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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §3.96.1-3.96.3

Demosthenes' Invasion of Aetolia and Aetolian Mobilization

Passage 345 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Demosthenes marches into Aetolia after bivouacking at a temple associated with Hesiod's death, capturing three towns. In response, the Aetolians quickly mobilize a large force, including their most remote tribes, to resist the invasion.

§3.96.1αὐλισάμενος δὲ τῷ στρατῷ ἐν τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Νεμείου τῷ ἱερῷ, ἐν ᾧ Ἡσίοδος ὁ ποιητὴς λέγεται ὑπὸ τῶν ταύτῃ ἀποθανεῖν, χρησθὲν αὐτῷ ἐν Νεμέᾳ τοῦτο παθεῖν, ἅμα τῇ ἕῳ ἄρας ἐπορεύετο ἐς τὴν Αἰτωλίαν.
Having bivouacked with his army in the temple of Nemean Zeus, where the poet Hesiod is said by the people of these parts to have died—it having been prophesied to him that he would suffer this fate in Nemea—he set out at dawn and marched into Aetolia.
§3.96.2καὶ αἱρεῖ τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ Ποτιδανίαν καὶ τῇ δευτέρᾳ Κροκύλειον καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ Τείχιον, ἔμενέ τε αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν λείαν ἐς Εὐπάλιον τῆς Λοκρίδος ἀπέπεμψεν· τὴν γὰρ γνώμην εἶχε τὰ ἄλλα καταστρεψάμενος οὕτως ἐπὶ Ὀφιονέας, εἰ μὴ βούλοιντο ξυγχωρεῖν, ἐς Ναύπακτον ἐπαναχωρήσας στρατεῦσαι ὕστερον.
On the first day he took Potidania, on the second Crocylium, and on the third Teichium, and remaining there, he sent the booty away to Eupalium in Locris; for his intention was, after subduing the rest, to retreat to Naupactus and later make an expedition against the Ophionians, if they should refuse to submit.
§3.96.3τοὺς δὲ Αἰτωλοὺς οὐκ ἐλάνθανεν αὕτη ἡ παρασκευὴ οὔτε ὅτε τὸ πρῶτον ἐπεβουλεύετο, ἐπειδή τε ὁ στρατὸς ἐσεβεβλήκει, πολλῇ χειρὶ ἐπεβοήθουν πάντες, ὥστε καὶ οἱ ἔσχατοι Ὀφιονέων οἱ πρὸς τὸν Μηλιακὸν κόλπον καθήκοντες Βωμιῆς καὶ Καλλιῆς ἐβοήθησαν.
Now this preparation was not lost on the Aetolians, either when it was first planned, and as soon as the army had invaded, they all came to the rescue with a large force, so that even the Bomians and Callians, who are the most remote of the Ophionians and stretch down toward the Malian Gulf, came to help.

Notes

  1. §3.96.1χρησθὲν αὐτῷ — An accusative absolute construction using the neuter accusative participle of an impersonal verb, χρησθέν ('it having been prophesied to him'). The infinitive clause τοῦτο παθεῖν ('to suffer this') functions as the subject of the participle.
  2. §3.96.2γνώμην εἶχε ... στρατεῦσαι — The phrase γνώμην εἶχε ('had the intention') takes the complementary infinitive στρατεῦσαι ('to campaign'). The prepositional phrase ἐπὶ Ὀφιονέας ('against the Ophionians') depends on the distant infinitive στρατεῦσαι but is placed earlier for emphasis. The participles καταστρεψάμενος and ἐπαναχωρήσας agree with the subject of the main clause.
  3. §3.96.3τοὺς δὲ Αἰτωλοὺς οὐκ ἐλάνθανεν — The verb λανθάνω ('to escape notice') takes an accusative object (τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς). Literally meaning 'this preparation did not escape the notice of the Aetolians,' it is a litotes for 'the Aetolians were fully aware of this preparation.'

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §3.96.1-3.96.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.96.1-3.96.3

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