History of the Peloponnesian War

So the Epidamnians, finding that there was no relief for them from the Corcyraeans, were at a loss how to settle the present affair; and sending to Delphi, inquired of the god whether they should deliver up their city to the Corinthians, as their founders, and try to obtain some aid from them. He answered, that they should deliver it to them, and make them their leaders.

So the Epidamnians went to Corinth, and according to the advice of the oracle, gave up their city, declaring how the first founder of it was a Corinthian, and what answer the oracle had given them; and entreated that they would not stand by and see them destroyed, but help them.

And the Corinthians undertook their defence, both on the ground of equity, (as thinking the colony no less their own than the Corcyraeans',) and also for hatred of the Corcyraeans; because, although they were their colony, they slighted them.

For they neither gave [*]( The verbs in this and the two following sentences are in the original participles, depending on παρημέλουν, to be understood from the preceding sentence. Literally, for they did so by neither giving, etc.) to them the customary privileges in their general religious assemblies, nor to any individual Corinthian, [*]( I have followed the interpretation which Goeller and Arnold give to this disputed passage, viz. that the words κορινθίῳ ἀνδρί depend upon διδόντες; and that the singular number is introduced with reference to any single Corinthian who might be present at a sacrifice in Corcyra, and ought therefore, according to the usual practice of Greek colonies, to be selected for the honourable office of performing the introductory ceremonies; in contradistinction to the marks of respect that should have been shown to the citizens of the mother-country in a more general manner, when the colonists met them at any of their public festivals. Bloomfield makes the dative depend upon προκαταρχόμενοι, and explains it as signifying in the person of or by the agency of, but does not give any instance of its being so used elsewhere. His objection to Goeller's interpretation, as dropping the force of the πρό, has no weight, as is proved by Arnold's quotation from Diodorus, προκατάρχεσθαι πολέμου,and Goeller's reference to the ambiguous use of the more common form κατάρχεσθαι; which might have led Thucydides to prefix the πρό for the sake of clearness. For a later opinion on this passage, see note 540.) when performing the initiatory rites of sacrifice, as their other colonies did; but despised them, as they were both equal in wealth to the very richest of the Greeks at that time, and more powerful in resources for war, and sometimes prided themselves on being even very far superior in their fleet; and on the ground of the Phaeacians, who were famous in naval matters, having before lived in Corcyra. And on this account too they prepared their navy with the greater spirit, and were not deficient in power; for they had 120 triremes when they began the war.

The Corinthians therefore, having complaints against them for all these things, gladly proceeded to send the aid to Epidamnus, not only telling whosoever would to go and dwell there, but also sending a garrison of Ambraciots, Leucadians, and their own citizens;

which succours marched by land to Apollonia, a colony of the Corinthians, for fear of the Corcyraeans, lest they should be hindered by them in their passage by sea.

The Corcyraeans, on finding that the settlers [*]( Properly, the inhabitants, i. e. those who were sent to inhabit the town.) and the garrison were come to Epidamnus, and that the colony was delivered up to the Corinthians, were very angry; and sailing immediately thither with twenty-five ships, and afterwards with another fleet, commanded them, by way of insult, both to recall those whom they had banished, (for the exiles of the Epidamnians had come to Corcyra, pointing out the sepulchres of their ancestors and their kindred to them, on the plea of which they begged that they would restore them,) and to dismiss the garrison sent thither by the Corinthians and the settlers.