Athenian Expedition Against the Peloponnesian Coast — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 2 (2.56.1–2.56.6), Greek & English

§2.56.1

ἔτι δ’ αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ὄντων, πρὶν ἐς τὴν παραλίαν ἐλθεῖν, ἑκατὸν νεῶν ἐπίπλουν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ παρεσκευάζετο,¹ καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἑτοῖμα ἦν,² ἀνήγετο.

While they were still in the plain, before they went into the coastal region, Pericles was preparing an expedition of a hundred ships against the Peloponnese, and when all was ready, he put to sea.

§2.56.2

ἦγε δ’ ἐπὶ τῶν νεῶν ὁπλίτας Ἀθηναίων τετρακισχιλίους καὶ ἱππέας τριακοσίους ἐν ναυσὶν ἱππαγωγοῖς πρῶτον τότε ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν νεῶν ποιηθείσαις· ξυνεστρατεύοντο δὲ καὶ Χῖοι καὶ Λέσβιοι πεντήκοντα ναυσίν.

He took on the ships four thousand Athenian hoplites, and three hundred cavalry in horse-transports which were then for the first time constructed out of old ships; and the Chians and Lesbians also joined the expedition with fifty ships.

§2.56.3

ὅτε δὲ ἀνήγετο ἡ στρατιὰ αὕτη Ἀθηναίων, Πελοποννησίους κατέλιπον τῆς Ἀττικῆς ὄντας ἐν τῇ παραλίᾳ.

When this Athenian armament put to sea, they left the Peloponnesians in the coastal region of Attica.

§2.56.4

ἀφικόμενοι δὲ ἐς Ἐπίδαυρον τῆς Πελοποννήσου ἔτεμον τῆς γῆς τὴν πολλήν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν προσβαλόντες ἐς ἐλπίδα μὲν ἦλθον τοῦ ἑλεῖν, οὐ μέντοι προυχώρησέ γε.³

And arriving at Epidauros in the Peloponnese, they ravaged most of the land, and having made an assault upon the city, they came into hope of taking it, but yet it did not succeed.

§2.56.5

ἀναγαγόμενοι δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ἐπιδαύρου ἔτεμον τήν τε Τροιζηνίδα γῆν καὶ Ἁλιάδα καὶ Ἑρμιονίδα· ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα πάντα ἐπιθαλάσσια τῆς Πελοποννήσου.

And putting to sea from Epidauros, they ravaged the territory of Troezen, Halieis, and Hermione; all these places are on the coast of the Peloponnese.

§2.56.6

ἄραντες δὲ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ἀφίκοντο ἐς Πρασιὰς τῆς Λακωνικῆς πόλισμα ἐπιθαλάσσιον, καὶ τῆς τε γῆς ἔτεμον καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πόλισμα εἷλον καὶ ἐπόρθησαν. ταῦτα δὲ ποιήσαντες ἐπ’ οἴκου ἀνεχώρησαν. τοὺς δὲ Πελοποννησίους οὐκέτι κατέλαβον ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ ὄντας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνακεχωρηκότας.⁴

Setting sail from these, they came to Prasiae, a coastal town of Laconia, and ravaged part of its territory, and took and plundered the town itself. Having done this, they returned home; and they found the Peloponnesians no longer in Attica, but already withdrawn.

Syntax notes4 items

2.56.1παρεσκευάζετο
Third-person singular imperfect middle or passive of παρασκευάζω. If interpreted as active/middle, the unexpressed subject is 'Pericles', continuing from the previous chapter (2.55.2). While it is possible to read it as a passive impersonal construction ('preparations were being made'), taking Pericles as the active subject is more natural in this narrative context.
2.56.1ἑτοῖμα ἦν
The neuter plural nominative adjective ἑτοῖμα combined with the singular verb ἦν (third-person singular imperfect of εἰμί). According to the rules of classical Greek grammar, a neuter plural subject takes a singular verb. Here it refers abstractly to the situation when 'preparations (in general) were ready'.
2.56.4οὐ μέντοι προυχώρησέ γε
The third-person singular aorist προυχώρησε (from προχωρέω) with the negative οὐ and particles μέντοι ... γε. It is used impersonally here, meaning 'however, it (the attempt/assault) did not succeed' or 'things did not go well'.
2.56.6τοὺς δὲ Πελοποννησίους οὐκέτι κατέλαβον ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ ὄντας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνακεχωρηκότας
A double-participial construction where the verb κατέλαβον ('they found') takes the object τοὺς Πελοποννησίους accompanied by two participles: the present participle ὄντας (with the negative οὐκέτι) and the perfect participle ἀνακεχωρηκότας ('having retreated'). This structure contrasts their state: 'they found the Peloponnesians no longer being in Attica, but already having withdrawn'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.56.1-2.56.6