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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.76.1

Arrival of Alcidas and Brasidas with the Peloponnesian Fleet

Passage 325 of 917 · Greek

Summary

While the sedition in Corcyra was at a standstill, a few days after the transfer of the men to the island, a Peloponnesian fleet of fifty-three ships led by Alcidas and Brasidas arrived and sailed against Corcyra.

§3.76.1τῆς δὲ στάσεως ἐν τούτῳ οὔσης τετάρτῃ ἢ πέμπτῃ ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐς τὴν νῆσον διακομιδὴν αἱ ἐκ τῆς Κυλλήνης Πελοποννησίων νῆες, μετὰ τὸν ἐκ τῆς Ἰωνίας πλοῦν ἔφορμοι οὖσαι, παραγίγνονται τρεῖς καὶ πεντήκοντα·
While the sedition was at this stage, on the fourth or fifth day after the transport of the men to the island, the Peloponnesian ships from Cyllene, which after their voyage from Ionia had been lying at anchor, arrived to the number of fifty-three.
ἦρχε δὲ αὐτῶν Ἀλκίδας, ὅσπερ καὶ πρότερον, καὶ Βρασίδας αὐτῷ ξύμβουλος ἐπέπλει.
They were commanded by Alcidas, who had been in command before, and Brasidas was sailing with him as an adviser.
ὁρμισάμενοι δὲ ἐς Σύβοτα λιμένα τῆς ἠπείρου ἅμα ἕῳ ἐπέπλεον τῇ Κερκύρᾳ.
Having anchored at Sybota, a harbor of the mainland, at dawn they sailed against Corcyra.

Notes

  1. 3.76.1τῆς δὲ στάσεως ἐν τούτῳ οὔσης — Genitive absolute construction, describing the background situation at that moment. ἐν τούτῳ means 'at this stage' or 'in this state'.
  2. 3.76.1ἔφορμοι οὖσαι — Nominative present participle with the adjective ἔφορμος ('lying at anchor', 'watching'). It describes the state of the Peloponnesian fleet waiting in readiness at Cyllene after their return from Ionia.
  3. 3.76.1ἐπέπλεον τῇ Κερκύρᾳ — The verb ἐπιπλέω ('to sail against', 'to advance to attack by sea') takes the dative (τῇ Κερκύρᾳ). Here it denotes a hostile advance rather than mere navigation.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.76.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.76.1

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