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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.105.1-3.105.4

Ambraciot Capture of Olpae and Acarnanian Preparations

Passage 354 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Ambraciots capture Olpae in Amphilochia. In response, the Acarnanians gather their forces and send for Demosthenes and the Athenian fleet for assistance.

§3.105.1τοῦ δ’ αὐτοῦ χειμῶνος Ἀμπρακιῶται, ὥσπερ ὑποσχόμενοι Εὐρυλόχῳ τὴν στρατιὰν κατέσχον, ἐκστρατεύονται ἐπὶ Ἄργος τὸ Ἀμφιλοχικὸν τρισχιλίοις ὁπλίταις, καὶ ἐσβαλόντες ἐς τὴν Ἀργείαν καταλαμβάνουσιν Ὄλπας, τεῖχος ἐπὶ λόφου ἰσχυρὸν πρὸς τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὅ ποτε Ἀκαρνᾶνες τειχισάμενοι κοινῷ δικαστηρίῳ ἐχρῶντο· ἀπέχει δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀργείων πόλεως ἐπιθαλασσίας οὔσης πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι σταδίους μάλιστα.
In the same winter, the Ambraciots, having detained the army just as they had promised Eurylochus, marched against Amphilochian Argos with three thousand hoplites, and having invaded the Argive territory, they seized Olpae, a strong fortress on a hill near the sea, which the Acarnanians had once fortified and used as a common court of justice; and it is distant about twenty-five stades from the city of the Argives, which is on the sea.
§3.105.2οἱ δὲ Ἀκαρνᾶνες οἱ μὲν ἐς Ἄργος ξυνεβοήθουν, οἱ δὲ τῆς Ἀμφιλοχίας ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χωρίῳ ὃ Κρῆναι καλεῖται, φυλάσσοντες τοὺς μετὰ Εὐρυλόχου Πελοποννησίους μὴ λάθωσι πρὸς τοὺς Ἀμπρακιώτας διελθόντες, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο.
The Acarnanians, for their part, some went to the aid of Argos, while others encamped in that part of Amphilochia which is called Crenae, watching the Peloponnesians under Eurylochus lest they should pass through unobserved and join the Ambraciots.
§3.105.3πέμπουσι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ Δημοσθένη τὸν ἐς τὴν Αἰτωλίαν Ἀθηναίων στρατηγήσαντα, ὅπως σφίσιν ἡγεμὼν γίγνηται, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς εἴκοσι ναῦς Ἀθηναίων αἳ ἔτυχον περὶ Πελοπόννησον οὖσαι, ὧν ἦρχεν Ἀριστοτέλης τε ὁ Τιμοκράτους καὶ Ἱεροφῶν ὁ Ἀντιμνήστου.
They also sent to Demosthenes, who had been the Athenian general in the expedition against Aetolia, that he might become their leader, and for the twenty Athenian ships which happened to be around Peloponnesus, commanded by Aristoteles, the son of Timocrates, and Hierophon, the son of Antimnestus.
§3.105.4ἀπέστειλαν δὲ καὶ ἄγγελον οἱ περὶ τὰς Ὄλπας Ἀμπρακιῶται ἐς τὴν πόλιν κελεύοντες σφίσι βοηθεῖν πανδημεί, δεδιότες μὴ οἱ μετ’ Εὐρυλόχου οὐ δύνωνται διελθεῖν τοὺς Ἀκαρνᾶνας καὶ σφίσιν ἢ μονωθεῖσιν ἡ μάχη γένηται ἢ ἀναχωρεῖν βουλομένοις οὐκ ᾖ ἀσφαλές.
The Ambraciots about Olpae also sent a messenger to their city, urging them to come to their rescue with all their forces, fearing lest those under Eurylochus should be unable to pass through the Acarnanians, and that they themselves might either have to fight in isolation, or, if they wished to retreat, should find it unsafe.

Notes

  1. §3.105.1ὥσπερ ὑποσχόμενοι — The conjunction `ὥσπερ` with the aorist participle `ὑποσχόμενοι` here does not imply a mere hypothetical comparison ('as if promising'), but rather refers to an actual fact, meaning 'just as they had promised,' referring back to the promise made to Eurylochus in 3.102.7.
  2. §3.105.2μὴ λάθωσι ... διελθόντες — An idiomatic construction of the verb `λανθάνω` (here subjunctive aorist `λάθωσι`) with the participle `διελθόντες`, meaning 'to pass through unobserved.' Together with the negative particle of fearing `μή` introduced by `φυλάσσοντες`, it expresses the apprehension 'lest they should slip through undetected.'
  3. §3.105.4σφίσιν ἢ μονωθεῖσιν ... ἢ ἀναχωρεῖν βουλομένοις — The dative reflexive pronoun `σφίσιν` (to themselves) is modified by two dative participles, `μονωθεῖσιν` (isolated) and `βουλομένοις` (wishing to retreat), introduced by `ἢ... ἢ...` (either... or...). These datives function as datives of interest (or reference) with `γένηται` and `ᾖ`.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.105.1-3.105.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.105.1-3.105.4

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