Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.73.1

Recruitment of Slaves and Arrival of Reinforcements

Passage 322 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Describes how on the following day both the commons and the oligarchs tried to recruit slaves, resulting in the majority of household slaves joining the commons, while eight hundred mercenaries from the continent joined the oligarchs.

§3.73.1τῇ δ’ ὑστεραίᾳ ἠκροβολίσαντό τε ὀλίγα καὶ ἐς τοὺς ἀγροὺς περιέπεμπον ἀμφότεροι, τοὺς δούλους παρακαλοῦντές τε καὶ ἐλευθερίαν ὑπισχνούμενοι· καὶ τῷ μὲν δήμῳ τῶν οἰκετῶν τὸ πλῆθος παρεγένετο ξύμμαχον, τοῖς δ’ ἑτέροις ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου ἐπίκουροι ὀκτακόσιοι.
On the following day they skirmished a little, and both sides sent round into the country, calling upon the slaves and promising them their freedom; and the majority of the domestic slaves came to the support of the commons as allies, while to the other party eight hundred auxiliaries came from the continent.

Notes

  1. §3.73.1ὀλίγα — An adverbial accusative (or cognate accusative in the neuter plural) modifying the verb ἠκροβολίσαντο ('they skirmished'), meaning 'a little' or 'in a small degree.'
  2. §3.73.1τῶν οἰκετῶν — A variation in terminology referring to the previously mentioned τοὺς δούλους ('the slaves'), specifically denoting 'household slaves' or 'domestic servants.'
  3. §3.73.1τοῖς δ’ ἑτέροις — Dative of interest denoting the other party (the oligarchs), answering to τῷ μὲν δήμῳ in the preceding clause. The verb παρεγένοντο (adapted in number to the plural subject ἐπίκουροι ὀκτακόσιοι) is omitted at the end.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.73.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.73.1

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