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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §2.14.1-2.14.2

Evacuation of the Attic Countryside into Athens

Passage 160 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Upon hearing Pericles' advice, the Athenians began the painful process of evacuating the countryside, bringing their families, belongings, and even the woodwork of their houses into the city, while sending their livestock to Euboea and nearby islands.

§2.14.1οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι ἀκούσαντες ἀνεπείθοντό τε καὶ ἐσεκομίζοντο ἐκ τῶν ἀγρῶν παῖδας καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ τὴν ἄλλην κατασκευὴν ᾗ κατ’ οἶκον ἐχρῶντο, καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν οἰκιῶν καθαιροῦντες τὴν ξύλωσιν·
The Athenians, upon hearing this, were persuaded and began to bring in from the country their children, wives, and other household effects which they used at home, even pulling down the woodwork of the houses themselves.
πρόβατα δὲ καὶ ὑποζύγια ἐς τὴν Εὔβοιαν διεπέμψαντο καὶ ἐς τὰς νήσους τὰς ἐπικειμένας.
Their sheep and beasts of burden they sent across to Euboea and the adjacent islands.
§2.14.2χαλεπῶς δὲ αὐτοῖς διὰ τὸ αἰεὶ εἰωθέναι τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς διαιτᾶσθαι ἡ ἀνάστασις ἐγίγνετο.
This removal was painful for them, because the majority had always been accustomed to live in the country.

Notes

  1. 2.14.1καθαιροῦντες — The present participle `καθαιροῦντες` expresses an action coordinate with or serving as a means to the main verb `ἐσεκομίζοντο`, implying they dismantled the woodwork of their houses to bring it into the city.
  2. 2.14.2διὰ τὸ αἰεὶ εἰωθέναι τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς διαιτᾶσθαι — The preposition `διὰ` governs the substantivized perfect infinitive `τὸ εἰωθέναι` (from `ἔωθα`, meaning 'to be accustomed'). `τοὺς πολλοὺς` serves as the accusative subject of this infinitive, which in turn takes the complementary infinitive `διαιτᾶσθαι` ('to live'). The entire phrase functions as a causal clause.
  3. 2.14.2χαλεπῶς ... ἐγίγνετο — The adverb `χαλεπῶς` combined with the linking verb `ἐγίγνετο`, along with the subject `ἡ ἀνάστασις` and the dative of interest `αὐτοῖς`, expresses the state: 'the removal was difficult/painful for them.' It is a common idiom where an adverb with `εἶναι` or `γίγνεσθαι` acts as a predicate.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §2.14.1-2.14.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.14.1-2.14.2

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