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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.104.1-4.104.5

Panic in Amphipolis and the Summons to Thucydides

Passage 469 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The sudden crossing of Brasidas throws Amphipolis into confusion, but the immediate opening of the gates is prevented. The garrison commander Eucles and others send for help to the other general and historian, Thucydides, who immediately sets sail from Thasos.

§4.104.1τῆς δὲ διαβάσεως αὐτοῦ ἄφνω τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει γεγενημένης, καὶ τῶν ἔξω πολλῶν μὲν ἁλισκομένων, τῶν δὲ καὶ καταφευγόντων ἐς τὸ τεῖχος, οἱ Ἀμφιπολῖται ἐς θόρυβον μέγαν κατέστησαν, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἀλλήλοις ὕποπτοι ὄντες.
His crossing having occurred suddenly to those in the city, and many of those outside being captured, while others fled into the wall, the Amphipolitans fell into great confusion, especially as they were suspicious of one another.
§4.104.2καὶ λέγεται Βρασίδαν, εἰ ἠθέλησε μὴ ἐφ’ ἁρπαγὴν τῷ στρατῷ τραπέσθαι, ἀλλ’ εὐθὺς χωρῆσαι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, δοκεῖν ἂν ἑλεῖν.
And it is said that if Brasidas had wished not to turn his army to plundering, but to advance immediately against the city, he would have seemed likely to take it.
§4.104.3νῦν δὲ ὁ μὲν ἱδρύσας τὸν στρατόν, ἐπεὶ τὰ ἔξω ἐπέδραμε καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔνδον ὡς προσεδέχετο ἀπέβαινεν, ἡσύχαζεν·
But as it was, having stationed his army, after he had overrun the parts outside and nothing turned out for him from those inside as he had expected, he remained quiet.
§4.104.4οἱ δὲ ἐναντίοι τοῖς προδιδοῦσι, κρατοῦντες τῷ πλήθει ὥστε μὴ αὐτίκα τὰς πύλας ἀνοίγεσθαι, πέμπουσι μετὰ Εὐκλέους τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, ὃς ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνῶν παρῆν αὐτοῖς φύλαξ τοῦ χωρίου, ἐπὶ τὸν ἕτερον στρατηγὸν τῶν ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης, Θουκυδίδην τὸν Ὀλόρου, ὃς τάδε ξυνέγραψεν, ὄντα περὶ Θάσον (ἔστι δὲ ἡ νῆσος Παρίων ἀποικία, ἀπέχουσα τῆς Ἀμφιπόλεως ἡμίσεος ἡμέρας μάλιστα πλοῦν), κελεύοντες σφίσι βοηθεῖν.
But those who were opposed to the traitors, prevailing in numbers so that the gates were not immediately opened, sent, along with Eucles the general, who was present with them from Athens as guardian of the place, to the other general in the direction of Thrace, Thucydides the son of Olorus, who wrote this history, who was near Thasos (the island is a colony of the Parians, distant from Amphipolis about half a day's sail), urging him to come to their aid.
§4.104.5καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀκούσας κατὰ τάχος ἑπτὰ ναυσὶν αἳ ἔτυχον παροῦσαι ἔπλει, καὶ ἐβούλετο φθάσαι μάλιστα μὲν οὖν τὴν Ἀμφίπολιν, πρίν τι ἐνδοῦναι, εἰ δὲ μή, τὴν Ἠιόνα προκαταλαβών.
And he, upon hearing this, sailed in haste with seven ships which happened to be at hand, and wished above all to arrive in time at Amphipolis before any surrender should take place, or, failing that, to secure Eion beforehand.

Notes

  1. §4.104.2δοκεῖν ἂν ἑλεῖν — An accusative with infinitive construction introduced by the impersonal verb λέγεται, with Βρασίδαν as its subject. The particle ἄν accompanies the infinitive ἑλεῖν (forming δοκεῖν ἂν ἑλεῖν) and responds to the protasis εἰ ἠθέλησε... ("if he had wished..."), representing an unreal past indicative apodosis (ἂν εἷλε, "he would have taken") turned into the infinitive.
  2. §4.104.5εἰ δὲ μή, τὴν Ἠιόνα προκαταλαβών — The phrase εἰ δὲ μή is an idiomatic expression meaning "otherwise" or "failing that," presenting an alternative to the preferred option in the previous clause, μάλιστα μὲν οὖν τὴν Ἀμφίπολιν [φθάσαι] ("preferably to reach Amphipolis in time"). The aorist participle προκαταλαβών ("having secured beforehand") depends on the main verb ἐβούλετο, functioning as a complementary expression to the infinitive φθάσαι.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.104.1-4.104.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.104.1-4.104.5

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