Thucydides VII, 81.5:
[size=16]το γαρ αποκινδυνευειν προς ανθρωπους αποvεvοημενους ου προς εκεινων μαλλον ην ετι η προς των αθηναιων, και (αμα φειδω τε τις εγιγνετο επ’ ευπραγια ηδη σαφει μη προαναλωθηναι τω και ενομιζον και (ως ταυτη τη ιδεα καταδαμασαμενοι ληψεσθαι αυτους[/size=16]
Cannot work this out. Something to do with not wantig to throw one’s life away…
Thanks
hi thucydides, i havent read (thucycides) before, but i’ll take a guess at the basics of this sentence, since it doesn’t seem too tricky, and others can fix it up and give fuller advice.
the perseus translation is (including the part of the sentence leading up to it):
(This mode of attack the Syracusans had with good reason adopted in preference to fighting at close quarters,) as to risk a struggle with desperate men was now more for the advantage of the Athenians than for their own; besides, their success had now become so certain that they began to spare themselves a little in order not to be cut off in the moment of victory, thinking too that, as it was, they would be able in this way to subdue and capture the enemy.
[size=150]τὸ ἀποκινδυνεύειν[/size] is the article + inf., “a struggle”.
[size=150]πρὸς ἀνθρω ἀπονενοημένους[/size], “with desperate men”
[size=150]οὐ πρὸς ἐκείνων μᾶλλον ἦν ἔτι[/size], “(was) not more to (the advantage of) them”
[size=150]ἣ πρὸς τῶν Ἀθηναίων,[/size], “than to the Athenians,”
[size=150]καὶ ἅμα φειδώ τέ τις ἐγίγνετο[/size], “and at the same time “some sparing began” (or something like this)”,
[size=150]ἐπ’ εὐπραγίᾳ ἤδη σαφεῖ[/size], “(since success already certain)”
[size=150]μὴ προαναλωθῆναί τῳ,[/size], “not to be cut off,”
[size=150]καὶ ἐνόμιζον καὶ[/size], “moreover they thought that”
[size=150]ὣς ταύτῃ τῇ ἰδέᾳ[/size], “(thus in this way”
[size=150]καταδαμασᾰμενοι[/size], "subduing)
[size=150]λήψεσθαι αὐτούς.[/size], “to capture them” (the inf. here goes with the “they thought” bit as the indirect discourse).
hope this helps 