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36. When the captives arrived at Athens the Athenians instantly put Salaethus to death, although1 he made various offers, and among other things promised to procure the withdrawal of the Peloponnesians from Plataea, which was still blockaded. [2] Concerning the other captives a discussion was held, and in their indignation the Athenians determined to put to death not only the men then at Athens, but all the grown-up citizens of Mytilenè, and to enslave the women and children; the act of the Mytilenaeans appeared inexcusable, because they were not subjects like the other states which had revolted, but free. That Peloponnesian ships should have had the audacity to find their way to Ionia and assist the rebels contributed to increase their fury; and the action showed that the revolt2 was a long premeditated affairs3. [3] So they sent a trireme to Paches announcing their determination, and bidding him put the Mytilenaeans to death at once. [4] But on the following day a kind of remorse seized them; they began to reflect that a decree which doomed to destruction not only the guilty, but a whole city, was cruel and monstrous. [5] The Mytilenaean envoys who were at Athens4 perceived the change of feeling, and they and the Athenians who were in their interest prevailed on the magistrates to bring the question again before the people; this they were the more willing to do, because they saw themselves that the majority of the citizens were anxious to have an opportunity given them of reconsidering their decision. [6] An assembly was again summoned, and different opinions were expressed by different speakers. In the former assembly, Cleon the son of Cleaenetus had carried the decree condemning the Mytilenaeans to death. He was the most violent of the citizens, and at that time exercised by far the greatest influence5 over the people6. And now he came forward a second time and spoke as follows:—

1 The Athenians put Salaethus to death and order the slaughter of all the grown-up citizens of Mytilenè, On the next day they begin to repent, and the Mytilenaean envoys persuade the magistrates to call another assembly

2 Or, 'was part of an extensive scheme.'

3 Or, 'was part of an extensive scheme.'

4 Cp. 3.28 med.

5 Speech of Cleon.

6 Cp. 4.21 med.

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  • Commentary references to this page (62):
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2, 2.53
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 2, 2.62
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.49
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.81
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6, 6.24
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 7, 7.47
    • E.C. Marchant, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 7, 7.71
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.22
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.25
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.32
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.35
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.38
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.39
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.41
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.42
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.44
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.45
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.48
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.49
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.52
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.53
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.61
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.64
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.66
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.67
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3, 3.81
    • T. G. Tucker, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 8, 8.52
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER X
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER CXXXII
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER II
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER XXI
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER LXIV
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER LXVII
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.82
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 5, 5.89
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.100
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.16
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.17
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.37
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.55
    • Harold North Fowler, Commentary on Thucydides Book 5, 5.82
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, Introduction. Chaps. 1-23.
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.10
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.109
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.125
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.126
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.139
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.139
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.17
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.29
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.31
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.39
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.44
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.92
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.95
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, Introduction
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, Introduction
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, Introduction
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.35
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.42
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.47
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.74
  • Cross-references to this page (13):
    • Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges, THE ARTICLE—ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
    • Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges, THE PARTICIPLE
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 1.3.1
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.5.3
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.6.1
    • Harper's, Crux
    • A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), CRUX
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), MYTILE´NE
    • Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, The Article
    • Smith's Bio, Cleae'netus
    • Smith's Bio, Cleon
    • Smith's Bio, Paches
    • Smith's Bio, Salaethus
  • Cross-references in notes to this page (4):
  • Cross-references in notes from this page (2):
    • Thucydides, Histories, 3.28
    • Thucydides, Histories, 4.21
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (24):
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