Dispatch of Phormio and Melesander's Death in Lycia — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 2 (2.69.1–2.69.2), Greek & English

§2.69.1

τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος Ἀθηναῖοι ναῦς ἔστειλαν εἴκοσι μὲν περὶ Πελοπόννησον καὶ Φορμίωνα στρατηγόν, ὃς ὁρμώμενος ἐκ Ναυπάκτου φυλακὴν εἶχε μήτ’ ἐκπλεῖν ἐκ Κορίνθου καὶ τοῦ Κρισαίου κόλπου μηδένα μήτ’ ἐσπλεῖν,¹ ἑτέρας δὲ ἓξ ἐπὶ Καρίας καὶ Λυκίας καὶ Μελήσανδρον στρατηγόν, ὅπως ταῦτά² τε ἀργυρολογῶσι καὶ τὸ λῃστικὸν τῶν Πελοποννησίων μὴ ἐῶσιν αὐτόθεν ὁρμώμενον βλάπτειν τὸν πλοῦν τῶν ὁλκάδων τῶν ἀπὸ Φασήλιδος καὶ Φοινίκης καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν ἠπείρου.

In the succeeding winter, the Athenians dispatched twenty ships around the Peloponnese and Phormio as general, who, basing himself at Naupactus, kept watch so that no one should either sail out of Corinth and the Crisaean Gulf or sail in. They also sent six other ships to Caria and Lycia, and Melesander as general, in order that they might collect funds from these places and prevent the Peloponnesian privateers, basing themselves there, from damaging the voyage of the merchant ships from Phaselis and Phoenicia and the mainland in that direction.

§2.69.2

ἀναβὰς³ δὲ στρατιᾷ Ἀθηναίων τε τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων ἐς τὴν Λυκίαν ὁ Μελήσανδρος ἀποθνῄσκει καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς μέρος τι διέφθειρε νικηθεὶς μάχῃ.

Melesander, having marched inland into Lycia with a force of Athenians from the ships and of the allies, was killed in a battle in which he was defeated, and a part of his army was lost.

Syntax notes3 items

2.69.1φυλακὴν εἶχε μήτ’ ἐκπλεῖν ... μηδένα μήτ’ ἐσπλεῖν
The phrase φυλακὴν εἶχε (kept watch/guard), which implies prevention, is followed by infinitive clauses with negative particles μήτε and μηδείς ("lest anyone sail out... or sail in"), a standard construction of redundant or preventive negation.
2.69.1ταῦτα
The neuter plural demonstrative pronoun refers back to the feminine country names Καρίας καὶ Λυκίας (Caria and Lycia). It is a common construction where geographical locations or their inhabitants are referred to collectively in the neuter plural.
2.69.2ἀναβάς
Active aorist participle of ἀναβαίνω (to go up). It is used here in the military sense of "marching inland" or "moving up from the coast" into the interior of Lycia after disembarking from the ships.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.69.1-2.69.2