Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 5.84.3

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stephen
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Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War 5.84.3

Post by stephen » Mon 11 Feb, 2019 5:17 am

[Pair1
[G [1 οἱ] [D δὲ] [1 τῶν Ἀθηναίων πρέσβεις] [2 ἔλεγον] [3 τοιάδε.]]

[[‘ἐπειδὴ οὐ] [πρὸς] [τὸ πλῆθος] [οἱ λόγοι] [γίγνονται,]] [ὅπως] [δὴ] [μὴ ξυνεχεῖ] ῥήσει [οἱ πολλοὶ] ἐπαγωγὰ καὶ ἀνέλεγκτα ἐσάπαξ ἀκούσαντες ἡμῶν ἀπατηθῶσιν (γιγνώσκομεν γὰρ ὅτι τοῦτο φρονεῖ ἡμῶν ἡ ἐς τοὺς ὀλίγους ἀγωγή), ὑμεῖς οἱ καθήμενοι ἔτι ἀσφαλέστερον ποιήσατε. καθ᾽ ἕκαστον γὰρ καὶ μηδ᾽ ὑμεῖς ἑνὶ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ μὴ δοκοῦν ἐπιτηδείως λέγεσθαι εὐθὺς ὑπολαμβάνοντες κρίνετε. καὶ πρῶτον εἰ ἀρέσκει ὡς λέγομεν εἴπατε.’

Athenian envoys
‘Since the negotiations are not to go on before the people, in order that we may not be able to speak straight on without interruption, and deceive the ears of the multitude by seductive arguments which would pass without refutation (for we know that this is the meaning of our being brought before the few), what if you who sit there were to pursue a method more cautious still! Make no set speech yourselves, but take us up at whatever you do not like, and settle that before going any farther. And first tell us if this proposition of ours suits you.’

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