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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.6.1-3.6.2

Athenian Naval Blockade of Mytilene

Passage 255 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians, reinforced by their allies, establish two camps near Mytilene and blockade its harbors, while the Mytilaeneans and their allies retain control over most of the land.

§3.6.1οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι πολὺ ἐπιρρωσθέντες διὰ τὴν τῶν Μυτιληναίων ἡσυχίαν ξυμμάχους τε προσεκάλουν, οἳ πολὺ θᾶσσον παρῆσαν ὁρῶντες οὐδὲν ἰσχυρὸν ἀπὸ τῶν Λεσβίων, καὶ περιορμισάμενοι τὸ πρὸς νότον τῆς πόλεως ἐτείχισαν στρατόπεδα δύο ἑκατέρωθεν τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς ἐφόρμους ἐπ’ ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς λιμέσιν ἐποιοῦντο.
The Athenians, being greatly encouraged by the inaction of the Mytilaeneans, summoned their allies, who arrived much more quickly when they saw that there was nothing vigorous on the part of the Lesbians; and having anchored round to the south of the city, they fortified two camps, one on each side of the city, and established blockades at both harbors.
§3.6.2καὶ τῆς μὲν θαλάσσης εἶργον μὴ χρῆσθαι τοὺς Μυτιληναίους, τῆς δὲ γῆς τῆς μὲν ἄλλης ἐκράτουν οἱ Μυτιληναῖοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι Λέσβιοι προσβεβοηθηκότες ἤδη, τὸ δὲ περὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα οὐ πολὺ κατεῖχον οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι, ναύσταθμον δὲ μᾶλλον ἦν αὐτοῖς πλοίων καὶ ἀγορὰ ἡ Μαλέα.
And they excluded the Mytilaeneans from using the sea; but of the land, while the Mytilaeneans and the other Lesbians who had already come to their aid controlled the rest of it, the Athenians held only a small area around their camps, and Malea served rather as a station for their ships and a market for them.
καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ Μυτιλήνην οὕτως ἐπολεμεῖτο.
In this manner, then, the war around Mytilene was carried on.

Notes

  1. §3.6.1περιορμισάμενοι — Participle of the middle verb περιορμίζομαι, meaning "having anchored round" or "having shifted berth." It describes the action preceding or accompanying the main verb ἐτείχισαν, indicating that the Athenian fleet sailed round to anchor.
  2. §3.6.2μὴ χρῆσθαι — A redundant negative particle μή is used with the infinitive after the verb εἴργω, which contains a negative idea of preventing or hindering. It is translated as "preventing them from using" rather than "preventing them from not using."
  3. §3.6.2τὸ δὲ περὶ τὰ στρατόπεδα οὐ πολὺ — This phrase stands in contrast (δὲ) to the rest of the land (τῆς μὲν ἄλλης) controlled by the Lesbians. οὐ πολύ functions adverbially with κατεῖχον ("held only to a small extent") or modifies the nominal phrase ("not much of the area around the camps").

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.6.1-3.6.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.6.1-3.6.2

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