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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.108.1-3.108.3

Acarnanian Ambush and Demosthenes' Victory at Olpae

Passage 357 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Peloponnesian left wing is broken by the Acarnanian ambush, leading to a victory for Demosthenes' forces, while the Ambraciots on the other wing pursue their opponents but suffer heavy casualties during their retreat.

§3.108.1ὡς δ’ ἐν χερσὶν ἤδη ὄντες περιέσχον τῷ κέρᾳ οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι καὶ ἐκυκλοῦντο τὸ δεξιὸν τῶν ἐναντίων, οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἐνέδρας Ἀκαρνᾶνες ἐπιγενόμενοι αὐτοῖς κατὰ νώτου προσπίπτουσί τε καὶ τρέπουσιν, ὥστε μήτε ἐς ἀλκὴν ὑπομεῖναι φοβηθέντας τε ἐς φυγὴν καὶ τὸ πλέον τοῦ στρατεύματος καταστῆσαι· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδον τὸ κατ’ Εὐρύλοχον καὶ ὃ κράτιστον ἦν διαφθειρόμενον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐφοβοῦντο.
When, being already at close quarters, the Peloponnesians outflanked them with their wing and were encircling the enemy's right, the Acarnanians from the ambush fell upon them from behind, and turned them to flight, so that they did not even stand to fight, but in panic were put to flight and threw the greater part of the army into confusion; for when they saw the division under Eurylochus, which was their best, being destroyed, they were far more afraid.
καὶ οἱ Μεσσήνιοι ὄντες ταύτῃ μετὰ τοῦ Δημοσθένους τὸ πολὺ τοῦ ἔργου ἐπεξῆλθον.
And the Messenians who were there with Demosthenes performed the greater part of the work.
§3.108.2οἱ δὲ Ἀμπρακιῶται καὶ οἱ κατὰ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἐνίκων τὸ καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ πρὸς τὸ Ἄργος ἀπεδίωξαν· καὶ γὰρ μαχιμώτατοι τῶν περὶ ἐκεῖνα τὰ χωρία τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες.
But the Ambraciots and those on the right wing defeated the division opposed to them and pursued them towards Argos; for they happen to be the most warlike of the people in those parts.
§3.108.3ἐπαναχωροῦντες δὲ ὡς ἑώρων τὸ πλέον νενικημένον καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀκαρνᾶνες σφίσι προσέκειντο, χαλεπῶς διεσῴζοντο ἐς τὰς Ὄλπας, καὶ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον αὐτῶν, ἀτάκτως καὶ οὐδενὶ κόσμῳ προσπίπτοντες πλὴν Μαντινέων· οὗτοι δὲ μάλιστα ξυντεταγμένοι παντὸς τοῦ στρατοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν.
But as they were returning and saw that the main body of their army was defeated, and the rest of the Acarnanians were pressing upon them, they with difficulty escaped safe to Olpae, and many of them died, as they rushed in without order and in utter confusion, except the Mantineans; these, indeed, retreated keeping their ranks best of the whole army.
καὶ ἡ μὲν μάχη ἐτελεύτα ἐς ὀψέ.
And the battle ended late in the evening.

Notes

  1. §3.108.1ὥστε μήτε ἐς ἀλκὴν ὑπομεῖναι φοβηθέντας τε ἐς φυγὴν καὶ τὸ πλέον τοῦ στρατεύματος καταστῆσαι — In the infinitive clause introduced by the conjunction `ὥστε`, `ὑπομεῖναι` and `καταστῆσαι` are coordinated. `φοβηθέντας` is an accusative participle serving as the subject of these infinitives, referring to the Peloponnesians. `καταστῆσαι` is a transitive verb (first aorist active infinitive of `καθίστημι`), meaning 'to bring (themselves) into flight (`ἐς φυγὴν... καταστῆσαι`) and also to throw the greater part of the army into that state.' Alternatively, the subject of the main clause (the Acarnanian ambush) could be understood as the subject of `καταστῆσαι` ('made them flee'), but the former reading, where the panic of the extreme left caused the collapse of the rest of the army, is more natural in this context.
  2. §3.108.1τὸ κατ’ Εὐρύλοχον — The preposition `κατά` with the accusative here functions as a noun phrase meaning 'that which concerns Eurylochus,' i.e., 'the division under Eurylochus.'
  3. §3.108.3ὡς ἑώρων τὸ πλέον νενικημένον καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀκαρνᾶνες σφίσι προσέκειντο — The conjunction `ὡς` ('when') governs both clauses representing concurrent situations: `ἑώρων τὸ πλέον νενικημένον` ('they saw that the greater part was defeated') and `οἱ ἄλλοι Ἀκαρνᾶνες σφίσι προσέκειντο` ('the other Acarnanians were pressing upon them'). `νενικημένον` is a supplementary participle representing indirect discourse after the verb of seeing `ἑώρων`.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.108.1-3.108.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.108.1-3.108.3

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