Solemn Departure of the Fleet and Skepticism at Syracuse — Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Book 6 (6.32.1–6.32.3), Greek & English

§6.32.1

ἐπειδὴ δὲ αἱ νῆες πλήρεις ἦσαν καὶ ἐσέκειτο πάντα ἤδη ὅσα ἔχοντες ἔμελλον ἀνάξεσθαι, τῇ μὲν σάλπιγγι σιωπὴ ὑπεσημάνθη, εὐχὰς δὲ τὰς νομιζομένας πρὸ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς οὐ κατὰ ναῦν ἑκάστην, ξύμπαντες δὲ ὑπὸ κήρυκος ἐποιοῦντο, κρατῆράς τε κεράσαντες παρ’ ἅπαν τὸ στράτευμα καὶ ἐκπώμασι χρυσοῖς τε καὶ ἀργυροῖς οἵ τε ἐπιβάται καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες σπένδοντες.¹

And when the ships were full and everything was now put on board which they were to take with them when they sailed, silence was commanded by the trumpet, and they made the customary prayers before putting out to sea, not ship by ship, but all together led by a herald, having mixed wine in bowls throughout the whole army, while both the marines and the officers made libations with gold and silver cups.

§6.32.2

ξυνεπηύχοντο δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄλλος ὅμιλος² ὁ ἐκ τῆς γῆς τῶν τε πολιτῶν καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος εὔνους παρῆν σφίσιν. παιανίσαντες δὲ καὶ τελεώσαντες τὰς σπονδὰς ἀνήγοντο, καὶ ἐπὶ κέρως³ τὸ πρῶτον ἐκπλεύσαντες ἅμιλλαν ἤδη μέχρι Αἰγίνης ἐποιοῦντο. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐς τὴν Κέρκυραν, ἔνθαπερ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο στράτευμα τῶν ξυμμάχων ξυνελέγετο, ἠπείγοντο ἀφικέσθαι.

The rest of the crowd on the shore, both of the citizens and whoever else was present well-disposed to them, joined in the prayers. Having sung the paean and finished the libations, they put to sea, and having sailed out at first in single file, they then made it a race as far as Aegina. And they, on their part, hastened to arrive at Corcyra, where the rest of the allied force was also assembling.

§6.32.3

ἐς δὲ τὰς Συρακούσας ἠγγέλλετο μὲν πολλαχόθεν τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἐπίπλου, οὐ μέντοι ἐπιστεύετο ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενομένης ἐκκλησίας ἐλέχθησαν τοιοίδε λόγοι ἀπό τε ἄλλων, τῶν μὲν πιστευόντων τὰ περὶ τῆς στρατείας τῆς τῶν Ἀθηναίων, τῶν δὲ τὰ ἐναντία λεγόντων,⁴ καὶ Ἑρμοκράτης ὁ Ἕρμωνος παρελθὼν αὐτοῖς, ὡς σαφῶς οἰόμενος εἰδέναι τὰ περὶ αὐτῶν, ἔλεγε καὶ παρῄνει τοιάδε.

Meanwhile, to Syracuse news of the expedition was being brought from many quarters, yet for a long time nothing was believed. But even when an assembly was held, speeches of the following kind were made by various speakers, some believing the reports about the Athenian expedition, others saying the opposite; and Hermocrates the son of Hermon, coming forward before them, as one who believed he knew the truth about it clearly, spoke and advised them as follows.

Syntax notes4 items

6.32.1κρατῆράς τε κεράσαντες ... σπένδοντες
A participle construction accompanying the main verb ἐποιοῦντο. The aorist participle κεράσαντες represents the preparatory action prior to the libation, while the present participle σπένδοντες represents the descriptive action taking place simultaneously with the prayers. The subject of σπένδοντες is explicitly given as οἵ τε ἐπιβάται καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες.
6.32.2ξυνεπηύχοντο δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄλλος ὅμιλος
An instance of "constructio ad sensum" (agreement according to sense), where the singular collective noun subject ὁ ἄλλος ὅμιλος takes the plural verb ξυνεπηύχοντο, treating the crowd as a collection of individuals acting together.
6.32.2ἐπὶ κέρως
A military and naval term meaning "in column" or "in single file." It describes the ships sailing out of the harbor in a single line rather than abreast.
6.32.3τῶν μὲν πιστευόντων ... τῶν δὲ ... λεγόντων
Genitive participles agreeing with the preceding ἀπό τε ἄλλων (genitive), functioning as a partative apposition ("some..., others...") to specify who those "others" were. Although they could be interpreted as genitives absolute, it is more natural to view them as directly modifying the noun ἄλλων.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.32.1-6.32.3