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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.107.1-3.107.4

Battle Formations and Opening Clash at Olpae

Passage 356 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Peloponnesian-Ambraciot coalition and the Athenian-Acarnanian alliance led by Demosthenes face each other near Olpae, preparing for battle. Demosthenes places an ambush to prevent being outflanked, and the two armies clash.

§3.107.1γενόμενοι δὲ ἁθρόοι ἅμα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ καθίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν Μητρόπολιν καλουμένην καὶ στρατόπεδον ἐποιήσαντο.
Having united, at daybreak they stationed themselves at the place called Metropolis and established a camp.
Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ ταῖς εἴκοσι ναυσὶν οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον παραγίγνονται ἐς τὸν Ἀμπρακικὸν κόλπον βοηθοῦντες τοῖς Ἀργείοις, καὶ Δημοσθένης Μεσσηνίων μὲν ἔχων διακοσίους ὁπλίτας, ἑξήκοντα δὲ τοξότας Ἀθηναίων.
Not long afterwards, the Athenians arrived in the Ambracian Gulf with the twenty ships to aid the Argives, and Demosthenes also arrived, having two hundred Messenian hoplites and sixty Athenian archers.
§3.107.2καὶ αἱ μὲν νῆες περὶ τὰς Ὄλπας τὸν λόφον ἐκ θαλάσσης ἐφώρμουν· οἱ δὲ Ἀκαρνᾶνες καὶ Ἀμφιλόχων ὀλίγοι (οἱ γὰρ πλείους ὑπὸ Ἀμπρακιωτῶν βίᾳ κατείχοντο) ἐς τὸ Ἄργος ἤδη ξυνεληλυθότες παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς μαχούμενοι τοῖς ἐναντίοις, καὶ ἡγεμόνα τοῦ παντὸς ξυμμαχικοῦ αἱροῦνται Δημοσθένη μετὰ τῶν σφετέρων στρατηγῶν.
And the ships blockaded the hill of Olpae from the sea; while the Acarnanians and a few of the Amphilochians (for the majority were held by force by the Ambraciots), having already assembled at Argos, were preparing to fight the enemy, and they chose Demosthenes as leader of the whole allied army, together with their own generals.
§3.107.3ὁ δὲ προσαγαγὼν ἐγγὺς τῆς Ὄλπης ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο, χαράδρα δ’ αὐτοὺς μεγάλη διεῖργεν.
He, having advanced, encamped near Olpae, with a great ravine separating them.
καὶ ἡμέρας μὲν πέντε ἡσύχαζον, τῇ δ’ ἕκτῃ ἐτάσσοντο ἀμφότεροι ὡς ἐς μάχην.
For five days they remained quiet, but on the sixth day both sides drew up for battle.
καὶ (μεῖζον γὰρ ἐγένετο καὶ περιέσχε τὸ τῶν Πελοποννησίων στρατόπεδον) ὁ Δημοσθένης δείσας μὴ κυκλωθῇ λοχίζει ἐς ὁδόν τινα κοίλην καὶ λοχμώδη ὁπλίτας καὶ ψιλοὺς ξυναμφοτέρους ἐς τετρακοσίους, ὅπως κατὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῶν ἐναντίων ἐν τῇ ξυνόδῳ αὐτῇ ἐξαναστάντες οὗτοι κατὰ νώτου γίγνωνται.
And as the army of the Peloponnesians was larger and outflanked them, Demosthenes, fearing lest he should be surrounded, placed in ambush in a certain hollow and bushy road hoplites and light-armed troops, about four hundred in all, so that in the very clash of battle, rising up against the outflanking part of the enemy, they might get in their rear.
§3.107.4ἐπεὶ δὲ παρεσκεύαστο ἀμφοτέροις, ᾖσαν ἐς χεῖρας, Δημοσθένης μὲν τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἔχων μετὰ Μεσσηνίων καὶ Ἀθηναίων ὀλίγων, τὸ δὲ ἄλλο Ἀκαρνᾶνες ὡς ἕκαστοι τεταγμένοι ἐπεῖχον, καὶ Ἀμφιλόχων οἱ παρόντες ἀκοντισταί, Πελοποννήσιοι δὲ καὶ Ἀμπρακιῶται ἀναμὶξ τεταγμένοι πλὴν Μαντινέων·
When preparation had been made on both sides, they came to close quarters; Demosthenes having the right wing with the Messenians and a few Athenians, while the rest of the line was occupied by the Acarnanians, drawn up in their respective divisions, and the darters of the Amphilochians who were present.
οὗτοι δὲ ἐν τῷ εὐωνύμῳ μᾶλλον καὶ οὐ τὸ κέρας ἄκρον ἔχοντες ἁθρόοι ἦσαν, ἀλλ’ Εὐρύλοχος ἔσχατον εἶχε τὸ εὐώνυμον καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ, κατὰ Μεσσηνίους καὶ Δημοσθένη.
The Peloponnesians and Ambraciots were drawn up intermingled, except the Mantineans, who were rather on the left, though not holding the extreme wing, but kept in a body; whereas Eurylochus and his men held the extreme left, opposite the Messenians and Demosthenes.

Notes

  1. 3.107.1καὶ Δημοσθένης — The verb παραγίγνονται (or its singular form παραγίγνεται) from the preceding clause is understood to be omitted here: "and Demosthenes also [arrived], having...". The participle ἔχων modifies this omitted subject.
  2. 3.107.3μεῖζον γὰρ ἐγένετο καὶ περιέσχε τὸ τῶν Πελοποννησίων στρατόπεδον — τὸ τῶν Πελοποννησίων στρατόπεδον serves as the common subject for both ἐγένετο and περιέσχε. The verb περιέσχε ("outflanked" or "encompassed") acts transitively, with its object (the allied forces under Demosthenes) omitted from the context.
  3. 3.107.4ἐπεὶ δὲ παρεσκεύαστο ἀμφοτέροις — The verb παρεσκεύαστο is an impersonal pluperfect passive, used with the dative of agent ἀμφοτέροις, literally meaning "when it had been prepared by both sides," or "when preparation had been made on both sides."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.107.1-3.107.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.107.1-3.107.4

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