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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §2.33.1-2.33.3

Corinthian Expedition to Astacus and Withdrawal

Passage 179 of 917 · Greek

Summary

At the request of Evarchus, a Corinthian expedition restores him to Astacus, but their subsequent attempts on coastal Acarnania and Cephallenia end in failure and some casualties before they return home.

§2.33.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος Εὔαρχος ὁ Ἀκαρνὰν βουλόμενος ἐς τὴν Ἀστακὸν κατελθεῖν πείθει Κορινθίους τεσσαράκοντα ναυσὶ καὶ πεντακοσίοις καὶ χιλίοις ὁπλίταις ἑαυτὸν κατάγειν πλεύσαντας, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπικούρους τινὰς προσεμισθώσατο·
In the following winter, Evarchus the Acarnanian, wishing to return to Astacus, persuaded the Corinthians to sail with forty ships and fifteen hundred hoplites to restore him, and he himself also hired some mercenaries in addition.
ἦρχον δὲ τῆς στρατιᾶς Εὐφαμίδας τε ὁ Ἀριστωνύμου καὶ Τιμόξενος ὁ Τιμοκράτους καὶ Εὔμαχος ὁ Χρύσιδος.
The commanders of the expedition were Euphamidas son of Aristonymus, Timoxenus son of Timocrates, and Eumachus son of Chrysis.
§2.33.2καὶ πλεύσαντες κατήγαγον· καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Ἀκαρνανίας τῆς περὶ θάλασσαν ἔστιν ἃ χωρία βουλόμενοι προσποιήσασθαι καὶ πειραθέντες, ὡς οὐκ ἐδύναντο, ἀπέπλεον ἐπ’ οἴκου.
And they sailed and restored him; and wishing to win over some places of the rest of coastal Acarnania, they made attempts on them, but when they were unable, they sailed back home.
§2.33.3σχόντες δ’ ἐν τῷ παράπλῳ ἐς Κεφαλληνίαν καὶ ἀπόβασιν ποιησάμενοι ἐς τὴν Κρανίων γῆν, ἀπατηθέντες ὑπ’ αὐτῶν ἐξ ὁμολογίας τινὸς ἄνδρας τε ἀποβάλλουσι σφῶν αὐτῶν, ἐπιθεμένων ἀπροσδοκήτοις τῶν Κρανίων, καὶ βιαιότερον ἀναγαγόμενοι ἐκομίσθησαν ἐπ’ οἴκου.
But touching at Cephallenia on their voyage and making a landing on the territory of the Cranii, they were deceived by them under cover of a certain agreement, and lost some of their own men when the Cranii fell upon them unexpectedly; and putting out to sea in a more hurried manner, they returned home.

Notes

  1. §2.33.1ἑαυτὸν κατάγειν πλεύσαντας — The infinitive `κατάγειν` means 'to restore (from exile),' and its subject accusative is `Κορινθίους`, the object of `πείθει`. The accusative plural participle `πλεύσαντας` agrees in gender, number, and case with this implied subject of the infinitive.
  2. §2.33.2ἔστιν ἃ — A combination of the existential verb `ἔστιν` and the relative pronoun in the neuter plural accusative `ἅ`, meaning 'some (places).' The whole phrase functions as the direct object of the following infinitive `προσποιήσασθαι` (to win over).
  3. §2.33.3ἐπιθεμένων ἀπροσδοκήτοις — The clause `ἐπιθεμένων τῶν Κρανίων` (the Cranii having attacked) is a genitive absolute construction. The dative plural adjective `ἀπροσδοκήτοις` (unexpected, off-guard) modifies the expeditionary force (implied in the dative), describing the state of being caught unprepared.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §2.33.1-2.33.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.33.1-2.33.3

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