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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.21.1-3.21.4

Structure and Guarding of the Siege Wall at Plataea

Passage 270 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The detailed structure of the Peloponnesian siege wall around Plataea is described, including its double walls, continuous quarters for guards, transverse towers at regular intervals, and the guard system during wet nights.

§3.21.1τὸ δὲ τεῖχος ἦν τῶν Πελοποννησίων τοιόνδε τῇ οἰκοδομήσει.
The wall of the Peloponnesians was of the following construction.
εἶχε μὲν δύο τοὺς περιβόλους, πρός τε Πλαταιῶν καὶ εἴ τις ἔξωθεν ἀπ’ Ἀθηνῶν ἐπίοι, διεῖχον δὲ οἱ περίβολοι ἑκκαίδεκα πόδας μάλιστα ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων.
It had two lines of fortifications, one facing Plataea and the other facing outwards in case anyone should attack from Athens; and these fortifications were about sixteen feet apart from each other.
§3.21.2τὸ οὖν μεταξὺ τοῦτο [οἱ ἑκκαίδεκα πόδες ] τοῖς φύλαξιν οἰκήματα διανενεμημένα ᾠκοδόμητο, καὶ ἦν ξυνεχῆ ὥστε ἓν φαίνεσθαι τεῖχος παχὺ ἐπάλξεις ἔχον ἀμφοτέρωθεν.
Therefore, this intervening space [the sixteen feet] had been built as quarters partitioned out for the guards, and these were continuous, so that it appeared to be a single thick wall, having battlements on both sides.
§3.21.3διὰ δέκα δὲ ἐπάλξεων πύργοι ἦσαν μεγάλοι καὶ ἰσοπλατεῖς τῷ τείχει, διήκοντες ἔς τε τὸ ἔσω μέτωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὸ ἔξω, ὥστε πάροδον μὴ εἶναι παρὰ πύργον, ἀλλὰ δι’ αὐτῶν μέσων διῇσαν.
At intervals of ten battlements there were large towers, of equal width with the wall, extending to both its inner face and, the very same towers, to its outer face, so that there was no passage along the side of a tower, but they had to go through the middle of them.
§3.21.4τὰς οὖν νύκτας, ὁπότε χειμὼν εἴη νοτερός, τὰς μὲν ἐπάλξεις ἀπέλειπον, ἐκ δὲ τῶν πύργων ὄντων δι’ ὀλίγου καὶ ἄνωθεν στεγανῶν τὴν φυλακὴν ἐποιοῦντο.
Therefore, at night, whenever there was stormy and wet weather, they would leave the battlements, and keep watch from the towers, which were at short intervals and roofed over at the top.
τὸ μὲν οὖν τεῖχος ᾧ περιεφρουροῦντο οἱ Πλαταιῆς τοιοῦτον ἦν.
Such, then, was the wall by which the Plataeans were blockaded.

Notes

  1. 3.21.1πρός τε Πλαταιῶν καὶ εἴ τις ἔξωθεν ἀπ’ Ἀθηνῶν ἐπίοι — A prepositional phrase "πρός" with genitive (facing Plataea) and a conditional clause "εἴ τις ... ἐπίοι" (in case anyone should attack from outside) are parallelled by "τε ... καί", explaining the respective purpose or direction of the two lines of fortifications ("δύο τοὺς περιβόλους").
  2. 3.21.2οἰκήματα διανενεμημένα ᾠκοδόμητο — The verb "ᾠκοδόμητο" (third-person singular pluperfect) agrees with the singular subject "τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦτο" (neuter singular). "οἰκήματα διανενεμημένα" (neuter plural) is a predicative appositive to the subject, indicating that the space was built "as partitioned quarters." In the next clause, the singular verb "ἦν" with the neuter plural adjective "ξυνεχῆ" shows that "οἰκήματα" has become the practical subject.
  3. 3.21.3δι’ αὐτῶν μέσων διῇσαν — The subject of "διῇσαν" (third-person plural imperfect of "δίειμι") is not explicitly stated, but is understood from the context to be "the guards" ("τοῖς φύλαξιν"). "δι’ αὐτῶν μέσων" means "through the middle of them [the towers] themselves."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.21.1-3.21.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.21.1-3.21.4

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