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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.101.1-3.101.2

Eurylochus Securing the Submission of the Locrians

Passage 350 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Eurylochus, with the Spartan army assembled at Delphi, negotiates with the Ozolian Locrians to secure passage to Naupactus; with the active assistance of the Amphissians, he obtains hostages from most of the tribes and coerces the reluctant ones into submission.

§3.101.1ξυλλεγέντος δὲ τοῦ στρατεύματος ἐς Δελφοὺς ἐπεκηρυκεύετο Εὐρύλοχος Λοκροῖς τοῖς Ὀζόλαις· διὰ τούτων γὰρ ἡ ὁδὸς ἦν ἐς Ναύπακτον, καὶ ἅμα τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐβούλετο ἀποστῆσαι αὐτούς.
When the army had assembled at Delphi, Eurylochus sent heralds to the Ozolian Locrians; for the road to Naupactus lay through their territory, and at the same time he wished to detach them from the Athenians.
§3.101.2ξυνέπρασσον δὲ μάλιστα αὐτῷ τῶν Λοκρῶν Ἀμφισσῆς διὰ τὸ τῶν Φωκέων ἔχθος δεδιότες· καὶ αὐτοὶ πρῶτοι δόντες ὁμήρους καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἔπεισαν δοῦναι φοβουμένους τὸν ἐπιόντα στρατόν, πρῶτον μὲν οὖν τοὺς ὁμόρους αὐτοῖς Μυονέας (ταύτῃ γὰρ δυσεσβολώτατος ἡ Λοκρίς), ἔπειτα Ἰπνέας καὶ Μεσσαπίους καὶ Τριταιέας καὶ Χαλαίους καὶ Τολοφωνίους καὶ Ἡσσίους καὶ Οἰανθέας.
The Amphissians, of the Locrians, cooperated with him most of all, fearing on account of their enmity with the Phocians; and they, having been the first to give hostages, also persuaded the others to give them, who were afraid of the approaching army: first, therefore, their neighbors, the Myoneans (for in this direction Locris is hardest to invade), then the Ipneans, Messapians, Tritaeans, Chalaeans, Tolophonians, Hessians, and Oeantheans.
οὗτοι καὶ ξυνεστράτευον πάντες.
All of these also joined the campaign.
Ὀλπαῖοι δὲ ὁμήρους μὲν ἔδοσαν, ἠκολούθουν δὲ οὔ· καὶ Ὑαῖοι οὐκ ἔδοσαν ὁμήρους πρὶν αὐτῶν εἷλον κώμην Πόλιν ὄνομα ἔχουσαν.
The Olpaeans gave hostages indeed, but did not follow; and the Hyaeans did not give hostages until they captured a village of theirs named Polis.

Notes

  1. §3.101.1τῶν Ἀθηναίων — Functions as a genitive of separation with the verb ἀποστῆσαι ('to detach, make revolt'), meaning 'to detach them from the Athenians.'
  2. §3.101.2τῶν Φωκέων — An objective genitive depending on the noun ἔχθος ('enmity, hatred'), meaning 'enmity toward the Phocians.' Although a subjective genitive ('the enmity felt by the Phocians') is grammatically possible, the context of long-standing border hostility makes the objective reading more natural, indicating the Amphissians' hostility toward and fear of the Phocians.
  3. §3.101.2πρὶν αὐτῶν εἷλον κώμην — Since the main clause is negative (οὐκ ἔδοσαν) and refers to a specific historical fact in the past (εἷλον, 'they captured'), the conjunction πρὶν is used with the indicative past to mean 'did not... until.'

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.101.1-3.101.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.101.1-3.101.2

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