- Source
- Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.51.1-3.51.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-26
Under the command of Nicias, the Athenian army conducted an expedition against the island of Minoa near Megara, capturing and fortifying it to serve as a guard-station with a garrison.
ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ θέρει μετὰ τὴν Λέσβου ἅλωσιν Ἀθηναῖοι Νικίου τοῦ Νικηράτου στρατηγοῦντος ἐστράτευσαν ἐπὶ Μινῴαν τὴν νῆσον, ἣ κεῖται πρὸ Μεγάρων· ἐχρῶντο δὲ αὐτῇ πύργον ἐνοικοδομήσαντες οἱ Μεγαρῆς φρουρίῳ.
In the same summer, after the capture of Lesbos, the Athenians, under the command of Nicias son of Niceratus, made an expedition against the island of Minoa, which lies off Megara; the Megarians had built a tower on it and used it as a fortress.
ἐβούλετο δὲ Νικίας τὴν φυλακὴν αὐτόθεν δι’ ἐλάσσονος τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ Βουδόρου καὶ τῆς Σαλαμῖνος εἶναι, τούς τε Πελοποννησίους, ὅπως μὴ ποιῶνται1 ἔκπλους αὐτόθεν λανθάνοντες τριήρων τε, οἷον καὶ τὸ πρὶν γενόμενον, καὶ λῃστῶν ἐκπομπαῖς, τοῖς τε Μεγαρεῦσιν ἅμα μηδὲν ἐσπλεῖν.2
For Nicias wished that the Athenian guard-station should be closer at hand, rather than from Budorum and Salamis, and also to prevent the Peloponnesians from slipping out thence unobserved with triremes, as had happened before, or sending out privateers, while at the same time ensuring that nothing should be imported for the Megarians.
ἑλὼν οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς Νισαίας πρῶτον δύο πύργω προύχοντε3 μηχαναῖς ἐκ θαλάσσης καὶ τὸν ἔσπλουν ἐς τὸ μεταξὺ τῆς νήσου ἐλευθερώσας ἀπετείχιζε καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου,4 ᾗ κατὰ γέφυραν διὰ τενάγους ἐπιβοήθεια ἦν τῇ νήσῳ οὐ πολὺ διεχούσῃ τῆς ἠπείρου.
Having therefore first captured from the side of Nisaea, by means of engines from the sea, two projecting towers, and having cleared the passage into the channel between the island and the mainland, he began to build a wall to block off the approach from the mainland also, where, by a bridge across a shallow lagoon, assistance used to be sent to the island, which was not far distant from the mainland.
ὡς δὲ τοῦτο ἐξειργάσαντο ἐν ἡμέραις ὀλίγαις, ὕστερον δὴ καὶ ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τεῖχος ἐγκαταλιπὼν καὶ φρουρὰν ἀνεχώρησε τῷ στρατῷ.
When they had completed this work in a few days, he subsequently built a wall on the island as well, and having left a garrison, withdrew with his army.
- 3.51.2τούς τε Πελοποννησίους, ὅπως μὴ ποιῶνται
A prolepsis (anticipation) where the accusative noun phrase "τούς τε Πελοποννησίους" is placed before the "ὅπως" clause, serving logically as the subject of the subordinate clause rather than the direct object of the main verb "ἐβούλετο".
- 3.51.2τοῖς τε Μεγαρεῦσιν ἅμα μηδὲν ἐσπλεῖν
The subject of the infinitive "ἐσπλεῖν" is the neuter "μηδέν" ("nothing to enter / be imported"), while "τοῖς Μεγαρεῦσιν" functions as a dative of interest. This whole infinitive clause acts as another object of "ἐβούλετο".
- 3.51.3δύο πύργω προύχοντε
An agreement of dual forms: the noun "πύργω" (accusative dual) and the participle "προύχοντε" (accusative dual), modifying "two projecting towers".
- 3.51.3ἀπετείχιζε καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου
The accusative substantivized prepositional phrase "τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου" (the approach from the mainland) functions as the direct object of the imperfect verb "ἀπετείχιζε" (he blocked off with a wall).