- 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-grc2:8.79.1-8.79.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The Peloponnesian fleet sailed to Mycale seeking a decisive battle after hearing of the factional strife in Samos, prompting the Athenians to withdraw. Later, after receiving reinforcements, the Athenians sailed against Miletus, but the Peloponnesians refused to engage, and the Athenians returned to Samos.
καὶ μάλιστα οἱ Συρακόσιοι ἐνῆγον. αἰσθόμενοι δὲ οἱ ξύμμαχοι καὶ ὁ Ἀστύοχος τὸν θροῦν, καὶ δόξαν αὐτοῖς1 ἀπὸ ξυνόδου ὥστε διαναυμαχεῖν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐσηγγέλλετο αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ ταραχή, ἄραντες ταῖς ναυσὶ πάσαις οὔσαις δώδεκα καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ τοὺς Μιλησίους πεζῇ κελεύσαντες ἐπὶ τῆς Μυκάλης παριέναι ἔπλεον ὡς πρὸς τὴν Μυκάλην.
The Syracusans in particular urged this action. The allies and Astyochus became aware of the murmuring, and since it was resolved by them in a council to fight a decisive battle, especially as the disturbance in Samos was also reported to them, they put to sea with all their ships, numbering one hundred and twelve. Having ordered the Milesians to advance by land toward Mycale, they sailed towards Mycale.
οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι ταῖς ἐκ Σάμου ναυσὶ δυοῖν καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα, αἳ ἔτυχον ἐν Γλαύκῃ τῆς Μυκάλης ὁρμοῦσαι (διέχει δὲ ὀλίγον ταύτῃ ἡ Σάμος τῆς ἠπείρου πρὸς τὴν Μυκάλην), ὡς εἶδον τὰς τῶν Πελοποννησίων ναῦς προσπλεούσας, ὑπεχώρησαν ἐς τὴν Σάμον, οὐ νομίσαντες τῷ πλήθει διακινδυνεῦσαι περὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἱκανοὶ εἶναι.2
The Athenians, with the eighty-two ships from Samos which happened to be anchored at Glauke in Mycale (at this point Samos is only a short distance from the mainland opposite Mycale), when they saw the Peloponnesian ships sailing towards them, withdrew to Samos, as they did not think themselves sufficient in numbers to risk a battle for the whole issue.
καὶ ἅμα (προῄσθοντο γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς Μιλήτου ναυμαχησείοντας)3 προσεδέχοντο καὶ τὸν Στρομβιχίδην ἐκ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου σφίσι ταῖς ἐκ τῆς Χίου ναυσὶν ἐπ’ Ἀβύδου ἀφικομέναις προσβοηθήσειν· προυπέπεμπτο γὰρ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος.
And at the same time (for they had beforehand perceived that they were about to offer battle from Miletus), they were also expecting Strombichides to come to their aid from the Hellespont with the ships from Chios which had arrived at Abydos; for a messenger had been sent to him beforehand.
καὶ οἱ μὲν οὕτως ἐπὶ τῆς Σάμου ἀνεχώρησαν, οἱ δὲ Πελοποννήσιοι καταπλεύσαντες ἐπὶ τῆς Μυκάλης ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο, καὶ τῶν Μιλησίων καὶ τῶν πλησιοχώρων ὁ πεζός.
Thus the Athenians withdrew to Samos, while the Peloponnesians sailed in and encamped at Mycale, as did also the land forces of the Milesians and the neighboring peoples.
καὶ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ μελλόντων αὐτῶν ἐπιπλεῖν τῇ Σάμῳ ἀγγέλλεται ὁ Στρομβιχίδης ταῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου ναυσὶν ἀφιγμένος·4 καὶ εὐθὺς ἀπέπλεον πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς Μιλήτου.
On the next day, when they were about to sail against Samos, news was brought that Strombichides had arrived with the ships from the Hellespont; and they immediately sailed back again to Miletus.
οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι προσγενομένων σφίσι τῶν νεῶν ἐπίπλουν αὐτοὶ ποιοῦνται τῇ Μιλήτῳ ναυσὶν ὀκτὼ καὶ ἑκατὸν βουλόμενοι διαναυμαχῆσαι· καὶ ὡς οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἀντανήγετο, ἀπέπλευσαν πάλιν ἐς τὴν Σάμον.
But the Athenians, when their ships had joined them, themselves sailed against Miletus with one hundred and eight ships, wishing to fight a decisive battle; and when no one came out against them, they sailed back again to Samos.
- 8.79.1δόξαν αὐτοῖς
An accusative absolute construction using the neuter accusative participle of the impersonal verb δοκεῖ. It means 'it having been resolved by them,' and introduces the following clause with ὥστε and the infinitive διαναυμαχεῖν.
- 8.79.2οὐ νομίσαντες τῷ πλήθει διακινδυνεῦσαι περὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἱκανοὶ εἶναι
The infinitive ἱκανοὶ εἶναι serves as the complement of νομίσαντες; since its subject is identical with that of the participle (the Athenians), the complement ἱκανοὶ is in the nominative case. τῷ πλήθει is a dative of respect ('in numbers'). The infinitive διακινδυνεῦσαι limits the adjective ἱκανοὶ.
- 8.79.3ναυμαχησείοντας
A future participle of the desiderative verb ναυμαχησείω (wish to fight a sea-battle), derived from ναυμαχέω (fight a sea-battle), expressing intention or purpose.
- 8.79.5ἀγγέλλεται ὁ Στρομβιχίδης ... ἀφιγμένος
A personal construction with the verb of reporting ἀγγέλλεται and the nominative participle ἀφιγμένος, meaning 'Strombichides was reported to have arrived,' rather than an impersonal construction ('it was reported that Strombichides had arrived').