Chapter 5 [Second Edition; key revised 17.8.

17
with warm thanks to Maureen Brookes]

Exercise 5.1
Pausanias, the leader of the Spartans, because the cavalry of the Persians had attacked him,
sent a certain horseman to the Athenians to report this: ‘Athenian men, now indeed we are
fighting for the freedom of Greece herself; everything depends on this battle. For we have
been betrayed by our allies - both we the Spartans and you the Athenians - who fled during
the night that has just passed. Therefore we must help each other and resist the enemy. For if
the cavalry of the enemy had attacked you first, we and the men with us would have had to
help you, not betraying Greece. And now, when the whole attack is against us, you ought to
help the soldiers who are particularly oppressed. But if it is in some way impossible to come
and help us, by sending archers you will gain our gratitude. And we believe that throughout
this war you have been the bravest and most eager of all the Greeks; as a result we know
clearly that you will be persuaded.’

Exercise 5.2
Periander, the tyrant of Corinth, killed his own wife although he had been done no harm by
her. He also sent his son, Lycophron by name, away to Epidaurus to stay with his
grandfather; for he was afraid that one of the citizens would inform him of the truth. Finally,
when it was necessary for Lycophron to return home, his grandfather ordered him never to
trust his father. Therefore, when the boy arrived in Corinth, although Periander immediately
asked him many things, he made no reply. And the tyrant became so angry that he threw his
son out of Corinth to Corcyra; for Periander ruled this island also. As time went on, Periander
became too weak to administer his affairs well. And so he sent a herald to Corcyra and
promised his son that, if he returned home, he would make him tyrant. But Lycophron in
reply said that he would not come to Corinth until his father either left there or died.

Exercise 5.3
When their ships were manned and the allies were there, the Corinthians, after sending a
herald in advance to announce war to the Corcyreans, set sail with seventy-six ships and two
thousand hoplites to make war against them: Aristeus was the commander of the ships, and
Archetimus of the foot soldiers. When the Corinthians had come to Actium, where the temple
of Apollo is, the Corcyreans sent a herald in a boat to forbid them to sail against them. But he
reported back nothing peaceful from the Corinthians, with the result that the Corcyreans
sailed from the harbour and fought a sea-battle with the Corinthians; and the Corcyreans won
decisively, and destroyed fifteen ships of their opponents. After this battle, the Corcyreans
killed the others whom they had taken as prisoners of war, and the Corinthians they put in
chains and held. Later, when the Corinthians had been defeated and returned home, the
Corcyreans controlled the whole sea.

Exercise 5.4
‘Private citizens seem to me at least to live a better life than tyrants. For in peace time it is
possible for private citizens to travel to wherever they wish with no fear that someone may
kill them. But tyrants travel even through their native land as if through enemy country,
themselves armed and always taking round with them others bearing arms. In war, private
citizens having returned home from enemy country now become safe; but whenever tyrants
arrive in their own city they know they are still among very many enemies. And if some other
men invade their country, private citizens when they are outside the city are afraid that the
enemy may come upon them in the fields; but whenever they are in the city they attain safety.
But the tyrant even inside his house fears his personal enemies. Then it is necessary to think
about friendship; for if anyone is loved by others, when he is there, those who love him treat
him well, and when he is away they long for him and hope that he will soon return. But who
ever loved a tyrant in this way?’

Exercise 5.5
When Cyrus went down into the country, none of the inhabitants stayed at home, neither man
nor woman, but they all came to him longing for peace. And not only did they praise him but
also brought very fine gifts. But their king did not take these things badly; for he believed that
Cyrus would in this way become even more friendly. Finally, the queen also approached,
holding the youngest of her children in her arms. And together with other gifts she brought
the gold which Cyrus previously did not want to take. When Cyrus saw this he said ‘You will
not persuade me to take a reward for my deeds; for I am already richer than all of you. But I
order you, woman, to give this gold to the poor people of the cities, since you no longer want
to have it yourself. And I order you, king, to accept the gifts of your subjects, so that you can
buy many weapons. For with so many enemies hoping to destroy your city, it is necessary to
make it stronger immediately.’

Exercise 5.6
Dionysius the tyrant of the Syracusans wanted to become a good poet. Therefore he sent for a
certain poet, Philoxenus by name, in order to be taught by him. Before this man learned what
Dionysius had in mind, a servant read a poem written by the tyrant. And when he was asked
what opinion he had about the poem, Philoxenus replied, ‘I have never heard a worse one.’
And so, getting angry, Dionysius ordered the servants to take him away immediately into
prison. But the next day when the friends of Philoxenus asked for pardon on his behalf,
Dionysius released him and received him back into friendship. But during the night, when he
was already drunk, Dionysius ordered a certain servant to read another of his own poems.
And as he was finishing, Philoxenus saying nothing stood up and himself returned to the
prison.

Exercise 5.7
First the prophet Megistias looked into the sacrificial entrails and said to those of the Greeks
who were at Thermopylae that there would be death for them on the next day. Then also
during the night some deserters arrived reporting that a way round had been shown to the
Persians. Thirdly the daytime guards ran down from the mountains to report the same things.
Then the Greeks conferred and opinions were divided: for some thought that the Greeks
should go away, others that they should stay. Because of this, some of the soldiers ran away
to their own cities, but others prepared themselves to help Leonidas. And it is said that
Leonidas sent the allies away himself, fearing that they would perish, but he thought it was
not fitting for the Spartiates to leave the battle line. The allies therefore obeyed Leonidas and
returned home, but the Thespians and the Thebans alone remained with the Spartans. Of
these, the Thebans stayed unwillingly, being held as hostages, but the Thespians especially
willingly - who said that they would never leave Leonidas and the men with him, but would
stay and die together with them.

Exercise 5.8
Cyclops: Father, what things I have suffered at the hands of the stranger who after
giving me wine made me totally blind while I was sleeping!
Poseidon: Who was he, the man who dared to do this, Polyphemus?
Cyc. At first he called himself ‘Noman’, but when he was escaping and was out of
range of a missile, he said he was called Odysseus.
Pos. I know whom you are talking about - the Ithacan; he was sailing back from
Troy. But how did he do these things?
Cyc. When I returned from the pasture, I found many men in the cave, plotting
against the flocks; for when I placed a very big rock against the door and lit
the fire using a tree which I was carrying from the mountain, they were
revealed trying to hide themselves; but I seized some of them and ate them on
the grounds that they were robbers. Then that most evil man, whether he was
Noman or Odysseus, gave me some drug to drink. However when I had drunk
it everything immediately seemed to going round and the cave itself was
spinning, and finally I was drawn into sleep. But when he had sharpened the
stake and heated it in the fire he made me totally blind while I was sleeping,
and because of that man, father, I am blind.

Exercise 5.9
A few men had come to them as deserters from Arcadia, asking for sustenance and wanting
to be employed. When they had taken them into the presence of the king, the Persians asked
about the Greeks, as to what were doing; there was one man who was asking them these
things for the others. They told him that they were holding the Olympic games and watching
an athletic and horse riding contest. He asked what the prize was for which they were
competing; they said that the garland they were accustomed to give was of olive leaves.
Then, by stating a very noble opinion, Tritantaechmes the son of Artabanus incurred a charge
of cowardice from the king. For learning that the prize was a garland but not money, he could
not tolerate being silent and said this to everyone: ‘Mardonius, against what kind of men have
you brought us to fight, men who hold the contest not about money but about excellence?’

Exercise 5.10
Prometheus once called Zeus and Athene into a contest. For he wanted to appear cleverer
even than the gods. So when the gods had made - Zeus a bull, Athene a house, and
Prometheus a man - they chose Momus as judge of their cleverness. But this man was
accustomed always to say bad things about the works of others. And so beginning, he said,
‘Zeus has made a mistake: for in making the bull, he ought to have placed the eyes on the
horns so that he could look what he was striking. And Prometheus made still more of a
mistake than Zeus: for now the man is able to hide what he has in mind; but if Prometheus
had hung his mind outside his body, all his thoughts would have become visible. And finally,
I do not even praise Athene, despite her being very clever in all skills. For she ought to have
attached wheels to the house, so that the inhabitants, if they lived next door to a difficult
neighbour, could easily move to another place.’ When he heard this, Zeus making no reply
threw Momus out of Olympus.

Exercise 5.11
When he was marching against the Indians, Alexander wanted to destroy their mercenaries.
For whenever he came to a city in order to capture it, these men always resisted, fighting
bravely. And so when he learned that they were waiting in a certain unwalled city, he
marched against it as quickly as possible and surrounded it. When the mercenaries asked for a
treaty, he said to their messenger ‘I will allow them to go out of the city safely.’ Therefore
when they had heard this, the mercenaries withdrew from the city immediately. But before
they were able to gather together outside, Alexander attacked and killed them all. ‘For’ he
said ‘they came out of the city safely. But I never promised that I would always treat them as
friends.’

Exercise 5.12
A certain boy went up onto a bridge in order to see from there the fish that were in the river.
And having unfortunately fallen into the water, which was indeed very deep, since he did not
know how to swim, he thought he was going to die. Therefore when he saw a man walking
on the bank, he asked him in a loud voice to come to help. And when this man heard the boy
shouting, he leapt into the water as quickly as possible in order to save him. When he came
near the boy, he said ‘You should be in school now, not in the river.’ ‘Indeed you speak the
truth’ the boy replied ‘but it is appropriate that you first save me, then criticise me on account
of my foolishness.’

Exercise 5.13
When the barbarians had invaded the country, the Spartans came out of the city to fight. For
they were afraid that if the barbarians won they intended to kill all the men, and enslave the
women and the children. And at first they resisted bravely. But when the barbarians appeared
to be advancing, a few of the infantry started running away from the fight. Therefore a certain
captain came riding up and ordered them not to become cowardly in danger; for he said that it
was very shameful to betray the city in this way. And in order to create courage in them, he
immediately leapt from his horse and himself fought bravely among the infantry.

Exercise 5.14
When the Macedonians had captured Thebes, a soldier went into Timocleia’s house by force.
But she proved both clever and brave in danger. For when that man asked if she had any gold,
she admitted that she had, but she said that she would not give it to him. When the soldier
threatened to harm her, she pretended to give way. For she took him into the garden and said
‘There I threw down the most valuable of my goods.’ As she was saying this she pointed out
a well to him with her hand. The soldier, already overcome by eagerness, ran to the well and
tried to look at the money. And immediately Timocleia pushed him down and killed him with
stones.

Exercise 5.15
‘Listen, you who have died, how affairs are for you. For our boat is small, as you see, and
many of you have come at the same time, bringing much luggage here. And if you try to
come on board with all these things, I fear that you may change your minds later, especially
all those of you who do not know how to swim. For the water of the Styx is very deep and
very cold. And so you must come on board naked, leaving all your possessions behind on the
bank. For the boat would receive you with difficulty even like this. It will be your concern,
Hermes, to accept none of these people who is not naked.’

Exercise 5.16
Xerxes was sailing home from Greece. When a great storm arose unexpectedly, the ship was
in such great danger that all the men on board thought they were going to die. Therefore the
king, certainly very much afraid, asked the helmsman if there was any means of safety. He
said, ‘Master, there is none unless some men leap out of the ship into the sea.’ Then Xerxes,
still more afraid, said ‘Persian men, which of you ready to save your king?’ When they had
heard this, many men immediately leapt out, and the ship, having been made lighter in this
way, was saved. When Xerxes had disembarked onto land and sent for the helmsman,
because he had saved the king he gave him a golden garland, but because he had lost many
Persian men he ordered him to be killed.

Exercise 5.17
Heracles sailed to Troy with other heroes in order to attack the city; for he had been cheated
by the king, whom he had helped earlier. When they arrived, they besieged the city. Telamon
broke through the wall and went in first, and after him Heracles himself. When he perceived
that Telamon had gone in first, he drew his sword and rushed at him, not wanting anyone to
be thought better than himself. Telamon therefore, when he saw this, quickly collected some
stones that were lying nearby. And when Heracles asked him what he was doing, he said he
was making an altar to Heracles, who had won such a fine victory. He praised the action; and
when he captured the city, he gave the king’s daughter to Telamon.

Exercise 5.18
A certain soldier marching with Antigonus was very distinguished on account of his bravery.
For whenever an attack against the enemy occurred, he always fought among the first men.
The king therefore sent for him and asked him what reward he wanted to have for his
bravery. Since he was ill with an obscure disease, the soldier asked to be tended by the king’s
doctors. And as the doctors treated him daily, he was soon relieved of the disease. Then the
king, when he noticed the soldier not among the first men but now remaining among the
rearmost, asked why he was no longer fighting bravely. He replied ‘King, now that I have
been relieved of the disease, I no longer make light of life.’

Exercise 5.19
Towards evening, a farmer and a shepherd going out of the fields were walking along the
same road. When he noticed something bright lying beside a tree, the farmer ran as quickly as
possible in order to seize it. And having reached it before the shepherd, he shouted in a loud
voice ‘I have found a very fine axe’, and he took it in his hand. Although the shepherd
wanted to touch it, he did not allow even allow him to look at it. After a short time, as three
woodcutters were approaching, the farmer said ‘We’re had it.’ For he was afraid that they had
come in order to get the axe back. But the shepherd advised him not to say ‘We’ve had it’ in
this way. ‘For’ he said, ‘just as earlier you did want to give me a share of your good luck, so
now also I do not want to have a share of your bad luck.’

Exercise 5.20
The Corinthians, being afraid that the enemy had it in mind to attack the city, ordered
Timophanes to be leader of the army. When he had become general, he immediately killed
many of the leading citizens and proclaimed himself tyrant. Therefore his brother Timoleon,
conversing with him, eagerly asked him to cease from his injustice. But since Timophanes
was unwilling to obey, Timoleon after coming home made plans with his friends. And on the
next day, taking three of them, he went back to his brother in order to ask him again to
change his mind. But when Timophanes at first laughed then began to get angry, Timoleon
wept and ran out of the house. And the friends, when they had drawn their swords, killed the
tyrant as they had previously agreed.

Exercise 5.21
1 οἱ στρατιωται ἐκεισε ἐπορευοντο ἱνα προσβαλοιεν τῳ τειχισματι.
2 αἱ παιδες ὑπεσχοντο οἰκαδε ὡς ταχιστα δραμεισθαι.
3 εἰ ὁ στρατηγος σοφως εἰπεν, ἐπεισεν ἀν τους πολιτας.
4 τελος ἠκουσαμεν τας ναυς χειμωνι κωλυθεισας.
5 ἠρομην την του παιδος μητερα δια τί οὐκ ἐπεμψε την ἐπιστολην.

Exercise 5.22
1 εἰπε τις ὁτι οἱ του βασιλεως στρατιωται προσερχονται.
2 ἐαν οἱ παιδες εὑρωσι τα χρηματα, ἡ γυνη αὐτοις χαριν ἑξει.
3 των πολεμιων φυγοντων, ἀσφαλες νυν ἐστιν ἐκ της πολεως ἐξελθειν.
4 ἐν τῃ ἀγορᾳ τρεις ὡρας ἐμενομεν ἱνα του ἀγγελου ἀκουσαιμεν.
5 ὁ γερων οὑτω σοφος ἠν ὡστε παντες ἐπιστευον αὐτῳ.

Exercise 5.23
1 ἐδοξε τῃ ἐκκλησιᾳ στρατον πεμψαι ὡς βοηθησοντα τοις συμμαχοις.
2 ἡ γυνη ἡν ἐκ της πολεως ἐξιουσαν εἰδον ὑπεσχετο ἐπανιεναι.
3 εἰ πλειονες νηες χθες ἀφικοντο, τους πολεμιους ἐνικησαμεν ἀν.
4 ἀρα δει ἡμας ταυτας τας βιβλους πασας ἀναγνωναι, ὠ πατερ;
5 οἱ πολιται ᾐδεσαν εὐτυχεις ὀντες του χειμωνος παυσαμενου.

Exercise 5.24
1 ἐπυθομην τον χρυσον ἐν τῃ ὑλῃ παλαι κρυφθεντα.
2 οἱ στρατιωται, καιπερ τῃ προτεραιᾳ νικηθεντες, ἐτι ἠθελον μαχεσθαι.
3 ἡ δεσποινα ἐκελευσε τους δουλους ἐν τῳ ἀγρῳ ἐργαζεσθαι.
4 εἰ ἐπιθου τῳ πατρι, ὠ παι, τουτο οὐδεποτε ἀν ἐγενετο.
5 ὁ οἰνος ὁ ἡμιν ὑπο του ἰατρου δοθεις ἀριστος ἠν.

Exercise 5.25
1 οἱ ἐν τῃ νησῳ ἐφοβουντο μη ληφθειεν.
2 ὁ ἀγγελος ἐφη τον ποταμον βαθυτερον εἰναι ἠ ὡστε διαβηναι.
3 ἠλπιζομεν τους φιλους δι’ ὀλιγου ἀφιξεσθαι.
4 χρη τον ῥητορα, καιπερ πλουσιωτατον ὀντα, τοις της πολεως νομοις πειθεσθαι.
5 ἀρα ἐκεινη ἡ κορη ἐπεισε την μητερα πεμψαι τα χρηματα;

Exercise 5.26
1 ἐν τῃ ἐκκλησιᾳ οὐ παρην ἐκεινῃ τῃ ἡμερᾳ διοτι νοσων ἐτυχον.
2 τίς τουτων των γυναικων πρωτη ἐγνω τί γιγνοιτο;
3 ἐαν ὁ νεανιας ταχεως δραμῃ, ἀθλον δεξεται.
4 ἀρ’ εἰδες τους στρατιωτας ἐν τῃ ἀγορᾳ ταχθεντας, ὠ πατερ;
5 ὁ παις μωροτερος ἠν ἠ ὡστε γνωναι τους λογους.

Exercise 5.27
1 εἰς τον λιμενα πλεοντες βοας ἐξαιφνης ἠκουσαμεν.
2 ἠρωτησα τον ἀγγελον ὁποσας ἐπιστολας φεροι.
3 ἡ την βιβλον γραψασα ὑπο πολλων ἐπῃνειτο.
4 ὁ κριτης ἐγνω των λογων ἐπιλανθανομενος.
5 δουλον πεμψωμεν ὡς πευσομενον ὁπου ἐστιν ὁ υἱος.

Exercise 5.28
1 εἰ μαθησομαι τον δουλον ψευδομενον, κολασω αὐτον.
2 ὁ ἀγγελος ἠγγειλεν ὁτι οἱ πολεμιοι εἰς τα ὀρη ἀνεχωρησαν.
3 ἡ παις ἐλπιζει τον ἀδελφον ὀλιγων ἡμερων ἐπανιεναι.
4 ἐκελευσθημεν τοις τειχεσι προσβαλειν, ἱνα οἱ πολεμιοι μη λαθρᾳ προσβαλοιεν.
5 μη πιστευσον τοις των Περσων λογοις, ὠ φιλε.

Exercise 5.29
1 οἱ στρατιωται πρῳ ὡρμησαντο ἱνα τῃ αὐτῃ ἡμερᾳ ἀφικοιντο.
2 την σοφιαν ζητωμεν ἱνα ἀλλοις παραινωμεν.
3 εἰ ἡ παις εἰδε τον ἱππον τον φυγοντα, εἰπεν ἀν ἡμιν.
4 τοσουτοι λογοι ἠσαν ὡστε οὐδεις οἱος τ’ ἠν παντας μανθανειν.
5 οἰδα τουτον κλεψαντα τον ἀργυρον ἐκ της οἰκιας.

Exercise 5.30
1 ἐαν οὑτος σωσῃ την πολιν, ἀει ὑπο των Ἀθηναιων τιμηθησεται.
2 ποσοι ναυται δευρο πεμπονται ὑπο των συμμαχων;
3 μειζονα οἰκιαν ζητουμεν ἱνα παντας τους φιλους δεχωμεθα.
4 ἐκελευσαν με μη εἰπειν ὁπου τα χρηματα ηὑρον.
5 ἐπει οἱ πολεμιοι ἀφικοντο, παντες ὡς ταχιστα ἐφυγον.