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Thucydides, selections from The Peloponnesian War
42.
Such then is the city for whom, lest they should lose her, the men
whom we celebrate died a soldier’s death: and it is but natural that all
of us, who survive them, should wish to spend ourselves in her
service. That, indeed, is why I have spent many words upon the city. I
wished to show that we have more at stake than men who have no
such inheritance, and to support my praise of the dead by making clear
to you what they have done. For if I have chanted the glories of the
city it was these men and their like who set hand to array her. With
them, as with few among Greeks, words cannot magnify the deeds that
they have done. Such an end as we have here seems indeed to show us
what a good life is, from its first signs of power to its final
consummation. For even where life’s previous record showed faults
and failures it is just to weigh the last brave hour of devotion against
them all. There they wiped out evil with good and did the city more
service as soldiers than they did her harm in private life. There no
hearts grew faint because they loved the riches more than honour;
none shirked the issue in the poor man’s dreams of wealth. All these
they put aside to strike a blow for the city. Counting the quest to
avenge her honour as the most glorious of all ventures, and leaving
Hope, the uncertain goddess, to send them what she would, they faced
the foe as they drew near him in the strength of their own manhood;
and when the shock of battle came, they chose rather to suffer the
uttermost than to win life by weakness. So their memory has escaped
the reproaches of men’s lips, but they bore instead on their bodies the
marks of men’s hands, and in a moment of time, at the climax of their
lives, were rapt away from a world filled, for their dying eyes, not with
terror but with glory (Zimmeran 114-5).
42.
This, then, is the kind of city for which these men, who could not bear
the thought of losing her, nobly fought and nobly died. It is only
natural that every one of us who survive them should be willing to
undergo hardships in her service. And it was for this reason that I
have spoken at such length about our city, because I wanted to make it
clear that for us there is more at stake than there is for others who lack
our advantages; also I wanted my words of praise for the dead to be
set in the bright light of evidence. And now the most important of
these words has been spoken. I have sung the praises of our city; but
it was the courage and gallantry of these men, and of people like them,
which made her splendid. Nor would you find it true in the case of
many of the Greeks, as is true of them, that no words can do more
than justice to their deeds.
To me it seems that the consummation which has overtaken these men
shows us the meaning of manliness in its first revelation and in its final
proof. Some of them, no doubt, had their faults but what we ought to
remember first is their gallant conduct against the enemy in defense of
their native land. They have blotted out evil with good, and done
more service to the common wealth than they ever did harm in their
private lives. No one of these men weakened because he wanted to go
on enjoying his wealth: no one put off the awful day in the hope that
he might live to escape his poverty and grow rich. More to be desired
than such things, they chose to check the enemy’s pride. This, to them,
was a risk most glorious, and they accepted it, willing to strike down
the enemy and relinquish everything else. As for success or failure,
they left that in the doubtful hands of Hope, and when the reality of
battle was before their faces, they put their trust in their own selves. In
the fighting, they thought it more honourable to stand their ground
and suffer death than to give in and save their lives. So they fled from
the reproaches of men, abiding with life and limb the brunt of battle;
and, in a small moment of time, the climax of their lives, a culmination
of glory, not of fear, were swept away from us (Warner 148-9).
*****
Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War is both a historical
text and a fictional work. The book is an artistic expression
loosely based on actual historical events. Translators of this text,
however, may disagree as to what was Thucydides’ main intent in
his writing. Therefore, translators have differing interpretations
of Thucydides’ words. Two translators, Zimmeran and Warner,
use many of the same words and phrases in their translations.
However, the subtle differences that exist between their
translations of Pericles’ funeral speech affect the tone of the
speech, Pericles’ manner, and the way the audience hears the
speech. The language and word choice of each translation alters
the reader’s understanding.
In chapter 42 of Zimmeran’s translation, Pericles finishes
praising Athens and begins explaining why the soldiers who died
are worthy of praise. Zimmeran’s overall tone in this chapter is
consoling because Pericles’ audience includes loved ones of the
soldiers. Zimmeran writes that the men are celebrated, rather
than mourned. These words console and remind the mourners
that they, too, should be celebrating the greatness of these men,
rather than mourning their demise. Pericles then turns his
attention to the fact that the soldiers are the real heroes because
they allowed Athens to remain great: “For if I have chanted the
glories of the city it was these men and their like who set hand to
array her. With them, as with few among Greeks, words cannot
magnify the deeds that they have done” (114). Pericles
distinguishes these men from the common people because their
defense of Athens was insurmountable. With these words,
Zimmeran portrays Pericles as incredibly gracious to the soldiers.
Pericles’ speech supports the soldiers and their wonderful deeds
until their final greatest deed, giving their lives for Athens, “to
show us what a good life is, from its first signs of power to its
final consummation” (Zimmeran 115). The soldiers’ “good life”
is described as powerful and concludes with an ultimate end.
Zimmeran continues to build up the soldiers’ lives with positive
declarations by writing that “life’s previous record showed faults
and failures” (115). In this statement, the translator writes that
any faults and failures made were on life’s record rather than
man’s record. This subtlety reveals Pericles’ compassion because
he does not blame the men for failures in life.
Zimmeran also writes that any failures would be
insignificant compared to the “last brave hour of devotion”
(115). The word “devotion” could have been replaced by loyalty
or allegiance to Athens, but Zimmeran chose “devotion” to
represent the special relationship between the soldiers and
Athens; the soldiers not only had pride in their city, but love and
devotion for it as well. Furthermore, Pericles declares that the
soldiers “wiped out evil with good” (115), which gives comfort to
their loved ones because the soldiers’ good was able to eliminate
evil. In addition to their courage, devotion, and goodness,
Zimmeran’s words convey the soldiers’ selflessness; “All these
[dreams of wealth] they put aside” (115). These words display
Pericles’ own gratitude toward the soldiers.
Although the majority of Pericles’ speech honors the
soldiers and consoles the mourners, towards his final words,
Zimmeran uses stronger phrases to persuade his audience to feel
more anger toward the enemy. Rather than write “defend” the
city’s honor, Zimmeran writes, “avenge her honour” (115), which
gives a dark image of retaliation. Then, Pericles grabs his
audience’s attention with Zimmeran’s phrases “shock of the
battle” and “suffer the uttermost” (115). Zimmeran is changing
Pericles from compassionate to a driven leader seeking revenge:
“They bore instead on their bodies the marks of men’s hands”
(115); the enemy’s hands left scars on the soldiers. Zimmeran’s
words attempt to enrage Pericles’ audience. “At the climax of
their lives,” the high point that is full of glory, the soldiers “were
rapt away” (Zimmeran 115). The glory of the soldiers rises once
more, and then Zimmeran uses the word “rapt” to demonstrate
how the soldiers were snatched by the enemy. Even though
death takes the soldiers from this world, Zimmeran insinuates
that the enemy is responsible. Finally, Zimmeran ends the
chapter by writing that the soldiers’ eyes were filled “not with
terror but with glory” (115), which gives a final image that the
soldiers were happy with how they died, implying that therefore
the mourners should no longer mourn. Zimmeran first creates a
tone that offers consolation and remembrance of the soldiers’,
and a Pericles who shows gratitude and care toward these men.
The translator concludes with a slightly different tone of revenge
against the enemy, and a slightly different Pericles who attempts
to evoke this feeling from his audience.
Warner’s translation of the chapter offers a somewhat
contrasting tone and view of Pericles. Similar to Zimmeran’s
representing Pericles in the final words of this speech, Warner
depicts a militant and aggressive Pericles during the funeral
speech. When Pericles states that it is only natural for those who
survive the soldiers to “be willing to undergo hardships in her
service” (Warner 148), the phrase “undergo hardships” is harsher
than Zimmeran’s phrase “spend ourselves in her service” (114).
Warner uses abrasive words to make Pericles’ audience feel guilty
if they do not want to undergo hardships. His Pericles goes on
to say he wanted his “words of praise for the dead to be set in
the bright light of evidence” (148). The “bright light of
evidence” is the greatness of Athens. Warner’s bright light of
Athens, both literally and figuratively, casts a shadow on those
who died for the city. Warner continues using somewhat blunt
language when he writes, “And now the most important of these
words has been spoken” (148). Pericles declares that the words
spoken about Athens are the most important because he wants
the people to realize that Athens as a whole is more important
than the death of a few. He states, “…no words can do more
than justice to the deeds” (Warner 148). Warner’s words of
praise are unusual because Pericles ends as if he does not wish to
discuss the soldiers’ deeds anymore.
Warner’s abrupt words of praise contrast greatly with the
more compassionate Pericles who says that “words cannot
magnify the deeds that they have done” (Zimmeran 114).
Zimmeran’s words allow the audience to admire the soldiers’
deeds because no words can describe [or enlarge] their greatness,
whereas Warner’s words stop the audience from appreciating the
soldiers’ deeds because any words show justice “to the deeds” but
nothing more. Although both translators seem to be trying to say
the same thing, their words create two very different tones.
Furthermore, the difference in tone between the two
translators is seen when Warner begins a new paragraph after
Pericles’ statement about the soldiers’ deeds, whereas Zimmeran
writes the chapter as one paragraph. In his second paragraph,
Warner talks about the soldiers more than Athens. Warner uses
forceful language when he writes, “the consummation which has
overtaken these men” (148); the glory of fighting and dying for
their city has driven the soldiers. These words show the
mourners that war took over and changed the minds of the men,
making them soldiers. Warner uses abrasive language when he
writes, “Some of them, no doubt, had their faults” (148), rather
than taking Zimmeran’s approach to life’s faults and failures.
Warner’s Pericles appears harsh and cold to his listeners because
he is more concerned about pride and service to Athens than the
men who died. Warner writes the soldiers “blotted out evil with
good” (148). The word “blotted” conveys the image of trying to
dab at evil to remove it, but blotting and dabbing can often leave
a stain. Therefore, the soldiers used their good to fight, but it
was not necessarily enough to overcome the evil.
Pericles then discusses the courage of the men who did
not “put off the awful day” (Warner 149). Pericles says the
soldiers’ demise is an awful day even though he tries to convince
his listeners that the moment is glorious. When Warner writes
that the soldiers “strike down the enemy and relinquish
everything else” (149), it parallels the consummation that has
taken over the soldiers because they abandon everything,
focusing only on the enemy, in order to fight to their death.
Pericles’ words become stronger as he describes the soldiers’
demise. Warner describes the soldiers’ ultimatums as “stand their
ground and suffer death” or “give in and save their lives” (149).
Warner’s words paint a dark picture because the soldiers’ choices,
to suffer or give in, are both unpleasant. Zimmeran describes
these ultimatums as suffering death or winning life; the soldiers
are stronger for choosing to suffer for glory rather than win life.
In Warner’s words, however, by choosing the honorable approach
to death, the soldiers do not seem to be making as tough of a
decision because their only other choice is to “give in,” which
carries a negative connotation in both the words and the action.
When Warner describes the final moment of the soldiers’ lives,
he uses almost the same phrases as Zimmeran to show how
quickly the climax, the high point in their lives, ends. Warner uses
the phrase “swept away from us” (149), as opposed to
Zimmeran’s phrase “rapt away” (115). “Swept” is a calmer term
that can relate more to a god sweeping the life from man, rather
than an enemy snatching the life from a soldier. Thus, just as the
tone of Zimmeran’s translation changes toward its conclusion,
Warner’s translation changes its tone in the final words by
evoking a calming, yet melancholy, feeling from Pericles’
audience.
Zimmeran and Warner’s translations of Thucydides’ text
are their interpretations. Each translation creates a contrasting
tone, opposing characteristics of Pericles, and different reactions
from the audience of the funeral speech. Zimmeran’s translation
conveys Pericles’ compassion to the reader, whereas Warner’s
depicts a militant Pericles. Zimmeran’s main objective is to
console the audience of mourners and celebrate the brave
soldiers, whereas Warner’s aim is to justify their deaths in the
name of Athens’ well-being. The subject matter and speaker of
the funeral speech appear to be the same in each translation, but
upon further analysis, the subtle differences in word choice and
sentence structure produce two very different speeches.
Works Cited
Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. Tr. Rex Warner (course pack).
Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. Tr. Zimmeran (course pack). |