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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.11.1-4.11.4

Spartan Assault on Pylos and the Valor of Brasidas

Passage 376 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Inspired by Demosthenes' speech, the Athenians draw up their lines along the shore, while the Lacedaemonians launch an attack by land and sea. As the landing proves difficult, Brasidas conspicuously exhorts his men to run their ships aground to force an assault.

§4.11.1τοσαῦτα τοῦ Δημοσθένους παρακελευσαμένου οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἐθάρσησάν τε μᾶλλον καὶ ἐπικαταβάντες ἐτάξαντο παρ’ αὐτὴν τὴν θάλασσαν.
Demosthenes having thus exhorted them, the Athenians were more encouraged and, going down, drew themselves up right along the sea.
§4.11.2οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἄραντες τῷ τε κατὰ γῆν στρατῷ προσέβαλλον τῷ τειχίσματι καὶ ταῖς ναυσὶν ἅμα οὔσαις τεσσαράκοντα καὶ τρισί, ναύαρχος δὲ αὐτῶν ἐπέπλει Θρασυμηλίδας ὁ Κρατησικλέους Σπαρτιάτης.
Meanwhile the Lacedaemonians, having moved, attacked the fortification both with their land army and at the same time with their ships, forty-three in number, and Thrasymelidas son of Cratesicles, a Spartan, was sailing against them as their admiral.
προσέβαλλε δὲ ᾗπερ ὁ Δημοσθένης προσεδέχετο.
And he made the attack just where Demosthenes expected.
§4.11.3καὶ οἱ μὲν Ἀθηναῖοι ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἔκ τε γῆς καὶ ἐκ θαλάσσης ἠμύνοντο· οἱ δὲ κατ’ ὀλίγας ναῦς διελόμενοι, διότι οὐκ ἦν πλέοσι προσσχεῖν, καὶ ἀναπαύοντες ἐν τῷ μέρει τοὺς ἐπίπλους ἐποιοῦντο, προθυμίᾳ τε πάσῃ χρώμενοι καὶ παρακελευσμῷ, εἴ πως ὠσάμενοι ἕλοιεν τὸ τείχισμα.
And the Athenians defended themselves on both sides, from both land and sea; but the enemy, dividing themselves into small detachments of a few ships, because it was not possible for more to approach the shore, and resting in turn, made their attacks, employing all zeal and exhortation, to see if they might somehow force their way and capture the fortification.
§4.11.4πάντων δὲ φανερώτατος Βρασίδας ἐγένετο.
Brasidas, however, made himself the most conspicuous of all.
τριηραρχῶν γὰρ καὶ ὁρῶν τοῦ χωρίου χαλεποῦ ὄντος τοὺς τριηράρχους καὶ κυβερνήτας, εἴ που καὶ δοκοίη δυνατὸν εἶναι σχεῖν, ἀποκνοῦντας καὶ φυλασσομένους τῶν νεῶν μὴ ξυντρίψωσιν, ἐβόα λέγων ὡς οὐκ εἰκὸς εἴη ξύλων φειδομένους τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ περιιδεῖν τεῖχος πεποιημένους, ἀλλὰ τάς τε σφετέρας ναῦς βιαζομένους τὴν ἀπόβασιν καταγνύναι ἐκέλευε, καὶ τοὺς ξυμμάχους μὴ ἀποκνῆσαι ἀντὶ μεγάλων εὐεργεσιῶν τὰς ναῦς τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἐπιδοῦναι, ὀκείλαντας δὲ καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ ἀποβάντας τῶν τε ἀνδρῶν καὶ τοῦ χωρίου κρατῆσαι.
For, commanding a trireme and seeing that, because of the difficulty of the place, the trierarchs and pilots, even where it seemed possible to land, shrank back and were cautious of their ships lest they should wreck them, he shouted out, saying that it was not right that, sparing timbers, they should look on while the enemy had built a fortification in their country; rather, he ordered them to shatter even their own ships by forcing the landing, and urged the allies not to shrink from giving up their ships to the Lacedaemonians in the present crisis in return for great benefits, but running them aground and landing in every way, to master both the men and the place.

Notes

  1. 4.11.4φυλασσομένους τῶν νεῶν μὴ ξυντρίψωσιν — A double construction where the verb `φυλάσσομαι` (to be cautious of, guard against) is accompanied by both the genitive of object of concern `τῶν νεῶν` (concerning the ships) and a `μή` clause of precaution (lest they should wreck them).
  2. 4.11.4ξύλων φειδομένους τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ περιιδεῖν τεῖχος πεποιημένους — In the accusative and infinitive construction introduced by the impersonal `οὐκ εἰκὸς εἴη` (it would not be reasonable), the unexpressed subject of the infinitive `περιιδεῖν` (to overlook) is represented by the participle `φειδομένους` (sparing, governing the genitive `ξύλων` "timbers/ships") in the accusative. Meanwhile, `τοὺς πολεμίους` (the enemy) is the direct object of `περιιδεῖν`, and `πεποιημένους` (having built) is a perfect participle in agreement with it.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.11.1-4.11.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.11.1-4.11.4

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