- 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-grc2:4.89.1-4.89.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-30
In the Athenian campaign against Boeotia under Hippocrates and Demosthenes, a coordination error regarding the dates occurs. Consequently, the plot is betrayed to the Boeotians, leading to the failure of Demosthenes' expedition at Siphae.
τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος εὐθὺς ἀρχομένου, ὡς τῷ Ἱπποκράτει καὶ Δημοσθένει στρατηγοῖς οὖσιν Ἀθηναίων τὰ ἐν τοῖς Βοιωτοῖς ἐνεδίδοτο1 καὶ ἔδει τὸν μὲν Δημοσθένη ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐς τὰς Σίφας ἀπαντῆσαι, τὸν δ’ ἐπὶ τὸ Δήλιον, γενομένης διαμαρτίας τῶν ἡμερῶν2 ἐς ἃς ἔδει ἀμφοτέρους στρατεύειν, ὁ μὲν Δημοσθένης πρότερον πλεύσας πρὸς τὰς Σίφας καὶ ἔχων ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν Ἀκαρνᾶνας καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ πολλοὺς ξυμμάχων, ἄπρακτος γίγνεται μηνυθέντος τοῦ ἐπιβουλεύματος ὑπὸ Νικομάχου ἀνδρὸς Φωκέως ἐκ Φανοτέως, ὃς Λακεδαιμονίοις εἶπεν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ Βοιωτοῖς·
At the very beginning of the following winter, as the plans in Boeotia were being delivered into the hands of Hippocrates and Demosthenes, who were Athenian generals, and it was necessary for Demosthenes to meet with his ships at Siphae and the other at Delium, a mistake having occurred regarding the days on which both were to campaign, Demosthenes, having sailed earlier to Siphae with Acarnanians and many allies from those parts in his ships, effected nothing, because the plot had been betrayed by Nicomachus, a Phocian from Phanoteus, who told the Lacedaemonians, and they in turn told the Boeotians.
καὶ βοηθείας γενομένης πάντων Βοιωτῶν (οὐ γάρ πω Ἱπποκράτης παρελύπει ἐν τῇ γῇ ὤν) προκαταλαμβάνονται αἵ τε Σῖφαι καὶ ἡ Χαιρώνεια. ὡς δὲ ᾔσθοντο οἱ πράσσοντες τὸ ἁμάρτημα,3 οὐδὲν ἐκίνησαν τῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν.
And as a general reinforcement of all the Boeotians took place (for Hippocrates was not yet in their land to harass them), both Siphae and Chaeronea were occupied in advance. When the conspirators realized the mistake, they made no movement within the cities.
- 4.89.1τὰ ἐν τοῖς Βοιωτοῖς ἐνεδίδοτο
Meaning 'the affairs in Boeotia were being betrayed' or 'delivered up.' The imperfect passive verb ἐνεδίδοτο indicates that the negotiations and secret plots by the democratic factions in Boeotia to hand over the cities to the Athenians were still in progress.
- 4.89.1γενομένης διαμαρτίας τῶν ἡμερῶν
Genitive absolute construction: 'a mistake having arisen concerning the days.' This failure in synchronization between Demosthenes and Hippocrates, who were supposed to strike simultaneously, directly led to the collapse of the entire plan.
- 4.89.2τὸ ἁμάρτημα
Meaning 'the mistake' or 'the failure.' It refers to the lack of synchronization (διαμαρτία) in their schedules, or the resulting premature arrival of Demosthenes, which exposed the plot to the enemy before it could be executed.