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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §1.54.1-1.54.2

Both Sides Claim Victory and Erect Trophies at Sybota

Passage 54 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Following the Athenian response, both the Corinthians and the Corcyraeans set up trophies at Sybota, each claiming victory based on their respective military achievements and the other side's retreats or inaction.

§1.54.1τοιαῦτα τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀποκριναμένων οἱ μὲν Κορίνθιοι τόν τε πλοῦν τὸν ἐπ’ οἴκου παρεσκευάζοντο καὶ τροπαῖον ἔστησαν ἐν τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ Συβότοις· οἱ δὲ Κερκυραῖοι τά τε ναυάγια καὶ νεκροὺς ἀνείλοντο τὰ κατὰ σφᾶς ἐξενεχθέντα ὑπό τε τοῦ ῥοῦ καὶ ἀνέμου, ὃς γενόμενος τῆς νυκτὸς διεσκέδασεν αὐτὰ πανταχῇ, καὶ τροπαῖον ἀντέστησαν ἐν τοῖς ἐν τῇ νήσῳ Συβότοις ὡς νενικηκότες.
When the Athenians had answered in this way, the Corinthians began to prepare for their voyage home and set up a trophy at Sybota on the mainland; but the Corcyraeans recovered the wreckage and the dead which had been carried towards them by the current and the wind—which had arisen during the night and scattered them in all directions—and set up a rival trophy at Sybota on the island, on the ground that they were the victors.
§1.54.2γνώμῃ δὲ τοιᾷδε ἑκάτεροι τὴν νίκην προσεποιήσαντο· Κορίνθιοι μὲν κρατήσαντες τῇ ναυμαχίᾳ μέχρι νυκτός, ὥστε καὶ ναυάγια πλεῖστα καὶ νεκροὺς προσκομίσασθαι, καὶ ἄνδρας ἔχοντες αἰχμαλώτους οὐκ ἐλάσσους χιλίων ναῦς τε καταδύσαντες περὶ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔστησαν τροπαῖον· Κερκυραῖοι δὲ τριάκοντα ναῦς μάλιστα διαφθείραντες, καὶ ἐπειδὴ Ἀθηναῖοι ἦλθον, ἀνελόμενοι τὰ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ναυάγια καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ ὅτι αὐτοῖς τῇ τε προτεραίᾳ πρύμναν κρουόμενοι ὑπεχώρησαν οἱ Κορίνθιοι ἰδόντες τὰς Ἀττικὰς ναῦς, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἦλθον οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι, οὐκ ἀντεπέπλεον ἐκ τῶν Συβότων, διὰ ταῦτα τροπαῖον ἔστησαν.
On the following grounds each side claimed the victory: the Corinthians, because they had the upper hand in the sea-fight until night, so that they even recovered a very large number of wrecks and dead, and held no fewer than a thousand prisoners and had sunk about seventy ships, set up a trophy; while the Corcyraeans did so because they had destroyed about thirty ships, and, after the Athenians arrived, had recovered the wreckage and dead on their own side, and because on the previous day the Corinthians had backed water and retreated on seeing the Attic ships, and, when the Athenians came, did not sail out against them from Sybota—for these reasons they set up a trophy.

Notes

  1. 1.54.1τὰ κατὰ σφᾶς — The prepositional phrase `κατὰ σφᾶς` means 'towards them' or 'on their side'. It indicates that the wreckage and dead were carried by the current and wind toward the Corcyraean camp, while also carrying the nuance of 'belonging to their side', corresponding to `τὰ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς` in §1.54.2.
  2. 1.54.2ἀνελόμενοι τὰ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ναυάγια καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ ὅτι αὐτοῖς ... — In explaining the reasons why the Corcyraeans claimed victory (`διὰ ταῦτα`), the participle clauses (`διαφθείραντες`, `ἀνελόμενοι`) and the causal `ὅτι` clause (`ὅτι ... ὑπεχώρησαν ...`) are coordinated by `καὶ`. This juxtaposition of different grammatical constructions to list reasons is a characteristic example of Thucydidean variation (variatio).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §1.54.1-1.54.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.54.1-1.54.2

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