- 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-grc2:7.24.1-7.24.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Despite their defeat in the sea-fight, the Syracusans secure the forts of Plemyrium, capturing vast Athenian supplies, and garrison two of them. The loss of Plemyrium severely damages Athenian logistics by endangering their supply route, causing deep despondency among the troops.
οἱ δὲ Συρακόσιοι κατὰ μὲν τὴν ναυμαχίαν οὕτως ἐπεπράγεσαν, τὰ δ’ ἐν τῷ Πλημμυρίῳ τείχη εἶχον, καὶ τροπαῖα ἔστησαν αὐτῶν τρία. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἕτερον τοῖν δυοῖν τειχοῖν1 τοῖν ὕστερον ληφθέντοιν κατέβαλον, τὰ δὲ δύο ἐπισκευάσαντες ἐφρούρουν.
The Syracusans, then, fared thus in the sea-fight, but they held the forts in Plemyrium, and erected three trophies for them. And one of the two forts that had been captured later they demolished, but the other two they repaired and garrisoned.
ἄνθρωποι δ’ ἐν τῶν τειχῶν τῇ ἁλώσει ἀπέθανον καὶ ἐζωγρήθησαν πολλοί, καὶ χρήματα πολλὰ τὰ ξύμπαντα ἑάλω· ὥσπερ γὰρ ταμιείῳ χρωμένων τῶν Ἀθηναίων2 τοῖς τείχεσι πολλὰ μὲν ἐμπόρων χρήματα καὶ σῖτος ἐνῆν, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τῶν τριηράρχων, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἱστία τεσσαράκοντα τριήρων καὶ τἆλλα σκεύη ἐγκατελήφθη καὶ τριήρεις ἀνειλκυσμέναι τρεῖς.
In the capture of the forts many men were killed and taken alive, and much property in total was taken; for as the Athenians used the forts as a storehouse, much merchandise of traders and corn was inside, and also much belonging to the trierarchs, since the sails of forty triremes and the other equipment were left behind there, and three triremes that had been hauled up on shore were also captured.
μέγιστόν τε καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρῶτον3 ἐκάκωσε τὸ στράτευμα τὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἡ τοῦ Πλημμυρίου λῆψις· οὐ γὰρ ἔτι οὐδ’ οἱ ἔσπλοι ἀσφαλεῖς ἦσαν τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς4 τῶν ἐπιτηδείων (οἱ γὰρ Συρακόσιοι ναυσὶν αὐτόθι ἐφορμοῦντες ἐκώλυον, καὶ διὰ μάχης ἤδη ἐγίγνοντο αἱ ἐσκομιδαί), ἔς τε τἆλλα κατάπληξιν παρέσχε καὶ ἀθυμίαν τῷ στρατεύματι.
The capture of Plemyrium was a blow to the Athenian army that was both most severe and first and foremost among their disasters; for the entrances for bringing in provisions were no longer safe (for the Syracusans, anchoring there with their ships, kept blockading them, and the importations were now only made through fighting), and in other respects it brought consternation and despondency upon the army.
- 7.24.1τοῖν δυοῖν τειχοῖν
Genitive of the dual number, functioning as a partitive genitive dependent on the preceding pronoun τὸ μὲν ἕτερον (the one). It refers to the 'two' forts captured later.
- 7.24.2χρωμένων τῶν Ἀθηναίων
Genitive absolute construction. τῶν Ἀθηναίων is the logical subject and the participle χρωμένων (present participle of χράομαι) is the logical predicate, expressing cause ('since the Athenians used...'). It is in the genitive because its subject is distinct from the subjects of the main clause (ἄνθρωποι / χρήματα).
- 7.24.3ἐν τοῖς πρῶτον
An idiomatic expression characteristic of Thucydides, meaning 'first and foremost' or 'especially'. The phrase ἐν τοῖς acts adverbially to intensify the superlative force associated with μέγιστον and ἐκάκωσε.
- 7.24.3τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς
Genitive governed by the adjective ἀσφαλεῖς (safe), indicating respect or separation. Together they express the idea of being 'safe in respect to the bringing in of provisions'.