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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §2.96.1-2.96.4

Sitalces' Mobilization of Thracian Tribes and the Empire's Borders

Passage 242 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Sitalces mobilizes vast forces from his subject Thracian and Getae territories, along with independent mountain tribes and Paeonians, while the narrative details the northern and western boundaries of his empire.

§2.96.1ἀνίστησιν οὖν ἐκ τῶν Ὀδρυσῶν ὁρμώμενος πρῶτον μὲν τοὺς ἐντὸς τοῦ Αἵμου τε ὄρους καὶ τῆς Ῥοδόπης Θρᾷκας, ὅσων ἦρχε μέχρι θαλάσσης [ἐς τὸν Εὔξεινόν τε πόντον καὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον], ἔπειτα τοὺς ὑπερβάντι Αἷμον Γέτας καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα μέρη ἐντὸς τοῦ Ἴστρου ποταμοῦ πρὸς θάλασσαν μᾶλλον τὴν τοῦ Εὐξείνου πόντου κατῴκητο·
Setting out therefore from the Odrysians, he mobilized first the Thracians within Mount Haemus and Rhodope, as many as he ruled over as far as the sea [the Euxine Sea and the Hellespont], and then the Getae beyond Mount Haemus, and all the other tribes settled on this side of the River Ister rather towards the sea of the Euxine Pontus.
εἰσὶ δ’ οἱ Γέται καὶ οἱ ταύτῃ ὅμοροί τε τοῖς Σκύθαις καὶ ὁμόσκευοι, πάντες ἱπποτοξόται.
The Getae and the people bordering on them in this region are neighbours of the Scythians and equipped like them, all being horse-archers.
§2.96.2παρεκάλει δὲ καὶ τῶν ὀρεινῶν Θρᾳκῶν πολλοὺς τῶν αὐτονόμων καὶ μαχαιροφόρων, οἳ Δῖοι καλοῦνται, τὴν Ῥοδόπην οἱ πλεῖστοι οἰκοῦντες· καὶ τοὺς μὲν μισθῷ ἔπειθεν, οἱ δ᾽ ἐθελονταὶ ξυνηκολούθουν.
He also summoned many of the independent highland Thracians who carry daggers, who are called Dii, most of whom inhabit Rhodope; some of these he persuaded by pay, while others followed him as volunteers.
§2.96.3ἀνίστη δὲ καὶ Ἀγριᾶνας καὶ Λαιαίους καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἔθνη Παιονικὰ ὧν ἦρχε καὶ ἔσχατοι τῆς ἀρχῆς οὗτοι ἦσαν· μέχρι γὰρ Λαιαίων Παιόνων καὶ τοῦ Στρυμόνος ποταμοῦ, ὃς ἐκ τοῦ Σκόμβρου ὄρους δι’ Ἀγριάνων καὶ Λαιαίων ῥεῖ, [οὗ] ὡρίζετο ἡ ἀρχὴ τὰ πρὸς Παίονας αὐτονόμους ἤδη.
He also mobilized the Agrianians, the Laeaeans, and all the other Paeonian tribes whom he ruled and who were at the extremity of his dominion; for up to the Laeaean Paeonians and the River Strymon, which flows from Mount Scombrus through the territory of the Agrianians and Laeaeans, his empire was bounded on the side toward the Paeonians, who were already independent.
§2.96.4τὰ δὲ πρὸς Τριβαλλούς, καὶ τούτους αὐτονόμους, Τρῆρες ὥριζον καὶ Τιλαταῖοι· οἰκοῦσι δ’ οὗτοι πρὸς βορέαν τοῦ Σκόμβρου ὄρους καὶ παρήκουσι πρὸς ἡλίου δύσιν μέχρι τοῦ Ὀσκίου ποταμοῦ.
On the side toward the Triballi, who were also independent, the Treres and the Tilataeans formed the boundary; these dwell to the north of Mount Scombrus and extend toward the west as far as the River Oscius.
ῥεῖ δ’ οὗτος ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους ὅθενπερ καὶ ὁ Νέστος καὶ ὁ Ἕβρος· ἔστι δὲ ἐρῆμον τὸ ὄρος καὶ μέγα, ἐχόμενον τῆς Ῥοδόπης.
This river flows from the same mountain from which the Nestus and the Hebrus also flow; and this mountain is uninhabited and vast, adjoining Rhodope.

Notes

  1. 2.96.1ὑπερβάντι — Dative of reference or point of view ("to one crossing"). It is a standard idiom in geographical descriptions to indicate relative location ("beyond Mount Haemus").
  2. 2.96.3ὧν ἦρχε καὶ ἔσχατοι τῆς ἀρχῆς οὗτοι ἦσαν — The relative pronoun `ὧν` is in the genitive case as governed by the verb `ἦρχε`. In the coordinate clause after `καί`, instead of repeating the relative pronoun in the nominative, the demonstrative pronoun `οὗτοι` is introduced to serve as the subject.
  3. 2.96.3τὰ πρὸς Παίονας — The neuter plural article `τὰ` combined with the prepositional phrase `πρὸς Παίονας` functions as an adverbial accusative of respect or direction, meaning "on the side toward the Paeonians," specifying the direction of the boundary (`ἡ ἀρχή`).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §2.96.1-2.96.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.96.1-2.96.4

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