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History of the Peloponnesian War

§8.3.1-8.3.2

Agis's Levy of Funds and the Peloponnesian Fleet Building

King Agis of Sparta sets out during the winter to secure funds and hostages, while the Peloponnesian allies are requisitioned to construct a hundred ships in preparation for spring.

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§8.3.1

εὐθὺς οὖν Ἆγις μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι τούτῳ ὁρμηθεὶς στρατῷ τινὶ1 ἐκ Δεκελείας τά τε τῶν ξυμμάχων ἠργυρολόγησεν ἐς τὸ ναυτικὸν καὶ τραπόμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ Μηλιῶς κόλπου Οἰταίων τε κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν ἔχθραν τῆς λείας τὴν πολλὴν ἀπολαβὼν χρήματα ἐπράξατο, καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς τοὺς Φθιώτας καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς ταύτῃ Θεσσαλῶν ὑπηκόους μεμφομένων καὶ ἀκόντων τῶν Θεσσαλῶν2 ὁμήρους τέ τινας ἠνάγκασε δοῦναι καὶ χρήματα, καὶ κατέθετο τοὺς ὁμήρους ἐς Κόρινθον, ἔς τε τὴν ξυμμαχίαν ἐπειρᾶτο προσάγειν.

​Immediately, therefore, their king Agis, setting out in this winter with a certain army from Decelea, levied money from the allies for the navy; and turning towards the Malian Gulf, in accordance with their ancient enmity, he took away the greater part of the booty from the Oetaeans and exacted money from them, and, despite the complaints and unwillingness of the Thessalians, forced both the Achaians of Phthiotis and the other subjects of the Thessalians in that region to give some hostages and money, and deposited the hostages in Corinth, and tried to bring them into the alliance.

§8.3.2

Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ τὴν πρόσταξιν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἑκατὸν νεῶν τῆς ναυπηγίας3 ἐποιοῦντο, καὶ ἑαυτοῖς μὲν καὶ Βοιωτοῖς4 πέντε καὶ εἴκοσιν ἑκατέροις ἔταξαν, Φωκεῦσι δὲ καὶ Λοκροῖς πέντε καὶ δέκα, καὶ Κορινθίοις πέντε καὶ δέκα, Ἀρκάσι δὲ καὶ Πελληνεῦσι καὶ Σικυωνίοις δέκα, Μεγαρεῦσι δὲ καὶ Τροιζηνίοις καὶ Ἐπιδαυρίοις καὶ Ἑρμιονεῦσι δέκα· τά τε ἄλλα παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς εὐθὺς πρὸς τὸ ἔαρ ἑξόμενοι τοῦ πολέμου.5

​And the Lacedaemonians made a requisition on the cities for the construction of a hundred ships, and appointed twenty-five for themselves and twenty-five for the Boeotians, fifteen for the Phocians and Locrians, fifteen for the Corinthians, ten for the Arcadians, Pellenians, and Sicyonians, and ten for the Megarians, Troezenians, Epidaurians, and Hermionians; and they made other preparations, intending to take hold of the war immediately at the beginning of spring.

Syntax notes5 items
  1. 8.3.1ὁρμηθεὶς στρατῷ τινὶ

    The dative στρατῷ τινὶ expresses accompaniment or means. Used with the passive participle ὁρμηθείς (used intransitively as "having set out"), it is understood as "setting out with a certain army."

  2. 8.3.1μεμφομένων καὶ ἀκόντων τῶν Θεσσαλῶν

    Genitive absolute construction. The present participle μεμφομένων and the adjective ἀκόντων agree with the noun τῶν Θεσσαλῶν, expressing concession ("despite the complaints and unwillingness of the Thessalians").

  3. 8.3.2νεῶν τῆς ναυπηγίας

    νεῶν is an objective genitive dependent on ναυπηγίας (shipbuilding), meaning "the construction of ships." The whole phrase τὴν πρόσταξιν... ἑκατὸν νεῶν τῆς ναυπηγίας means "the requisition of the construction of a hundred ships."

  4. 8.3.2ἑαυτοῖς μὲν καὶ Βοιωτοῖς...

    The requisition of ships for each party is as follows: 25 each for the Lacedaemonians and Boeotians (50 in total), 15 jointly for the Phocians and Locrians, 15 for the Corinthians, 10 jointly for the Arcadians, Pellenians, and Sicyonians, and 10 jointly for the Megarians, Troezenians, Epidaurians, and Hermionians, which perfectly sums up to the total of 100 ships (ἑκατὸν νεῶν).

  5. 8.3.2ἑξόμενοι τοῦ πολέμου

    Future participle with the particle ὡς expressing subjective intention. The middle verb ἔχομαι takes the genitive τοῦ πολέμου, meaning "to take hold of the war, to engage in the war earnestly."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.3.1-8.3.2