- 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-grc2:4.35.1-4.35.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
The Spartans retreat to a fort at the end of the island, and the Athenians, unable to encircle them due to the difficult terrain, attack from the front as both sides endure thirst and heat.
τέλος δὲ τραυματιζομένων ἤδη πολλῶν διὰ τὸ αἰεὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ξυγκλῄσαντες ἐχώρησαν ἐς τὸ ἔσχατον ἔρυμα τῆς νήσου, ὃ οὐ πολὺ ἀπεῖχε, καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φύλακας.1
At last, as many were already being wounded because they were constantly wheeling about in the same place, they closed their ranks and retreated to the fort at the end of the island, which was not far off, and to their own garrison.
ὡς δὲ ἐνέδοσαν, ἐνταῦθα ἤδη πολλῷ ἔτι πλέονι βοῇ τεθαρσηκότες οἱ ψιλοὶ ἐπέκειντο, καὶ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ὅσοι μὲν ὑποχωροῦντες ἐγκατελαμβάνοντο, ἀπέθνῃσκον, οἱ δὲ πολλοὶ διαφυγόντες ἐς τὸ ἔρυμα μετὰ τῶν ταύτῃ φυλάκων ἐτάξαντο παρὰ πᾶν ὡς ἀμυνούμενοι ᾗπερ ἦν ἐπίμαχον.
And when they gave way, the light-armed troops, already encouraged by a much greater shouting, pressed hard upon them; and those of the Lacedaemonians who were overtaken while retreating were killed, but the majority escaped to the fort and drew up with the garrison there along the whole line, to defend themselves wherever it was vulnerable to attack.
καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπισπόμενοι περίοδον μὲν αὐτῶν καὶ κύκλωσιν χωρίου ἰσχύι2 οὐκ εἶχον, προσιόντες δὲ ἐξ ἐναντίας ὤσασθαι ἐπειρῶντο.
The Athenians, following close after them, were unable to surround or encircle them owing to the strength of the position, but approaching from the front, they attempted to force them back.
καὶ χρόνον μὲν πολὺν καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας τὸ πλεῖστον ταλαιπωρούμενοι ἀμφότεροι ὑπό τε τῆς μάχης καὶ δίψης καὶ ἡλίου ἀντεῖχον, πειρώμενοι οἱ μὲν ἐξελάσασθαι ἐκ τοῦ μετεώρου, οἱ δὲ μὴ ἐνδοῦναι· ῥᾷον δ’ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἠμύνοντο ἢ ἐν τῷ πρίν, οὐκ οὔσης σφῶν τῆς κυκλώσεως ἐς τὰ πλάγια.3
For a long time, indeed for most of the day, both sides held out, though distressed by the fighting, thirst, and sun, the one side attempting to drive them from the high ground, and the other resolved not to give way. But the Lacedaemonians defended themselves more easily than before, as there was no possibility of encircling them on their flanks.
- 4.35.1καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φύλακας
The preposition ἐς also governs τοὺς ἑαυτῶν φύλακας. While the preposition connects a place (ἔρυμα) and persons (φύλακας), when used with persons, ἐς indicates movement 'to' or 'among' them.
- 4.35.3χωρίου ἰσχύι
Dative of cause. It explains the reason why the Athenians 'were unable' to encircle them, attributing it to the strength (ἰσχύς) of the position (χωρίον).
- 4.35.4οὐκ οὔσης σφῶν τῆς κυκλώσεως ἐς τὰ πλάγια
Genitive absolute construction (οὐκ οὔσης ... τῆς κυκλώσεως). The genitive pronoun σφῶν functions as an objective genitive ('encirclement of them'), meaning 'as there was no encirclement of them on the flanks (ἐς τὰ πλάγια)'.