ὂν ὁπότε τις ἐπελθὼν καὶ ἀτειχίστων ἅμα ὄντων ἄλλος
ἀφαιρήσεται, τῆς τε καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀναγκαίου τροφῆς πανταχοῦ
ἂν ἡγούμενοι ἐπικρατεῖν οὐ χαλεπῶς ἀνίσταντο.
αὕτη ἡ λέξις ὅτι μὲν οὐκ ἔχει λείας οὐδὲ συνεξεσμένας
ἀκριβῶς τὰς ἁρμονίας οὐδ’ ἔστιν εὐεπὴς καὶ μαλακὴ καὶ 5
λεληθότως ὀλισθάνουσα διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς ἀλλὰ πολὺ τὸ ἀντίτυπον
καὶ τραχὺ καὶ στρυφνὸν ἐμφαίνει, καὶ ὅτι πανηγυρικῆς
μὲν ἢ θεατρικῆς οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐφάπτεται χάριτος, ἀρχαϊκὸν
δέ τι καὶ αὔθαδες ἐπιδείκνυται κάλλος, ὡς πρὸς εἰδότας
ὁμοίως τοὺς εὐπαιδεύτους ἅπαντας οὐδὲν δέομαι λέγειν, ἄλλως 10
τε καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦτό γε τοῦ συγγραφέως ὁμολογήσαντος, ὅτι
εἰς μὲν ἀκρόασιν ἧττον ἐπιτερπὴς ἡ γραφή ἐστι, “κτῆμα δ’
εἰσαεὶ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀγώνισμα εἰς τὸ παραυτίκα ἀκούειν
σύγκειται.” τίνα δ’ ἐστὶ τὰ θεωρήματα οἷς χρησάμενος ὁ
ἀνὴρ οὕτως ἀπηνῆ καὶ αὐστηρὰν πεποίηκε τὴν ἁρμονίαν, δι’ 15
ὀλίγων σοι σημανῶ· ῥᾴδιον γὰρ ἔσται μικρὰ μεγάλων εἶναι
δείγματα τοῖς μὴ χαλεπῶς ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοίου τε καὶ ἀκολούθου
μεταβαίνουσιν θεωρίαν.
no fortifications, when some invader would come and rob them of their property. They also thought that they could command the bare necessities of daily life anywhere; and so, for all these reasons, they made no difficulty about giving up their land.”[175]
There is no need for me to say, when all educated people know it as well as I, that this passage is not smooth or nicely finished in its verbal arrangement, and is not euphonious and soft, and does not glide imperceptibly through the ear, but shows many features that are discordant and rough and harsh; that it does not make the slightest approach to attaining the grace appropriate to an oration delivered at a public festival or to a speech on the stage, but is marked by a sort of antique and self-willed beauty. Indeed, the historian himself admits that his narrative is but little calculated to give pleasure when heard: “it has been composed as a possession for all time rather than as an essay to be recited at some particular competition.”[176] I will briefly point out to you the principles by following which the author has made the arrangement so rugged and austere. Small things will readily serve you as samples of great: you can easily go on noting resemblances and making comparisons for yourself.
3 ἀνίστατο F: ἀπανίσταντο Thucyd. 4 αὕτη EF: αὕτη πάλιν PMV || συνεζευγμένας EV 5 καὶ μαλακὴ EFM: om. PV 6 ὀλισθάνουσα P: ὀλισθαίνουσα FMV 7 καὶ τραχὺ om. EF || στριφνὸν F 11 αὐτοῦ τοῦτό γε PMV: αὐτοῦ τε F: αὐτοῦ E 14 ὁ ἀνὴρ EF: ἀνὴρ PMV 15 ἀπηνῆ M: ἀπεινῆ F: εὐπινῆ PV || διαλόγων F1 16 σοι σημανῶ PM: σημανῶ EFV || ῥᾴδιον Us.: ῥαιδία F: ῥαῖον P, MV || ἐσται F: ἐστι PMV 18 μεταβαίνουσαι F: μεταβαίνουσι MV
3. For estimates of Thucydides’ style in general cp. not only this passage of Dionysius but also D.H. pp. 131-59, 175-82 (Text and Translation of Ep. ii. ad Amm., together with notes and some references to Marcellinus); Croiset Thucydide: Livres i.-ii. pp. 102 ff. and Histoire de la littérature grecque iv. pp. 155 ff.; Girard Essai sur Thucydide pp. 210-19; Blass Att. Bereds. i. pp. 203-44; Norden Kunstprosa i. pp. 96-101; Jebb in Hellenica pp. 306 ff.
4. This long sentence (Il. 4-14) is, itself, a good example of Greek word-order and the lucidity possible to it.
7. Batteux (pp. 250-3) maintains, in detail, that these comments on the style of Thucydides would also apply to a passage of Bossuet (in the Oraison funèbre de Henriette Anne d’ Angleterre, duchesse d’Orléans), which “a tous les caractères d’une composition austère; c’est partout un style robuste, nerveux, âpre même quelquefois, et presque rustique.” The passage is that which describes the abasement of all human grandeur by Death: “La voilà, malgré ce grand cœur, cette princesse si admirée et si chérie; la voilà, telle que la mort nous l’a faite. Encore ce reste tel quel va-t-il disparaître; cette ombre de gloire va s’évanouir, et nous l’allons voir dépouillée même de cette triste décoration. Elle va descendre à ces sombres lieux, à ces demeures souterraines, pour y dormir dans la poussière avec les grands de la terre, comme parle Job; avec ces rois et ces princes anéantis, parmi lesquels à peine peut-on la placer, tant les rangs y sont pressés, tant la mort est prompte à remplir ces places,” etc. Batteux begins his careful and interesting analysis as follows: “Nul choix des sons. Malgré ce grand cœur est dur. Cette princesse si est sifflant: si admirée et si; choc de voyelles. La voilà telle que la mort nous l’a faite: mots jetés plutôt que placés. Encore ce reste tel quel va-t-il dis: pointes de rochers. De cette triste décoration n’est guère plus doux. Et ces trois monosyllables brefs et rocailleux, comme parle Job, etc.