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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §2.30.1-2.30.2

Athenian Capture of Sollion and Alliance with Cephallenia

Passage 176 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian fleet of one hundred ships captured Sollion and Astacus around the Peloponnese, brought the island of Cephallenia into their alliance without a fight, and returned to Athens.

§2.30.1οἱ δ’ ἐν ταῖς ἑκατὸν ναυσὶν Ἀθηναῖοι ἔτι ὄντες περὶ Πελοπόννησον Σόλλιόν τε Κορινθίων πόλισμα αἱροῦσι καὶ παραδιδόασι Παλαιρεῦσιν Ἀκαρνάνων μόνοις τὴν γῆν καὶ πόλιν νέμεσθαι·
Meanwhile, the Athenians in the hundred ships, still being around the Peloponnese, captured Sollion, a town of the Corinthians, and handed over the land and city to the Palaereans, alone of the Acarnanians, to possess.
καὶ Ἀστακόν, ἧς Εὔαρχος ἐτυράννει, λαβόντες κατὰ κράτος καὶ ἐξελάσαντες αὐτὸν τὸ χωρίον ἐς τὴν ξυμμαχίαν προσεποιήσαντο.
They also took Astacus, which Evarchus ruled as tyrant, by storm, and having driven him out, won the place over to their alliance.
§2.30.2ἐπί τε Κεφαλληνίαν τὴν νῆσον προσπλεύσαντες προσηγάγοντο ἄνευ μάχης·
Sailing to the island of Cephallenia, they brought it over to their side without a fight.
κεῖται δὲ ἡ Κεφαλληνία κατὰ Ἀκαρνανίαν καὶ Λευκάδα τετράπολις οὖσα, Παλῆς, Κράνιοι, Σαμαῖοι, Προνναῖοι.
Cephallenia lies opposite Acarnania and Leucas, being composed of four cities: Pale, Cranii, Same, and Pronni.
ὕστερον δ’ οὐ πολλῷ ἀνεχώρησαν αἱ νῆες ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας.
Not long afterwards, the ships returned to Athens.

Notes

  1. 2.30.1νέμεσθαι — An infinitive of purpose depending on the verb παραδιδόασι ('to hand over'), meaning 'for them to possess' or 'to inhabit for themselves.'
  2. 2.30.1ἧς — A relative pronoun referring back to Astacus ( can be reconstructed as Ἀστακόν). It is in the genitive because the governing verb ἐτυράννει ('ruled as tyrant') takes a genitive complement.
  3. 2.30.2τετράπολις οὖσα — The nominative plurals (Παλῆς, Cranii, etc.) stand in apposition to the singular phrase τετράπολις οὖσα ('being composed of four cities'), identifying the four constituent states by the names of their peoples.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §2.30.1-2.30.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.30.1-2.30.2

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