- 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-grc2:8.104.1-8.104.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The Athenians and Peloponnesians deploy their fleets and engage in a naval battle in the Hellespont. Due to the terrain and their numerical inferiority, the Athenian center becomes weak and divided.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐναυμάχουν τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι παρέπλεον ἐπὶ κέρως ταξάμενοι παρ’ αὐτὴν τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τῆς Σηστοῦ, οἱ δὲ Πελοποννήσιοι αἰσθόμενοι ἐκ τῆς Ἀβύδου ἀντανῆγον καὶ αὐτοί.
After this, they fought the sea-fight in the following manner. The Athenians sailed along the land itself towards Sestos, having formed their line in single file; but the Peloponnesians, perceiving them, put out to meet them from Abydos on their side also.
καὶ ὡς ἔγνωσαν ναυμαχήσοντες,1 παρέτειναν τὸ κέρας οἱ μὲν Ἀθηναῖοι παρὰ τὴν Χερσόνησον, ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ Ἰδάκου μέχρι Ἀρριανῶν, νῆες ἓξ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα, οἱ δ’ αὖ Πελοποννήσιοι ἀπὸ Ἀβύδου μέχρι Δαρδάνου, νῆες ἓξ καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα.
And when they resolved to engage in battle, the Athenians extended their flank along the Chersonese, stretching from Idacus as far as Arriani, being seventy-six ships; while the Peloponnesians, on their part, extended from Abydos as far as Dardanus, being eighty-six ships.
κέρας δὲ τοῖς μὲν Πελοποννησίοις εἶχον τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν Συρακόσιοι, τὸ δ’ ἕτερον αὐτὸς Μίνδαρος καὶ τῶν νεῶν αἱ ἄριστα πλέουσαι, Ἀθηναίοις δὲ τὸ μὲν ἀριστερὸν Θράσυλος, ὁ δὲ Θρασύβουλος τὸ δεξιόν· οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι στρατηγοὶ ὡς ἕκαστοι διετάξαντο.
Of the wings, the Peloponnesians had the right held by the Syracusans, and the other by Mindarus himself and the best-sailing of their ships; while of the Athenians, Thrasyllus held the left, and Thrasybulus the right; and the other generals were stationed as each had been appointed.
ἐπειγομένων δὲ τῶν Πελοποννησίων2 πρότερόν τε ξυμμεῖξαι, καὶ κατὰ μὲν τὸ δεξιὸν τῶν Ἀθηναίων ὑπερσχόντες αὐτοὶ τῷ εὐωνύμῳ ἀποκλῇσαι τοῦ ἔξω αὐτοὺς ἔκπλου, εἰ δύναιντο, κατὰ δὲ τὸ μέσον ἐξῶσαι πρὸς τὴν γῆν οὐχ ἑκὰς οὖσαν, οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι γνόντες, ᾗ μὲν ἐβούλοντο ἀποφάρξασθαι αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐναντίοι, ἀντεπεξῆγον καὶ περιεγίγνοντο τῷ πλῷ,3 τὸ δ’ εὐώνυμον αὐτοῖς ὑπερεβεβλήκει ἤδη τὴν ἄκραν ἣ Κυνὸς σῆμα καλεῖται. τῷ δὲ μέσῳ, τοιούτου ξυμβαίνοντος, ἀσθενέσι καὶ διεσπασμέναις ταῖς ναυσὶ καθίσταντο,4 ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐλάσσοσι χρώμενοι τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τοῦ χωρίου τοῦ περὶ τὸ Κυνὸς σῆμα ὀξεῖαν καὶ γωνιώδη τὴν περιβολὴν ἔχοντος, ὥστε τὰ ἐν τῷ ἐπέκεινα αὐτοῦ γιγνόμενα μὴ κάτοπτα εἶναι.
Since the Peloponnesians were eager to join battle first, and to outflank the Athenian right with their own left and cut them off, if they could, from sailing out into the open water, while pushing the center of the Athenian line onto the nearby land, the Athenians, perceiving this, extended their own line to counter them where the enemy wished to hem them in, and succeeded in keeping ahead in sailing. But their left wing had already rounded the cape which is called Cynossema. Under these circumstances, they found themselves with their center weak and their ships scattered, especially since they were fewer in number and the area around Cynossema formed a sharp and angular bend, so that what was happening on the other side of it was not visible.
- 8.104.2ἔγνωσαν ναυμαχήσοντες
The verb ἔγνωσαν (resolved) is accompanied by the nominative future participle ναυμαχήσοντες to express the resolution to engage in a naval battle.
- 8.104.4ἐπειγομένων δὲ τῶν Πελοποννησίων
The genitive absolute ἐπειγομένων δὲ τῶν Πελοποννησίων functions as the main frame, with the participle ἐπειγομένων governing the coordinate infinitives ξυμμεῖξαι (to join battle), ἀποκλῇσαι (to cut off), and ἐξῶσαι (to push off).
- 8.104.4περιεγίγνοντο τῷ πλῷ
The dative τῷ πλῷ is a dative of respect or limitation ("in sailing", "by their sailing speed"), modifying the verb περιεγίγνοντο (prevailed, kept ahead).
- 8.104.5ἀσθενέσι καὶ διεσπασμέναις ταῖς ναυσὶ καθίσταντο
The verb καθίσταντο (they found themselves in a state, were placed in a position) is construed with the dative phrase ἀσθενέσι καὶ διεσπασμέναις ταῖς ναυσὶ to describe the weak and scattered condition of the ships in their center.