Siege of Aegina and the Repulse of Corinth at Megara — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 1 (1.105.1–1.105.6), Greek & English

§1.105.1

Ἀθηναίοις¹ δὲ ναυσὶν ἀποβᾶσιν ἐς Ἁλιᾶς πρὸς Κορινθίους καὶ Ἐπιδαυρίους μάχη ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐνίκων Κορίνθιοι. καὶ ὕστερον Ἀθηναῖοι ἐναυμάχησαν ἐπὶ Κεκρυφαλείᾳ Πελοποννησίων ναυσί, καὶ ἐνίκων Ἀθηναῖοι.

An Athenian force, landing from ships at Halieis, fought a battle against the Corinthians and Epidaurians, and the Corinthians won. Afterwards, the Athenians fought a sea battle against the ships of the Peloponnesians off Cecryphalea, and the Athenians won.

§1.105.2

πολέμου δὲ καταστάντος πρὸς Αἰγινήτας Ἀθηναίοις μετὰ ταῦτα ναυμαχία γίγνεται ἐπ᾽ Αἰγίνῃ μεγάλη Ἀθηναίων καὶ Αἰγινητῶν, καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι ἑκατέροις παρῆσαν, καὶ ἐνίκων Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ ναῦς ἑβδομήκοντα λαβόντες αὐτῶν ἐς τὴν γῆν ἀπέβησαν καὶ ἐπολιόρκουν, Λεωκράτους τοῦ Στροίβου στρατηγοῦντος.

After this, war having broken out between the Athenians and the Aeginetans, a great sea battle took place off Aegina between the Athenians and Aeginetans, and the allies of both sides were present; and the Athenians won, and having captured seventy of their ships, they landed on the island and besieged them, under the command of Leocrates, son of Stroebus.

§1.105.3

ἔπειτα Πελοποννήσιοι ἀμύνειν βουλόμενοι Αἰγινήταις ἐς μὲν τὴν Αἴγιναν τριακοσίους ὁπλίτας πρότερον Κορινθίων καὶ Ἐπιδαυρίων ἐπικούρους διεβίβασαν, τὰ δὲ ἄκρα τῆς Γερανείας κατέλαβον καὶ ἐς τὴν Μεγαρίδα κατέβησαν Κορίνθιοι μετὰ τῶν ξυμμάχων, νομίζοντες ἀδυνάτους ἔσεσθαι Ἀθηναίους βοηθεῖν τοῖς Μεγαρεῦσιν ἔν τε Αἰγίνῃ ἀπούσης στρατιᾶς πολλῆς καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ· ἢν δὲ καὶ βοηθῶσιν, ἀπ’ Αἰγίνης ἀναστήσεσθαι² αὐτούς.

Then the Peloponnesians, wishing to assist the Aeginetans, crossed over to Aegina three hundred hoplites who had previously been auxiliaries of the Corinthians and Epidaurians; and the Corinthians with their allies occupied the heights of Geraneia and descended into the Megarid, thinking that the Athenians would be unable to assist the Megarians, since a large army was absent in Aegina and in Egypt; and that if they should assist them, they would have to withdraw from Aegina.

§1.105.4

οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι τὸ μὲν πρὸς Αἰγίνῃ στράτευμα οὐκ ἐκίνησαν, τῶν δ’ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὑπολοίπων οἵ τε πρεσβύτατοι καὶ οἱ νεώτατοι ἀφικνοῦνται ἐς τὰ Μέγαρα Μυρωνίδου στρατηγοῦντος.

But the Athenians did not move the army at Aegina; instead, of those who remained in the city, the oldest and the youngest went to Megara under the command of Myronides.

§1.105.5

καὶ μάχης γενομένης ἰσορρόπου πρὸς Κορινθίους διεκρίθησαν ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων, καὶ ἐνόμισαν αὐτοὶ ἑκάτεροι οὐκ ἔλασσον ἔχειν³ ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ.

And after an indecisive battle was fought against the Corinthians, they separated from one another, and both sides believed that they had not had the worst of it in the action.

§1.105.6

καὶ οἱ μὲν Ἀθηναῖοι (ἐκράτησαν γὰρ ὅμως μᾶλλον) ἀπελθόντων τῶν Κορινθίων τροπαῖον ἔστησαν· οἱ δὲ Κορίνθιοι κακιζόμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει πρεσβυτέρων καὶ παρασκευασάμενοι, ἡμέραις ὕστερον δώδεκα μάλιστα ἐλθόντες ἀνθίστασαν τροπαῖον καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς νικήσαντες. καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐκβοηθήσαντες ἐκ τῶν Μεγάρων τούς τε τὸ τροπαῖον ἱστάντας διαφθείρουσι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ξυμβαλόντες ἐκράτησαν.

And the Athenians (for they had nevertheless rather the advantage) erected a trophy after the departure of the Corinthians; but the Corinthians, being reproached by the elders in their city, prepared themselves and, coming about twelve days later, set up a rival trophy themselves as if they had been victorious. And the Athenians, sallying out from Megara, cut to pieces those who were erecting the trophy, and engaging the rest, defeated them.

Syntax notes3 items

1.105.1Ἀθηναίοις
Ἀθηναίοις is a dative of interest/possession with μάχη ἐγένετο. It is modified by the attributive aorist participle ἀποβᾶσιν (from ἀποβαίνω).
1.105.3ἀναστήσεσθαι
The future middle infinitive of ἀνίστημι, used here intransitively to mean 'to withdraw' or 'to raise the siege'. In the indirect discourse introduced by νομίζοντες, it takes the accusative αὐτούς (referring to the Athenians) as its subject.
1.105.5οὐκ ἔλασσον ἔχειν
Literally 'to have not less', this is an idiomatic expression meaning 'not to have the worst of it', 'to come off no worse' or 'to hold one's own'. It functions as the infinitive clause dependent on ἐνόμισαν.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-10-12)

2026-10-12 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.105.1-1.105.6