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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.1.1-3.1.3

Peloponnesian Invasion of Attica under Archidamus

Passage 250 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Under the leadership of Archidamus, the Peloponnesians invade and ravage Attica, but after facing opposition from the Athenian cavalry, they withdraw and disperse once their provisions run out.

§3.1.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου θέρους Πελοποννήσιοι καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι ἅμα τῷ σίτῳ ἀκμάζοντι ἐστράτευσαν ἐς τὴν Ἀττικήν· ἡγεῖτο δὲ αὐτῶν Ἀρχίδαμος ὁ Ζευξιδάμου Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεύς.
In the following summer, the Peloponnesians and their allies invaded Attica just as the corn was ripening; they were led by Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, king of the Lacedaemonians.
§3.1.2καὶ ἐγκαθεζόμενοι ἐδῄουν τὴν γῆν·
And establishing themselves, they ravaged the land.
καὶ προσβολαί, ὥσπερ εἰώθεσαν, ἐγίγνοντο τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἱππέων ὅπῃ παρείκοι, καὶ τὸν πλεῖστον ὅμιλον τῶν ψιλῶν εἶργον τὸ μὴ προεξιόντας τῶν ὅπλων τὰ ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως κακουργεῖν.
Meanwhile, attacks were made, as was their custom, by the Athenian cavalry wherever opportunity offered, and they kept the great mass of the light-armed troops from advancing beyond their lines and damaging the areas near the city.
§3.1.3ἐμμείναντες δὲ χρόνον οὗ εἶχον τὰ σιτία ἀνεχώρησαν καὶ διελύθησαν κατὰ πόλεις.
After remaining for the period during which they had provisions, they withdrew and dispersed to their respective cities.

Notes

  1. 3.1.2τὸ μὴ προεξιόντας τῶν ὅπλων — Following the verb of hindering εἶργον, the negative articular infinitive τὸ μὴ ... κακουργεῖν is employed. The participle προεξιόντας agrees with the direct object τὸν πλεῖστον ὅμιλον, while τῶν ὅπλων refers to the 'camp' or 'lines' of the heavy infantry.
  2. 3.1.3χρόνον οὗ εἶχον τὰ σιτία — Although οὗ is typically a relative adverb of place, here it is used with χρόνον to express a temporal meaning ('for the period during which'). This is an abbreviated construction equivalent to χρόνον τοσοῦτον ὅσον.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.1.1-3.1.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.1.1-3.1.3

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