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25. At last an Athenian came forward and, calling upon Nicias, said that they would have no1 more excuses and delays; he must speak out and say what forces the people were to vote him. [2] He replied, with some unwillingness, that he would prefer to consider the matter at leisure with his colleagues, but that, as far as he could see at present, they ought to have at least a hundred triremes of their own; of these a certain number might be used as transports2, and they must order more triremes from their allies. Of heavy-armed troops they would require in all, including Athenians and allies, not less than five thousand, and more if they could possibly have them; the rest of the armament must be in proportion, and should comprise archers to be procured both at home and from Crete, and slingers. These forces, and whatever else seemed to be required, the generals would make ready before they started.

1 Nicias gives a provisional estimate of the force required.

2 Cp. ch. 31 init., 43 init.

Thucydides translated into English; with introduction, marginal analysis, notes, and indices. Volume 1. Thucydides. Benjamin Jowett. translator. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1881.

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  • Commentary references to this page (9):
    • Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus, 152
    • C.E. Graves, Commentary on Thucydides: Book 4, CHAPTER XXIX
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.116
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.54
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.65
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.71
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, 1.91
    • Charles D. Morris, Commentary on Thucydides Book 1, Introduction
    • Charles F. Smith, Commentary on Thucydides Book 7, 7.34
  • Cross-references to this page (9):
    • Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges, THE CASES
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 1.pos=2.2
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.1.3
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.5.2
    • Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache, KG 3.6.1
    • A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), MERCENA´RII
    • William Watson Goodwin, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses of the Greek Verb, Chapter VII
    • Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, Concord of the adjective attribute.
    • Basil L. Gildersleeve, Syntax of Classical Greek, Forms of the subject.
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries to this page (7):
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