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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.77.1-3.77.3

Disorderly Corcyraean Sortie and the Peloponnesian Deployment

Passage 326 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Corcyraeans launch their ships in a disorganized manner despite Athenian advice, falling into complete chaos. Seeing this, the Peloponnesians split their forces to face both the Corcyraeans and the Athenians.

§3.77.1οἱ δὲ πολλῷ θορύβῳ καὶ πεφοβημένοι τά τ’ ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τὸν ἐπίπλουν παρεσκευάζοντό τε ἅμα ἑξήκοντα ναῦς καὶ τὰς αἰεὶ πληρουμένας ἐξέπεμπον πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους, παραινούντων Ἀθηναίων σφᾶς τε ἐᾶσαι πρῶτον ἐκπλεῦσαι καὶ ὕστερον πάσαις ἅμα ἐκείνους ἐπιγενέσθαι.
The Corcyraeans, in great confusion and fearing both the state of affairs in the city and the onset of the enemy, at the same time equipped sixty ships and sent them out against the enemy as they were successively manned, although the Athenians advised them to let them (the Athenians) sail out first, and that they (the Corcyraeans) should follow later with all their ships together.
§3.77.2ὡς δὲ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τοῖς πολεμίοις ἦσαν σποράδες αἱ νῆες, δύο μὲν εὐθὺς ηὐτομόλησαν, ἐν ἑτέραις δὲ ἀλλήλοις οἱ ἐμπλέοντες ἐμάχοντο, ἦν δὲ οὐδεὶς κόσμος τῶν ποιουμένων.
But when their ships reached the enemy in a scattered manner, two immediately deserted, and on other ships the crews were fighting among themselves, and there was no order in anything that was done.
§3.77.3ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι τὴν ταραχὴν εἴκοσι μὲν ναυσὶ πρὸς τοὺς Κερκυραίους ἐτάξαντο, ταῖς δὲ λοιπαῖς πρὸς τὰς δώδεκα ναῦς τῶν Ἀθηναίων, ὧν ἦσαν αἱ δύο Σαλαμινία καὶ Πάραλος.
The Peloponnesians, seeing this confusion, drew up twenty ships against the Corcyraeans, and with the rest against the twelve Athenian ships, of which two were the Salaminia and the Paralus.

Notes

  1. §3.77.1πεφοβημένοι τά τ’ ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ τὸν ἐπίπλουν — The participle πεφοβημένοι (fearing) takes the accusatives τά τ’ ἐν τῇ πόλει (the state of affairs in the city) and τὸν ἐπίπλουν (the onset of the enemy) as its direct objects.
  2. §3.77.1σφᾶς — The indirect reflexive pronoun σφᾶς refers to Ἀθηναίων (the Athenians), the subject of the genitive absolute. The subject of the infinitive ἐᾶσαι (to allow) is the Corcyraeans, meaning 'that the Corcyraeans should allow them (the Athenians) to sail out first.'
  3. §3.77.2αὐτοῖς — The dative αὐτοῖς is a dative of reference or possession referring to the Corcyraeans, modifying αἱ νῆες (the ships). It is translated as 'when their ships...' or 'when the ships for them...''

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.77.1-3.77.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.77.1-3.77.3

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