὅτ᾽ ἐστράτευε, Μυκήνας τε καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν κατὰ τὸ οἰκεῖον Ἀτρεῖ (τυγχάνειν δὲ αὐτὸν φεύγοντα τὸν πατέρα διὰ τὸν Χρυσίππου θάνατον), καὶ ὡς οὐκέτι ἀνεχώρησεν Εὐρυσθεύς, βουλομένων καὶ τῶν Μυκηναίων φόβῳ τῶν Ἡρακλειδῶν καὶ ἅμα δυνατὸν δοκοῦντα εἶναι καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τεθεραπευκότα τῶν Μυκηναίων τε καὶ ὅσων Εὐρυσθεὺς ἦρχε τὴν βασιλείαν Ἀτρέα παραλαβεῖν, καὶ τῶν Περσειδῶν τοὺς Πελοπίδας μείζους καταστῆναι. [3] ἅ μοι δοκεῖ Ἀγαμέμνων παραλαβὼν καὶ ναυτικῷ [τε] ἅμα ἐπὶ πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ἰσχύσας, τὴν στρατείαν οὐ χάριτι τὸ πλέον ἢ φόβῳ ξυναγαγὼν ποιήσασθαι. [4] φαίνεται γὰρ ναυσί τε πλείσταις αὐτὸς ἀφικόμενος καὶ Ἀρκάσι προσπαρασχών, ὡς Ὅμηρος τοῦτο δεδήλωκεν, εἴ τῳ ἱκανὸς τεκμηριῶσαι. καὶ ἐν τοῦ σκήπτρου ἅμα τῇ παραδόσει εἴρηκεν αὐτὸν“πολλῇσι νήσοισι καὶ Ἄργεϊ παντὶ ἀνάσσειν: οὐκ ἂν οὖν νήσων ἔξω τῶν περιοικίδων （αὗται δὲ οὐκ ἂν πολλαὶ εἶεν） ἠπειρώτης ὢν ἐκράτει, εἰ μή τι καὶ ναυτικὸν εἶχεν. εἰκάζειν δὲ χρὴ καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ στρατείᾳ οἷα ἦν τὰ πρὸ αὐτῆς.

τότε: at that time, then
προέχω: hold before: προύχων: part sg pres act masc nom; of rank, c. gen., δήμου προὔχουσιν they are the first or chief of the people
μνηστήρ: wooer, suitor
καταλαμβάνω: to take,sieze; κατειλημμένους: part pl perf mp masc acc: to bind, κ. πίστι, ὁρκίοις, Lat. jurejurando adstringere, to bind by oath
στόλος: equipment; armament
ἀγείρω: gather together; ἀγεῖραι aorist infinitive

Observe the distinction between the participle with and without the article. With the article it is simply identified with the subject of the verb. Without the article it expresses the cause or condition under which the verb is predicated of the subject, and may be always given in English by using when, because, since, seeing that, and the like.

So:
ὁ τῶν τότε δυνάμει προύχων Ἀγαμέμνων ... τὸν στόλον ἀγεῖραι
vs
Ἀγαμέμνων ... τῶν τότε δυνάμει προύχων ... τὸν στόλον ἀγεῖραι

Agamemon who was the leader of those back then ... put together the fleet
vs
Agamemnon ... because he was the leader of those back then ... put together the fleet


δέχομαι: take, accept, receive; δεδεγμένοι: part pl perf mp masc nom
ἀτρεῖ: dative of Ἀτρεύς
οἰκεῖος , α, ον: of persons, of the same household, family, or kin, related
περιποιέω: cause to remain over and above, keep safe, preserve: Middle: compass, acquire, gain possession of
τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τῆς χώρας σχεῖν = the more usual τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τῇ χώρᾳ παρασχέσθαι: supplied his name to the land
ἔπηλυς: incomer, stranger, foreigner

[ The passage "καὶ ὕστερον τοῖς ἐκγόνοις ... τοὺς Πελοπίδας μείζους καταστῆναι" has been compared to Aristotle's rhetorical 'loose' style; I think 'loose' style is probably the wrong term and I would call it the 'running' style which is more consistent with the Greek definition or usage of "εἰρομένη": i.e. fasten together in rows, string; continuous, running style (not antithetic or with balanced periods). That said, this is what Aristotle says:

Aristotle Rhetoric: book 3.9.2: λέγω δὲ εἰρομένην ἣ οὐδὲν ἔχει τέλος καθ᾽ αὑτήν, ἂν μὴ τὸ πρᾶγμα τὸ λεγόμενον τελειωθῇ. ἔστι δὲ ἀηδὴς διὰ τὸ ἄπειρον: τὸ γὰρ τέλος πάντες βούλονται καθορᾶν ...

By "running style" I mean that style which has no end in itself, except the completion of the matter under discussion. It is unpleasant because it has no resolution, for all wish to have the end in sight.

Thus by the 'running' style, one might inaccurately call it a 'long ramble' with no obvious culmination on the horizon, and no specific structure to hint at what point it might resolve. Or as Sheppard and Evans state: "All the preceding paragraph, it must be admitted, is a specimen of exceedingly confused narrative and inartificial composition". However, Thucydides' decision to use this style is surely deliberate when describing the rise of the Pelopidae. That some of the concrete actions of the dramatis personnae, let alone their identity, are initially unclear to us just as all the details were unclear to him, explains away his arrangement rather than seeks a fuller understanding. It is almost as if the vagueness of the tradition, although consistently presented to him, is reflected in the vagueness of his description, be it omitting such key figures as Thyestes or leaving out the name of Atreus' sister - which is variously given as Nicippe or Leucippe or Menippe - combined with anacolutha and other grammatical shifts suggests that Thucydides is unwilling to commit to specifics but not the general story. ]

συμφέρω: confer a benefit, be useful; bring together, gather, collect: ξυνενεχθῆναι: aorist passive infinitive.
The accusative neuter subject of this infinitive is μείζω; τοῖς ἐκγόνοις dative of advantage.
Now we have an anacoluthon, as four genitive absolutes are introduced. Anacolutha are sentences interrupted midway, where there is a change in the syntactical structure of the sentence.
Note that the first two genitive absolutes are in parallel and the first one some what oddly describes the death of Eurystheus before his actions are described. It is out of sequence but perhaps his death is the point? Regardless the desire to describe the rise of the Pelopidae in a series of genitive absolutes, if indeed that was the goal, is enmeshed in a series of accusative and infinitives and an abundance of participles.

ἐπιτρέπω: to turn to, to turn over to, to commit or entrust to another as trustee, guardian; entrust c. dat. & inf.
παραλαμβάνω: take by force or treachery, seize;take to oneself, associate with oneself
θεραπεύω: of things, to attend to, provide for
προσπαρέχω: furnish, supply besides
δηλόω: δεδήλωκεν: 3rd sg perf ind: to show; to declare, explain, set forth, indicate, signify
τῳ: adv therefore, in this wise, then
οὐκ ἂν οὖν νήσων ἔξω τῶν περιοικίδων （αὗται δὲ οὐκ ἂν πολλαὶ εἶεν） ἠπειρώτης ὢν ἐκράτει, εἰ μή τι καὶ ναυτικὸν εἶχεν: present contrary to fact with continual or habitual past action
τῶν περιοικίδων: dwelling or lying round about, neighbouring
τι καὶ ναυτικὸν εἶχεν: [unless] he were also in possession of some great fleet [ see previously: The phrase signifies an appreciable and therefore considerable part. Think after eating a large meal you might say: That was "some" meal or that is "some car" but not in the sense that he only has "some money", i.e. not much.
εἰκάζω: represent by an image;infer from comparison, form a conjecture; to liken, compare, τί τινι


Agamemnon seems to me put together the expedition because he surpassed the rest back then in terms of his power, and not so much because he was leading the suitors of Helen bound by their oaths to Tyndareus [Helen's father]. Those of the Peloponnesians who have received the clearest records about men of former times say that [ acc + infinitive] Pelops because of his abundance of wealth, which he possessed from Asia when he arrived among destitute peoples, first acquired power, and although a stranger, supplied his name to the land; still more benefit fell to his descendants: Eurystheus, killed by the Heraclidae in Attica, and Atreus his mother's brother. Eurystheus, when he was campaigning, entrusted Mycenae and its rule to Atreus because of the familial connection (for Atreus happened to have fled his father because of the death of Chrysippus), and when Eurystheus no longer came back, due to the willingness of the Mycenaeans out of their fear of the Heraclidae, and especially because Atreus seemed to be powerful and had paid court to the commoners of the Mycenaeans and those whom Eurystheus ruled, assumed the kingship. He established the Pelopidae as greater than the Persidae. It seems to me that this is what Agamemon inherited, and because at the same time he had power because of his navy which was greater than the rest, he formed the expedition not out of good will but more by fear. It is clear that Agamemnon himself had a great number of ships, even supplyings ships to the Arcadians, as Homer tells us, if he is competent to furnish sure evidence for this, and in the passage of the scepter ( a secton of the Iliad) he additionally says that Agamemnon:

Ruled many islands and all of Argos

And as a coastal power he would not be ruling islands beyond the coast of his towns (for there would not be that many), unless he were also in possession of a large fleet. One ought to also liken this expedition to the types that took place before it.

10. καὶ ὅτι μὲν Μυκῆναι μικρὸν ἦν, ἢ εἴ τι τῶν τότε πόλισμα νῦν μὴ ἀξιόχρεων δοκεῖ εἶναι, οὐκ ἀκριβεῖ ἄν τις σημείῳ χρώμενος ἀπιστοίη μὴ γενέσθαι τὸν στόλον τοσοῦτον ὅσον οἵ τε ποιηταὶ εἰρήκασι καὶ ὁ λόγος κατέχει. [2] Λακεδαιμονίων γὰρ εἰ ἡ πόλις ἐρημωθείη, λειφθείη δὲ τά τε ἱερὰ καὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς τὰ ἐδάφη, πολλὴν ἂν οἶμαι ἀπιστίαν τῆς δυνάμεως προελθόντος πολλοῦ χρόνου τοῖς ἔπειτα πρὸς τὸ κλέος αὐτῶν εἶναι (καίτοι Πελοποννήσου τῶν πέντε τὰς δύο μοίρας νέμονται, τῆς τε ξυμπάσης ἡγοῦνται καὶ τῶν ἔξω ξυμμάχων πολλῶν: ὅμως δὲ οὔτε ξυνοικισθείσης πόλεως οὔτε ἱεροῖς καὶ κατασκευαῖς πολυτελέσι χρησαμένης, κατὰ κώμας δὲ τῷ παλαιῷ τῆς Ἑλλάδος τρόπῳ οἰκισθείσης, φαίνοιτ᾽ ἂν ὑποδεεστέρα), Ἀθηναίων δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο παθόντων διπλασίαν ἂν τὴν δύναμιν εἰκάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς φανερᾶς ὄψεως τῆς πόλεως ἢ ἔστιν. [3] οὔκουν ἀπιστεῖν εἰκός, οὐδὲ τὰς ὄψεις τῶν πόλεων μᾶλλον σκοπεῖν ἢ τὰς δυνάμεις, νομίζειν δὲ τὴν στρατείαν ἐκείνην μεγίστην μὲν γενέσθαι τῶν πρὸ αὑτῆς, λειπομένην δὲ τῶν νῦν, τῇ Ὁμήρου αὖ ποιήσει εἴ τι χρὴ κἀνταῦθα πιστεύειν, ἣν εἰκὸς ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον μὲν ποιητὴν ὄντα κοσμῆσαι, ὅμως δὲ φαίνεται καὶ οὕτως ἐνδεεστέρα. [4] πεποίηκε γὰρ χιλίων καὶ διακοσίων νεῶν τὰς μὲν Βοιωτῶν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἀνδρῶν, τὰς δὲ Φιλοκτήτου πεντήκοντα, δηλῶν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τὰς μεγίστας καὶ ἐλαχίστας: ἄλλων γοῦν μεγέθους πέρι ἐν νεῶν καταλόγῳ οὐκ ἐμνήσθη. αὐτερέται δὲ ὅτι ἦσαν καὶ μάχιμοι πάντες, ἐν ταῖς Φιλοκτήτου ναυσὶ δεδήλωκεν: τοξότας γὰρ πάντας πεποίηκε τοὺς προσκώπους. περίνεως δὲ οὐκ εἰκὸς πολλοὺς ξυμπλεῖν ἔξω τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τῶν μάλιστα ἐν τέλει, ἄλλως τε καὶ μέλλοντας πέλαγος περαιώσεσθαι μετὰ σκευῶν πολεμικῶν, οὐδ᾽ αὖ τὰ πλοῖα κατάφαρκτα ἔχοντας, ἀλλὰ τῷ παλαιῷ τρόπῳ λῃστικώτερον παρεσκευασμένα. [5] πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας δ᾽ οὖν καὶ ἐλαχίστας ναῦς τὸ μέσον σκοποῦντι οὐ πολλοὶ φαίνονται ἐλθόντες, ὡς ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος κοινῇ πεμπόμενοι.

ἀξιόχρεως: noteworthy, considerable
πόλισμα: neuter singular: buildings of a city, town
ἀκριβής: exact, accurate, precise
σημεῖον: mark, landmark, indicator, sign, token, proof:noun sg neut dat
ἀπιστέω: ἀπιστοίη 3rd sg pres opt act: disbelieve, distrust;to doubt that + infinitive
ἐρῶ: εἰρήκασι :verb 3rd pl perf ind act: speak
ἀπιστοίη μὴ γενέσθαι: The so called redundant μή: verbs and expressions of negative meaning, such as deny, refuse, hinder, forbid, avoid, often take the infinitive with a redundant μή to confirm the negative idea of the leading verb.
Note: οὐκ ἀκριβεῖ ἄν τις σημείῳ χρώμενος: someone making use of incorrect proof; the οὐκ goes with just ἀκριβεῖ, not the whole clause. Many translators get this wrong, Hammond does not. It is ultimately a question of how the potential optative is translated: should vs would. I contend it is 'would' because 'should' requires the whole of the potential optative itself to be negative (οὐκ). For example, as 'should' it reads: one should not, taking this as a sure proof [about the size of Mycenae], disbelieve the poets ... If instead as 'would' it reads: one, using this as incorrect proof, would disbelieve the poets ...
Note: Μυκῆναι μικρὸν ἦν: Mycenae *was* small. This does not mean that the citadel no longer existed, because it still does even now, but rather that the surrounding town no longer existed.
ἢ εἴ: causal indicating author's belief
Future less vivid with the apodosis in indirect speech: optative plus optative: should ... would
ἐρημόω: ἐρημωθείη 3rd sg aor opt pass strip bare, desolate, lay waste, abandon
λείπω: λειφθείη verb 3rd sg aor opt pass leave, quit, abandon
ἔδαφος: ἐδάφη: pl neut nom: bottom, foundation
πολυτελής: very expensive, costly
ὑποδεής:somewhat deficient, inferior


And because Mycenae was small or because any building from that period seems to now lack worth, someone using that evidence incorrectly would disbelieve that the expedition was as large as the poets have written and tradition maintains. [λόγος κατέχει]

10. καὶ ὅτι μὲν Μυκῆναι μικρὸν ἦν, ἢ εἴ τι τῶν τότε πόλισμα νῦν μὴ ἀξιόχρεων δοκεῖ εἶναι, οὐκ ἀκριβεῖ ἄν τις σημείῳ χρώμενος ἀπιστοίη μὴ γενέσθαι τὸν στόλον τοσοῦτον ὅσον οἵ τε ποιηταὶ εἰρήκασι καὶ ὁ λόγος κατέχει. [2] Λακεδαιμονίων γὰρ εἰ ἡ πόλις ἐρημωθείη, λειφθείη δὲ τά τε ἱερὰ καὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς τὰ ἐδάφη, πολλὴν ἂν οἶμαι ἀπιστίαν τῆς δυνάμεως προελθόντος πολλοῦ χρόνου τοῖς ἔπειτα πρὸς τὸ κλέος αὐτῶν εἶναι （καίτοι Πελοποννήσου τῶν πέντε τὰς δύο μοίρας νέμονται, τῆς τε ξυμπάσης ἡγοῦνται καὶ τῶν ἔξω ξυμμάχων πολλῶν: ὅμως δὲ οὔτε ξυνοικισθείσης πόλεως οὔτε ἱεροῖς καὶ κατασκευαῖς πολυτελέσι χρησαμένης, κατὰ κώμας δὲ τῷ παλαιῷ τῆς Ἑλλάδος τρόπῳ οἰκισθείσης, φαίνοιτ᾽ ἂν ὑποδεεστέρα）, Ἀθηναίων δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο παθόντων διπλασίαν ἂν τὴν δύναμιν εἰκάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς φανερᾶς ὄψεως τῆς πόλεως ἢ ἔστιν. [3] οὔκουν ἀπιστεῖν εἰκός, οὐδὲ τὰς ὄψεις τῶν πόλεων μᾶλλον σκοπεῖν ἢ τὰς δυνάμεις, νομίζειν δὲ τὴν στρατείαν ἐκείνην μεγίστην μὲν γενέσθαι τῶν πρὸ αὑτῆς, λειπομένην δὲ τῶν νῦν, τῇ Ὁμήρου αὖ ποιήσει εἴ τι χρὴ κἀνταῦθα πιστεύειν, ἣν εἰκὸς ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον μὲν ποιητὴν ὄντα κοσμῆσαι, ὅμως δὲ φαίνεται καὶ οὕτως ἐνδεεστέρα. [4] πεποίηκε γὰρ χιλίων καὶ διακοσίων νεῶν τὰς μὲν Βοιωτῶν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἀνδρῶν, τὰς δὲ Φιλοκτήτου πεντήκοντα, δηλῶν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τὰς μεγίστας καὶ ἐλαχίστας: ἄλλων γοῦν μεγέθους πέρι ἐν νεῶν καταλόγῳ οὐκ ἐμνήσθη. αὐτερέται δὲ ὅτι ἦσαν καὶ μάχιμοι πάντες, ἐν ταῖς Φιλοκτήτου ναυσὶ δεδήλωκεν: τοξότας γὰρ πάντας πεποίηκε τοὺς προσκώπους. περίνεως δὲ οὐκ εἰκὸς πολλοὺς ξυμπλεῖν ἔξω τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τῶν μάλιστα ἐν τέλει, ἄλλως τε καὶ μέλλοντας πέλαγος περαιώσεσθαι μετὰ σκευῶν πολεμικῶν, οὐδ᾽ αὖ τὰ πλοῖα κατάφαρκτα ἔχοντας, ἀλλὰ τῷ παλαιῷ τρόπῳ λῃστικώτερον παρεσκευασμένα. [5] πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας δ᾽ οὖν καὶ ἐλαχίστας ναῦς τὸ μέσον σκοποῦντι οὐ πολλοὶ φαίνονται ἐλθόντες, ὡς ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος κοινῇ πεμπόμενοι.

11. αἴτιον δ᾽ ἦν οὐχ ἡ ὀλιγανθρωπία τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἡ ἀχρηματία. τῆς γὰρ τροφῆς ἀπορίᾳ τόν τε στρατὸν ἐλάσσω ἤγαγον καὶ ὅσον ἤλπιζον αὐτόθεν πολεμοῦντα βιοτεύσειν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφικόμενοι μάχῃ ἐκράτησαν （δῆλον δέ: τὸ γὰρ ἔρυμα τῷ στρατοπέδῳ οὐκ ἂν ἐτειχίσαντο）, φαίνονται δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐνταῦθα πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει χρησάμενοι, ἀλλὰ πρὸς γεωργίαν τῆς Χερσονήσου τραπόμενοι καὶ λῃστείαν τῆς τροφῆς ἀπορίᾳ. ᾗ καὶ μᾶλλον οἱ Τρῶες αὐτῶν διεσπαρμένων τὰ δέκα ἔτη ἀντεῖχον βίᾳ, τοῖς αἰεὶ ὑπολειπομένοις ἀντίπαλοι ὄντες. [2] περιουσίαν δὲ εἰ ἦλθον ἔχοντες τροφῆς καὶ ὄντες ἁθρόοι ἄνευ λῃστείας καὶ γεωργίας ξυνεχῶς τὸν πόλεμον διέφερον, ῥᾳδίως ἂν μάχῃ κρατοῦντες εἷλον, οἵ γε καὶ οὐχ ἁθρόοι, ἀλλὰ μέρει τῷ αἰεὶ παρόντι ἀντεῖχον, πολιορκίᾳ δ᾽ ἂν προσκαθεζόμενοι ἐν ἐλάσσονί τε χρόνῳ καὶ ἀπονώτερον τὴν Τροίαν εἷλον. ἀλλὰ δι᾽ ἀχρηματίαν τά τε πρὸ τούτων ἀσθενῆ ἦν καὶ αὐτά γε δὴ ταῦτα, ὀνομαστότατα τῶν πρὶν γενόμενα, δηλοῦται τοῖς ἔργοις ὑποδεέστερα ὄντα τῆς φήμης καὶ τοῦ νῦν περὶ αὐτῶν διὰ τοὺς ποιητὰς λόγου κατεσχηκότος:

12. ἐπεὶ καὶ μετὰ τὰ Τρωικὰ ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἔτι μετανίστατό τε καὶ κατῳκίζετο, ὥστε μὴ ἡσυχάσασαν αὐξηθῆναι. [2] ἥ τε γὰρ ἀναχώρησις τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐξ Ἰλίου χρονία γενομένη πολλὰ ἐνεόχμωσε, καὶ στάσεις ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ὡς ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐγίγνοντο, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἐκπίπτοντες τὰς πόλεις ἔκτιζον. [3] Βοιωτοί τε γὰρ οἱ νῦν ἑξηκοστῷ ἔτει μετὰ Ἰλίου ἅλωσιν ἐξ Ἄρνης ἀναστάντες ὑπὸ Θεσσαλῶν τὴν νῦν μὲν Βοιωτίαν, πρότερον δὲ Καδμηίδα γῆν καλουμένην ᾤκισαν （ἦν δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀποδασμὸς πρότερον ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ, ἀφ᾽ ὧν καὶ ἐς Ἴλιον ἐστράτευσαν）, Δωριῆς τε ὀγδοηκοστῷ ἔτει ξὺν Ἡρακλείδαις Πελοπόννησον ἔσχον. [4] μόλις τε ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ ἡσυχάσασα ἡ Ἑλλὰς βεβαίως καὶ οὐκέτι ἀνισταμένη ἀποικίας ἐξέπεμψε, καὶ Ἴωνας μὲν Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ νησιωτῶν τοὺς πολλοὺς ᾤκισαν, Ἰταλίας δὲ καὶ Σικελίας τὸ πλεῖστον Πελοποννήσιοι τῆς τε ἄλλης Ἑλλάδος ἔστιν ἃ χωρία. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ὕστερον τῶν Τρωικῶν ἐκτίσθη.

13. δυνατωτέρας δὲ γιγνομένης τῆς Ἑλλάδος καὶ τῶν χρημάτων τὴν κτῆσιν ἔτι μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον ποιουμένης τὰ πολλὰ τυραννίδες ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι καθίσταντο, τῶν προσόδων μειζόνων γιγνομένων （πρότερον δὲ ἦσαν ἐπὶ ῥητοῖς γέρασι πατρικαὶ βασιλεῖαι）, ναυτικά τε ἐξηρτύετο ἡ Ἑλλάς, καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης μᾶλλον ἀντείχοντο. [2] πρῶτοι δὲ Κορίνθιοι λέγονται ἐγγύτατα τοῦ νῦν τρόπου μεταχειρίσαι τὰ περὶ τὰς ναῦς, καὶ τριήρεις ἐν Κορίνθῳ πρῶτον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ναυπηγηθῆναι. [3] φαίνεται δὲ καὶ Σαμίοις Ἀμεινοκλῆς Κορίνθιος ναυπηγὸς ναῦς ποιήσας τέσσαρας: ἔτη δ᾽ ἐστὶ μάλιστα τριακόσια ἐς τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ὅτε Ἀμεινοκλῆς Σαμίοις ἦλθεν. [4] ναυμαχία τε παλαιτάτη ὧν ἴσμεν γίγνεται Κορινθίων πρὸς Κερκυραίους: ἔτη δὲ μάλιστα καὶ ταύτῃ ἑξήκοντα καὶ διακόσιά ἐστι μέχρι τοῦ αὐτοῦ χρόνου. [5] οἰκοῦντες γὰρ τὴν πόλιν οἱ Κορίνθιοι ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰσθμοῦ αἰεὶ δή ποτε ἐμπόριον εἶχον, τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὸ πάλαι κατὰ γῆν τὰ πλείω ἢ κατὰ θάλασσαν, τῶν τε ἐντὸς Πελοποννήσου καὶ τῶν ἔξω, διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων παρ᾽ ἀλλήλους ἐπιμισγόντων, χρήμασί τε δυνατοὶ ἦσαν, ὡς καὶ τοῖς παλαιοῖς ποιηταῖς δεδήλωται: ἀφνειὸν γὰρ ἐπωνόμασαν τὸ χωρίον. ἐπειδή τε οἱ Ἕλληνες μᾶλλον ἔπλῳζον, τὰς ναῦς κτησάμενοι τὸ λῃστικὸν καθῄρουν, καὶ ἐμπόριον παρέχοντες ἀμφότερα δυνατὴν ἔσχον χρημάτων προσόδῳ τὴν πόλιν. [6] καὶ Ἴωσιν ὕστερον πολὺ γίγνεται ναυτικὸν ἐπὶ Κύρου Περσῶν πρώτου βασιλεύοντος καὶ Καμβύσου τοῦ υἱέος αὐτοῦ, τῆς τε καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς θαλάσσης Κύρῳ πολεμοῦντες ἐκράτησάν τινα χρόνον. καὶ Πολυκράτης Σάμου τυραννῶν ἐπὶ Καμβύσου ναυτικῷ ἰσχύων ἄλλας τε τῶν νήσων ὑπηκόους ἐποιήσατο καὶ Ῥήνειαν ἑλὼν ἀνέθηκε τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι τῷ Δηλίῳ. Φωκαῆς τε Μασσαλίαν οἰκίζοντες Καρχηδονίους ἐνίκων ναυμαχοῦντες:

14. δυνατώτατα γὰρ ταῦτα τῶν ναυτικῶν ἦν. φαίνεται δὲ καὶ ταῦτα πολλαῖς γενεαῖς ὕστερα γενόμενα τῶν Τρωικῶν τριήρεσι μὲν ὀλίγαις χρώμενα, πεντηκοντόροις δ᾽ ἔτι καὶ πλοίοις μακροῖς ἐξηρτυμένα ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνα. [2] ὀλίγον τε πρὸ τῶν Μηδικῶν καὶ τοῦ Δαρείου θανάτου, ὃς μετὰ Καμβύσην Περσῶν ἐβασίλευσε, τριήρεις περί τε Σικελίαν τοῖς τυράννοις ἐς πλῆθος ἐγένοντο καὶ Κερκυραίοις: ταῦτα γὰρ τελευταῖα πρὸ τῆς Ξέρξου στρατείας ναυτικὰ ἀξιόλογα ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι κατέστη. [3] Αἰγινῆται γὰρ καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ εἴ τινες ἄλλοι, βραχέα ἐκέκτηντο, καὶ τούτων τὰ πολλὰ πεντηκοντόρους: ὀψέ τε ἀφ᾽ οὗ Ἀθηναίους Θεμιστοκλῆς ἔπεισεν Αἰγινήταις πολεμοῦντας, καὶ ἅμα τοῦ βαρβάρου προσδοκίμου ὄντος, τὰς ναῦς ποιήσασθαι αἷσπερ καὶ ἐναυμάχησαν: καὶ αὗται οὔπω εἶχον διὰ πάσης καταστρώματα.

15. τὰ μὲν οὖν ναυτικὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τοιαῦτα ἦν, τά τε παλαιὰ καὶ τὰ ὕστερον γενόμενα. ἰσχὺν δὲ περιεποιήσαντο ὅμως οὐκ ἐλαχίστην οἱ προσσχόντες αὐτοῖς χρημάτων τε προσόδῳ καὶ ἄλλων ἀρχῇ: ἐπιπλέοντες γὰρ τὰς νήσους κατεστρέφοντο, καὶ μάλιστα ὅσοι μὴ διαρκῆ εἶχον χώραν. [2] κατὰ γῆν δὲ πόλεμος, ὅθεν τις καὶ δύναμις παρεγένετο, οὐδεὶς ξυνέστη: πάντες δὲ ἦσαν, ὅσοι καὶ ἐγένοντο, πρὸς ὁμόρους τοὺς σφετέρους ἑκάστοις, καὶ ἐκδήμους στρατείας πολὺ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐπ᾽ ἄλλων καταστροφῇ οὐκ ἐξῇσαν οἱ Ἕλληνες. οὐ γὰρ ξυνειστήκεσαν πρὸς τὰς μεγίστας πόλεις ὑπήκοοι, οὐδ᾽ αὖ αὐτοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἴσης κοινὰς στρατείας ἐποιοῦντο, κατ᾽ ἀλλήλους δὲ μᾶλλον ὡς ἕκαστοι οἱ ἀστυγείτονες ἐπολέμουν. [3] μάλιστα δὲ ἐς τὸν πάλαι ποτὲ γενόμενον πόλεμον Χαλκιδέων καὶ Ἐρετριῶν καὶ τὸ ἄλλο Ἑλληνικὸν ἐς ξυμμαχίαν ἑκατέρων διέστη.

16. ἐπεγένετο δὲ ἄλλοις τε ἄλλοθι κωλύματα μὴ αὐξηθῆναι, καὶ Ἴωσι προχωρησάντων ἐπὶ μέγα τῶν πραγμάτων Κῦρος καὶ ἡ Περσικὴ βασιλεία Κροῖσον καθελοῦσα καὶ ὅσα ἐντὸς Ἅλυος ποταμοῦ πρὸς θάλασσαν ἐπεστράτευσε καὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ πόλεις ἐδούλωσε, Δαρεῖός τε ὕστερον τῷ Φοινίκων ναυτικῷ κρατῶν καὶ τὰς νήσους.

17. τύραννοί τε ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐν ταῖς Ἑλληνικαῖς πόλεσι,τὸ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν μόνον προορώμενοι ἔς τε τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐς τὸ τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον αὔξειν δι᾽ ἀσφαλείας ὅσον ἐδύναντο μάλιστα τὰς πόλεις ᾤκουν, ἐπράχθη δὲ οὐδὲν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἔργον ἀξιόλογον, εἰ μὴ εἴ τι πρὸς περιοίκους τοὺς αὐτῶν ἑκάστοις: οἱ γὰρ ἐν Σικελίᾳ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐχώρησαν δυνάμεως. οὕτω πανταχόθεν ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον κατείχετο μήτε κοινῇ φανερὸν μηδὲν κατεργάζεσθαι, κατὰ πόλεις τε ἀτολμοτέρα εἶναι.

18. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἵ τε Ἀθηναίων τύραννοι καὶ οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης Ἑλλάδος ἐπὶ πολὺ καὶ πρὶν τυραννευθείσης οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ τελευταῖοι πλὴν τῶν ἐν Σικελίᾳ ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων κατελύθησαν （ἡ γὰρ Λακεδαίμων μετὰ τὴν κτίσιν τῶν νῦν ἐνοικούντων αὐτὴν Δωριῶν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὧν ἴσμεν χρόνον στασιάσασα ὅμως ἐκ παλαιτάτου καὶ ηὐνομήθη καὶ αἰεὶ ἀτυράννευτος ἦν: ἔτη γάρ ἐστι μάλιστα τετρακόσια καὶ ὀλίγῳ πλείω ἐς τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ἀφ᾽ οὗ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῇ αὐτῇ πολιτείᾳ χρῶνται, καὶ δι᾽ αὐτὸ δυνάμενοι καὶ τὰ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσι καθίστασαν）, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῶν τυράννων κατάλυσιν ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος οὐ πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ὕστερον καὶ ἡ ἐν Μαραθῶνι μάχη Μήδων πρὸς Ἀθηναίους ἐγένετο. [2] δεκάτῳ δὲ ἔτει μετ᾽ αὐτὴν αὖθις ὁ βάρβαρος τῷ μεγάλῳ στόλῳ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα δουλωσόμενος ἦλθεν. καὶ μεγάλου κινδύνου ἐπικρεμασθέντος οἵ τε Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῶν ξυμπολεμησάντων Ἑλλήνων ἡγήσαντο δυνάμει προύχοντες, καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπιόντων τῶν Μήδων διανοηθέντες ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἀνασκευασάμενοι ἐς τὰς ναῦς ἐσβάντες ναυτικοὶ ἐγένοντο. κοινῇ τε ἀπωσάμενοι τὸν βάρβαρον, ὕστερον οὐ πολλῷ διεκρίθησαν πρός τε Ἀθηναίους καὶ Λακεδαιμονίους οἵ τε ἀποστάντες βασιλέως Ἕλληνες καὶ οἱ ξυμπολεμήσαντες. δυνάμει γὰρ ταῦτα μέγιστα διεφάνη: ἴσχυον γὰρ οἱ μὲν κατὰ γῆν, οἱ δὲ ναυσίν. [3] καὶ ὀλίγον μὲν χρόνον ξυνέμεινεν ἡ ὁμαιχμία, ἔπειτα διενεχθέντες οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπολέμησαν μετὰ τῶν ξυμμάχων πρὸς ἀλλήλους: καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων εἴ τινές που διασταῖεν, πρὸς τούτους ἤδη ἐχώρουν. ὥστε ἀπὸ τῶν Μηδικῶν ἐς τόνδε αἰεὶ τὸν πόλεμον τὰ μὲν σπενδόμενοι, τὰ δὲ πολεμοῦντες ἢ ἀλλήλοις ἢ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ξυμμάχοις ἀφισταμένοις εὖ παρεσκευάσαντο τὰ πολέμια καὶ ἐμπειρότεροι ἐγένοντο μετὰ κινδύνων τὰς μελέτας ποιούμενοι.

19. καὶ οἱ μὲν Λακεδαιμόνιοι οὐχ ὑποτελεῖς ἔχοντες φόρου τοὺς ξυμμάχους ἡγοῦντο, κατ᾽ ὀλιγαρχίαν δὲ σφίσιν αὐτοῖς μόνον ἐπιτηδείως ὅπως πολιτεύσουσι θεραπεύοντες, Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ ναῦς τε τῶν πόλεων τῷ χρόνῳ παραλαβόντες πλὴν Χίων καὶ Λεσβίων, καὶ χρήματα τοῖς πᾶσι τάξαντες φέρειν. καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς ἐς τόνδε τὸν πόλεμον ἡ ἰδία παρασκευὴ μείζων ἢ ὡς τὰ κράτιστά ποτε μετὰ ἀκραιφνοῦς τῆς ξυμμαχίας ἤνθησαν.

20. τὰ μὲν οὖν παλαιὰ τοιαῦτα ηὗρον, χαλεπὰ ὄντα παντὶ ἑξῆς τεκμηρίῳ πιστεῦσαι. οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τὰς ἀκοὰς τῶν προγεγενημένων, καὶ ἢν ἐπιχώρια σφίσιν ᾖ, ὁμοίως ἀβασανίστως παρ᾽ ἀλλήλων δέχονται. [2] Ἀθηναίων γοῦν τὸ πλῆθος Ἵππαρχον οἴονται ὑφ᾽ Ἁρμοδίου καὶ Ἀριστογείτονος τύραννον ὄντα ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἴσασιν ὅτι Ἱππίας μὲν πρεσβύτατος ὢν ἦρχε τῶν Πεισιστράτου υἱέων, Ἵππαρχος δὲ καὶ Θεσσαλὸς ἀδελφοὶ ἦσαν αὐτοῦ, ὑποτοπήσαντες δέ τι ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ παραχρῆμα Ἁρμόδιος καὶ Ἀριστογείτων ἐκ τῶν ξυνειδότων σφίσιν Ἱππίᾳ μεμηνῦσθαι τοῦ μὲν ἀπέσχοντο ὡς προειδότος, βουλόμενοι δὲ πρὶν ξυλληφθῆναι δράσαντές τι καὶ κινδυνεῦσαι, τῷ Ἱππάρχῳ περιτυχόντες περὶ τὸ Λεωκόρειον καλούμενον τὴν Παναθηναϊκὴν πομπὴν διακοσμοῦντι ἀπέκτειναν. [3] πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἔτι καὶ νῦν ὄντα καὶ οὐ χρόνῳ ἀμνηστούμενα καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἕλληνες οὐκ ὀρθῶς οἴονται, ὥσπερ τούς τε Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλέας μὴ μιᾷ ψήφῳ προστίθεσθαι ἑκάτερον, ἀλλὰ δυοῖν, καὶ τὸν Πιτανάτην λόχον αὐτοῖς εἶναι, ὃς οὐδ᾽ ἐγένετο πώποτε. οὕτως ἀταλαίπωρος τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡ ζήτησις τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἑτοῖμα μᾶλλον τρέπονται.

21. ἐκ δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων τεκμηρίων ὅμως τοιαῦτα ἄν τις νομίζων μάλιστα ἃ διῆλθον οὐχ ἁμαρτάνοι, καὶ οὔτε ὡς ποιηταὶ ὑμνήκασι περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον κοσμοῦντες μᾶλλον πιστεύων, οὔτε ὡς λογογράφοι ξυνέθεσαν ἐπὶ τὸ προσαγωγότερον τῇ ἀκροάσει ἢ ἀληθέστερον, ὄντα ἀνεξέλεγκτα καὶ τὰ πολλὰ ὑπὸ χρόνου αὐτῶν ἀπίστως ἐπὶ τὸ μυθῶδες ἐκνενικηκότα, ηὑρῆσθαι δὲ ἡγησάμενος ἐκ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων σημείων ὡς παλαιὰ εἶναι ἀποχρώντως. [2] καὶ ὁ πόλεμος οὗτος, καίπερ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐν ᾧ μὲν ἂν πολεμῶσι τὸν παρόντα αἰεὶ μέγιστον κρινόντων, παυσαμένων δὲ τὰ ἀρχαῖα μᾶλλον θαυμαζόντων, ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων σκοποῦσι δηλώσει ὅμως μείζων γεγενημένος αὐτῶν.

22. καὶ ὅσα μὲν λόγῳ εἶπον ἕκαστοι ἢ μέλλοντες πολεμήσειν ἢ ἐν αὐτῷ ἤδη ὄντες, χαλεπὸν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν αὐτὴν τῶν λεχθέντων διαμνημονεῦσαι ἦν ἐμοί τε ὧν αὐτὸς ἤκουσα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοθέν ποθεν ἐμοὶ ἀπαγγέλλουσιν: ὡς δ᾽ ἂν ἐδόκουν ἐμοὶ ἕκαστοι περὶ τῶν αἰεὶ παρόντων τὰ δέοντα μάλιστ᾽ εἰπεῖν, ἐχομένῳ ὅτι ἐγγύτατα τῆς ξυμπάσης γνώμης τῶν ἀληθῶς λεχθέντων, οὕτως εἴρηται. [2] τὰ δ᾽ ἔργα τῶν πραχθέντων ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ παρατυχόντος πυνθανόμενος ἠξίωσα γράφειν, οὐδ᾽ ὡς ἐμοὶ ἐδόκει, ἀλλ᾽ οἷς τε αὐτὸς παρῆν καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσον δυνατὸν ἀκριβείᾳ περὶ ἑκάστου ἐπεξελθών. [3] ἐπιπόνως δὲ ηὑρίσκετο, διότι οἱ παρόντες τοῖς ἔργοις ἑκάστοις οὐ ταὐτὰ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἔλεγον, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἑκατέρων τις εὐνοίας ἢ μνήμης ἔχοι. [4] καὶ ἐς μὲν ἀκρόασιν ἴσως τὸ μὴ μυθῶδες αὐτῶν ἀτερπέστερον φανεῖται: ὅσοι δὲ βουλήσονται τῶν τε γενομένων τὸ σαφὲς σκοπεῖν καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ποτὲ αὖθις κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον τοιούτων καὶ παραπλησίων ἔσεσθαι, ὠφέλιμα κρίνειν αὐτὰ ἀρκούντως ἕξει. κτῆμά τε ἐς αἰεὶ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀγώνισμα ἐς τὸ παραχρῆμα ἀκούειν ξύγκειται.

23. τῶν δὲ πρότερον ἔργων μέγιστον ἐπράχθη τὸ Μηδικόν, καὶ τοῦτο ὅμως δυοῖν ναυμαχίαιν καὶ πεζομαχίαιν ταχεῖαν τὴν κρίσιν ἔσχεν. τούτου δὲ τοῦ πολέμου μῆκός τε μέγα προύβη, παθήματά τε ξυνηνέχθη γενέσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ τῇ Ἑλλάδι οἷα οὐχ ἕτερα ἐν ἴσῳ χρόνῳ. [2] οὔτε γὰρ πόλεις τοσαίδε ληφθεῖσαι ἠρημώθησαν, αἱ μὲν ὑπὸ βαρβάρων, αἱ δ᾽ ὑπὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν ἀντιπολεμούντων （εἰσὶ δ᾽ αἳ καὶ οἰκήτορας μετέβαλον ἁλισκόμεναι）, οὔτε φυγαὶ τοσαίδε ἀνθρώπων καὶ φόνος, ὁ μὲν κατ᾽ αὐτὸν τὸν πόλεμον, ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ στασιάζειν. [3] τά τε πρότερον ἀκοῇ μὲν λεγόμενα, ἔργῳ δὲ σπανιώτερον βεβαιούμενα οὐκ ἄπιστα κατέστη, σεισμῶν τε πέρι, οἳ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἅμα μέρος γῆς καὶ ἰσχυρότατοι οἱ αὐτοὶ ἐπέσχον, ἡλίου τε ἐκλείψεις, αἳ πυκνότεραι παρὰ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πρὶν χρόνου μνημονευόμενα ξυνέβησαν, αὐχμοί τε ἔστι παρ᾽ οἷς μεγάλοι καὶ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ λιμοὶ καὶ ἡ οὐχ ἥκιστα βλάψασα καὶ μέρος τι φθείρασα ἡ λοιμώδης νόσος: ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα μετὰ τοῦδε τοῦ πολέμου ἅμα ξυνεπέθετο. [4] ἤρξαντο δὲ αὐτοῦ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ Πελοποννήσιοι λύσαντες τὰς τριακοντούτεις σπονδὰς αἳ αὐτοῖς ἐγένοντο μετὰ Εὐβοίας ἅλωσιν. [5] διότι δ᾽ ἔλυσαν, τὰς αἰτίας προύγραψα πρῶτον καὶ τὰς διαφοράς, τοῦ μή τινα ζητῆσαί ποτε ἐξ ὅτου τοσοῦτος πόλεμος τοῖς Ἕλλησι κατέστη. [6] τὴν μὲν γὰρ ἀληθεστάτην πρόφασιν, ἀφανεστάτην δὲ λόγῳ, τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἡγοῦμαι μεγάλους γιγνομένους καὶ φόβον παρέχοντας τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ἀναγκάσαι ἐς τὸ πολεμεῖν: αἱ δ᾽ ἐς τὸ φανερὸν λεγόμεναι αἰτίαι αἵδ᾽ ἦσαν ἑκατέρων, ἀφ᾽ ὧν λύσαντες τὰς σπονδὰς ἐς τὸν πόλεμον κατέστησαν.









Autochthony: Cicadas and Menexus

"One potent symbol of autochthony in Classical Athens is the cicada , a creature known for its regenerative properties and relationship to the earth. After being conceived in the soil, the cicada emerges from the earth, literally born from it and perhaps reminding Athenians of their own earthborn ancestor, Erichthonios. Cicadas embodied a multiplicity of meanings and symbols: they were said to be immortal and given to ecstasy, were often eaten as a medicinal diet, and were symbolic of song."

page 24: VISUALIZING AUTOCHTHONY: THE ICONOGRAPHY OF ATHENIAN IDENTITY IN THE LATE FIFTH CENTURY BCE: Jacquelyn Helene Clements

Socrate recital of Aspasia's funeral oration (epitaphios logos):

τῆς δ᾽ εὐγενείας πρῶτον ὑπῆρξε τοῖσδε ἡ τῶν προγόνων γένεσις οὐκ ἔπηλυς οὖσα, οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐκγόνους τούτους ἀποφηναμένη μετοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ἄλλοθεν σφῶν ἡκόντων, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτόχθονας καὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν πατρίδι οἰκοῦντας καὶ ζῶντας, καὶ τρεφομένους οὐχ ὑπὸ μητρυιᾶς ὡς οἱ ἄλλοι, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ μητρὸς τῆς χώρας ἐν ᾗ ᾤκουν, καὶ νῦν κεῖσθαι τελευτήσαντας ἐν οἰκείοις τόποις τῆς τεκούσης καὶ θρεψάσης καὶ ὑποδεξαμένης.

ὑποδέχομαι: receive into one's house, welcome



She (Aspasia) began first with the well born: the origin of our ancestors is not of foreign peoples, nor does it hold that their descendants are settlers on this land, born of those who came from someone else, instead they are autochthones, inhabitating and living in their true fatherland, raised not by a step mother like others, but by the mother of the land in which they dwell; And now she welcomes the dead back to lie in their home land which bore and raised them.

Lysias, Funeral Oration

πολλὰ μὲν ὑπῆρχε τοῖς ἡμετέροις προγόνοις μιᾷ γνώμῃ χρωμένοις περὶ τοῦ δικαίου διαμάχεσθαι: ἥ τε γὰρ ἀρχὴ τοῦ βίου δικαία: οὐ γάρ, ὥσπερ οἱ πολλοί, πανταχόθεν συνειλεγμένοι καὶ ἑτέρους ἐκβαλόντες τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν ᾤκησαν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτόχθονες ὄντες τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκέκτηντο μητέρα καὶ πατρίδα.

On many occasions it befell our ancestors, compelled by one thought, to fight on behalf of justice; for the beginning of their life was just. Unlike many, they are not collected together from other places and have inhabited a foreign land after throwing out others, but they are autochthones and own it as a mother and a father.

Euripides: Medea 824-826

Ἐρεχθεΐδαι τὸ παλαιὸν ὄλβιοι
καὶ θεῶν παῖδες μακάρων, ἱερᾶς
χώρας ἀπορθήτου τ᾽ ἄπο

From long ago the descendants of Erechtheus are blessed
the children of favoring gods
from a holy land never ravaged


Euripides: Erectheus [fragment 360]:

λογίζομαι δὲ πολλά· πρῶτα μὲν πόλιν
οὐκ ἄν τιν᾿ ἄλλην τῆσδε βελτίω λαβεῖν·
ᾗ πρῶτα μὲν λεὼς οὐκ ἐπακτὸς ἄλλοθεν,
αὐτόχθονες δ᾿ ἔφυμεν· αἱ δ᾿ ἄλλαι πόλεις
πεσσῶν ὁμοίως διαφοραῖς ἐκτισμέναι
ἄλλαι παρ᾿ ἄλλων εἰσὶν εἰσαγώγιμοι.
ὅστις δ᾿ ἀπ᾿ ἄλλης πόλεος οἰκήσῃ πόλιν,
ἁρμὸς πονηρὸς ὥσπερ ἐν ξύλῳ παγείς,
λόγῳ πολίτης ἐστί, τοῖς δ᾿ ἔργοισιν οὔ


I take many things into account: firstly,
there is not any city more agathos than this one that could receive [the sacrifice off my daughter]
firsly, the people here do not come from elsewhere
we are brought forth as autochthones; other cities
are founded like the back and forth shuttling of gaming pebbles
they are people imported from different places to a different city
Whoevers inhabits our city from a different place
is like a stressed joint in a wooden pedestal,
in theory a citizen but in practical ways not