History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides, an Athenian wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, how they warred against each other; having begun from its very outset, with the expectation that it would prove a great one, and more worthy [*]( Literally, most worthy—of all, etc.: but this use of the superlative, though one of the most common idioms of the Greek language, has not been naturalized in our own; notwithstanding Milton's well-known imitation of it, in which he makes Adam the goodliest of all his sons since born, The fairest of her daughters Eve. ) of relation than all that had been before it; inferring so much, as well from the fact that both sides were at the height of all kinds of preparation for it, as also because he saw the rest of Greece joining with the one side or the other, some immediately, and some intending so to do.

For this was certainly the greatest movement that ever happened amongst the Greeks, and some part of the barbarians, and extending, as one may say, even to most nations of the world.

For the events that preceded this, and those again that are yet more ancient, it [*]( As he refers, I think, to his own actual investigations on the subject, there seems no reason for giving to ἦν the hypothetical force, as translators have generally done. The same remark applies to the use of the same verb in the first sentence of chap. 22, χαλεπὸν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν αὐτὴν τῶν λεχθέντων διαμνημονεῦσαι ἦν: and the truth of it appears to be confirmed by the expression ἐπιπόνως δὲ εὑρίσκετο in the same chapter.) was impossible, through length of time, to ascertain with certainty; but [*]( The relative ὧν is referred by some to σκοποῦντι, by others to πιστεῦσαι; and in either case it would seem but an ordinary instance of attraction; though Arnold thinks that neither of these expressions can be admitted. I have preferred the latter, both because the participial clause might very naturally be inserted in this parenthetical way; and from reference to a very similar passage in the beginning of chap. 20, τὰ μὲν οὖν παλαιὰ τοιαῦτα εὖρον, χαλεπὰ ὄντα παντὶ ἑξῆς τεκμηρίῳ πιστεῦσαι. Schäfer, as quoted by Göller, supplies ἐξ from the antecedent clause.—ξυμβαίνει seems here to express simply a result, without implying any thing of its fortuitous nature, as it more commonly does.) from such evidence as I am led to trust, on looking back as far as possible, I do not think they were great, either with respect to wars or otherwise.