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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.78.1-3.78.4

Athenian Tactical Retreat and the End of the Battle

Passage 327 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians attempt to confuse the Peloponnesian fleet with skillful maneuvering, but as Peloponnesian reinforcements arrive, the Athenians slowly retreat to cover the Corcyraean ships' escape, and the battle ends at sunset.

§3.78.1καὶ οἱ μὲν Κερκυραῖοι κακῶς τε καὶ κατ’ ὀλίγας προσπίπτοντες ἐταλαιπώρουν τὸ καθ᾽ αὑτούς· οἱ δ’ Ἀθηναῖοι φοβούμενοι τὸ πλῆθος καὶ τὴν περικύκλωσιν ἁθρόαις μὲν οὐ προσέπιπτον οὐδὲ κατὰ μέσον ταῖς ἐφ’ ἑαυτοὺς τεταγμέναις, προσβαλόντες δὲ κατὰ κέρας καταδύουσι μίαν ναῦν.
On their part, the Corcyraeans, attacking in a disorderly manner and only a few ships at a time, were hard pressed in their own sector; but the Athenians, fearing the enemy's numbers and the danger of encirclement, did not attack the main body of the ships drawn up against them, nor their center, but falling upon their wing, they sank one ship.
καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα κύκλον ταξαμένων αὐτῶν περιέπλεον καὶ ἐπειρῶντο θορυβεῖν.
After this, when the enemy formed a circle, the Athenians sailed round them and attempted to throw them into confusion.
§3.78.2γνόντες δὲ οἱ πρὸς τοῖς Κερκυραίοις καὶ δείσαντες μὴ ὅπερ ἐν Ναυπάκτῳ γένοιτο, ἐπιβοηθοῦσι, καὶ γενόμεναι ἁθρόαι αἱ νῆες ἅμα τὸν ἐπίπλουν τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐποιοῦντο.
But those of the Peloponnesians who were opposed to the Corcyraeans, perceiving this and fearing lest what had happened at Naupactus should occur again, came to their rescue, and all their ships having united, they made a combined onset upon the Athenians.
§3.78.3οἱ δ’ ὑπεχώρουν ἤδη πρύμναν κρουόμενοι καὶ ἅμα τὰς τῶν Κερκυραίων ἐβούλοντο προκαταφυγεῖν ὅτι μάλιστα, ἑαυτῶν σχολῇ τε ὑποχωρούντων καὶ πρὸς σφᾶς τεταγμένων τῶν ἐναντίων.
The Athenians then began to retreat, backing water, and at the same time they wished the ships of the Corcyraeans to escape first as far as possible, while they themselves retired slowly and the enemy was drawn up against them.
§3.78.4ἡ μὲν οὖν ναυμαχία τοιαύτη γενομένη ἐτελεύτα ἐς ἡλίου δύσιν,
So the sea-fight, having been of this character, ended at sunset.

Notes

  1. §3.78.1κατ’ ὀλίγας — The feminine plural noun νῆας (accusative plural of ναῦς, 'ships') is omitted. It means 'by a few ships at a time'.
  2. §3.78.1κύκλον ταξαμένων αὐτῶν — Genitive absolute construction. The pronoun αὐτῶν refers to the Peloponnesians, acting as the subject of the participle, distinct from the subject of the main clause (the Athenians, who are the subject of περιέπλεον). It describes the Peloponnesians forming a circle (κύκλον) to defend themselves against the Athenians.
  3. §3.78.2δείσαντες μὴ ὅπερ ἐν Ναυπάκτῳ γένοιτο — A μὴ clause expressing fear introduced by the participle δείσαντες. Since the main verb is a historical present (ἐπιβοηθοῦσι), the optative (γένοιτο) is used in the subordinate clause. ὅπερ ('the very thing which') refers to the Battle of Naupactus (described in Book 2, Chapters 91-92), where the Athenians defeated the Peloponnesians by sailing around their defensive circle.
  4. §3.78.3ἑαυτῶν σχολῇ τε ὑποχωρούντων καὶ πρὸς σφᾶς τεταγμένων τῶν ἐναντίων — Two genitive absolute constructions joined by καί, expressing the reason. In the first, ἑαυτῶν σχολῇ ὑποχωρούντων, the subject is the Athenians themselves; in the second, πρὸς σφᾶς τεταγμένων τῶν ἐναντίων, the subject is the enemy (των ἐναντίων). σφᾶς is the reflexive pronoun referring to the Athenians.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.78.1-3.78.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.78.1-3.78.4

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