- 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-grc2:8.60.1-8.60.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The Boeotians capture Oropus, and the Eretrians request Peloponnesian aid for Euboea. However, the Peloponnesians prioritize relieving Chios, encounter the Athenian fleet, and both sides withdraw without engagement, marking the end of the twentieth year of the war.
Βοιωτοὶ δὲ τελευτῶντος ἤδη τοῦ χειμῶνος Ὠρωπὸν εἷλον προδοσίᾳ, Ἀθηναίων ἐμφρουρούντων. ξυνέπραξαν δὲ Ἐρετριῶν τε ἄνδρες καὶ αὐτῶν Ὠρωπίων, ἐπιβουλεύοντες ἀπόστασιν τῆς Εὐβοίας· ἐπὶ γὰρ τῇ Ἐρετρίᾳ τὸ χωρίον ὂν ἀδύνατα ἦν Ἀθηναίων ἐχόντων1 μὴ οὐ2 μεγάλα βλάπτειν καὶ Ἐρέτριαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Εὔβοιαν.
And when the winter was now drawing to a close, the Boeotians captured Oropus by treachery, although an Athenian garrison was in it. There cooperated in this both some men of the Eretrians and of the Oropians themselves, who were plotting the revolt of Euboea; for since the place lay opposite Eretria, it was impossible, if the Athenians held it, not to do great harm both to Eretria and to the rest of Euboea.
ἔχοντες οὖν ἤδη τὸν Ὠρωπὸν ἀφικνοῦνται ἐς Ῥόδον οἱ Ἐρετριῆς, ἐπικαλούμενοι ἐς τὴν Εὔβοιαν τοὺς Πελοποννησίους. οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὴν τῆς Χίου κακουμένης βοήθειαν μᾶλλον ὥρμηντο, καὶ ἄραντες πάσαις ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐκ τῆς Ῥόδου ἔπλεον.
Having therefore now secured Oropus, the Eretrians came to Rhodes, calling upon the Peloponnesians to come to Euboea. But the latter were more inclined to the relief of Chios, which was hard pressed, and setting sail with all their ships from Rhodes, they put to sea.
καὶ γενόμενοι περὶ τὸ Τριόπιον καθορῶσι τὰς τῶν Ἀθηναίων ναῦς πελαγίας ἀπὸ τῆς Χάλκης πλεούσας· καὶ ὡς οὐδέτεροι ἀλλήλοις ἐπέπλεον, ἀφικνοῦνται οἱ μὲν ἐς τὴν Σάμον, οἱ δὲ3 ἐς τὴν Μίλητον, καὶ ἑώρων οὐκέτι ἄνευ ναυμαχίας οἷόν τε εἶναι ἐς τὴν Χίον βοηθῆσαι. καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα οὗτος, καὶ εἰκοστὸν ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα τῷδε ὃν Θουκυδίδης ξυνέγραψεν.
And when they were off Triopium, they descried the Athenian ships sailing in the open sea from Chalce; and as neither side sailed against the other, the former arrived at Samos, and the latter at Miletus; and they saw that it was no longer possible to aid Chios without a sea-fight. And this winter ended, and the twentieth year of this war, of which Thucydides wrote the history, came to an end.
- 8.60.1Ἀθηναίων ἐχόντων
A genitive absolute construction expressing condition ('if the Athenians held it'). Working in tandem with the preceding participle ὄν, it explains the strategic importance of Oropus.
- 8.60.1μὴ οὐ
The double negative μὴ οὐ is used with the infinitive after the adjective ἀδύνατος (here in the impersonal neuter plural form ἀδύνατα ἦν), which carries a negative concept, resulting in a strong affirmative meaning ('impossible not to...').
- 8.60.3οἱ μὲν ... οἱ δὲ
Contrasted subjects where, from the context, the former (οἱ μὲν) refers to the Athenians (implied by the preceding τὰς τῶν Ἀθηναίων ναῦς) and the latter (οἱ δὲ) refers to the Peloponnesians, who are the main subjects of action in this section.