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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.111.1-4.111.2

Opening of the Gates and Entry into Torone

Passage 476 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Brasidas sent targeteers ahead to wait for the signal, and the conspirators inside Torone opened the gates, let them in to surprise the citizens, and raised the fire signal.

§4.111.1ὁ δὲ Βρασίδας τῷ μὲν ἄλλῳ στρατῷ ἡσύχαζεν ὀλίγον προελθών, ἑκατὸν δὲ πελταστὰς προπέμπει, ὅπως, ὁπότε πύλαι τινὲς ἀνοιχθεῖεν καὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἀρθείη ὃ ξυνέκειτο, πρῶτοι ἐσδράμοιεν.
Meanwhile, Brasidas, having advanced a little, remained quiet with the rest of his army, but sent forward a hundred targeteers, so that as soon as any gates should be opened and the signal agreed upon raised, they might be the first to rush in.
§4.111.2καὶ οἱ μὲν χρόνου ἐγγιγνομένου καὶ θαυμάζοντες κατὰ μικρὸν ἔτυχον ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως προσελθόντες· οἱ δὲ τῶν Τορωναίων ἔνδοθεν παρασκευάζοντες μετὰ τῶν ἐσεληλυθότων, ὡς αὐτοῖς ἥ τε πυλὶς διῄρητο καὶ αἱ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν πύλαι τοῦ μοχλοῦ διακοπέντος ἀνεῴγοντο, πρῶτον μὲν κατὰ τὴν πυλίδα τινὰς περιαγαγόντες ἐσεκόμισαν, ὅπως κατὰ νώτου καὶ ἀμφοτέρωθεν τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει οὐδὲν εἰδότας ἐξαπίνης φοβήσειαν, ἔπειτα τὸ σημεῖόν τε τοῦ πυρός, ὡς εἴρητο, ἀνέσχον, καὶ διὰ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν πυλῶν τοὺς λοιποὺς ἤδη τῶν πελταστῶν ἐσεδέχοντο.
And they, as time went on and they wondered at the delay, happened to have come near the city little by little; while those of the Toronaeans inside who were making preparations with those who had entered, when the wicket-gate had been broken open for them and the gates facing the market-place were opened by cutting through the bar, first of all brought some men round and let them in by the wicket-gate, in order that they might suddenly terrify from behind and on both sides the people in the city who knew nothing of what was happening; and then they raised the fire-signal, as had been agreed, and began to admit the rest of the targeteers through the gates facing the market-place.

Notes

  1. 4.111.1τῷ μὲν ἄλλῳ στρατῷ — Dative of accompaniment or means. It is an idiomatic expression denoting military movement, meaning 'with the rest of the army' or 'leading the rest of his forces'.
  2. 4.111.2ἔτυχον... προσελθόντες — The combination of the verb τυγχάνω with a participle. It indicates that an action took place by chance or unnoticed by the subjects, meaning 'they happened to have come near' or 'unwittingly they had approached'.
  3. 4.111.2αὐτοῖς — Dative of agent (or dative of interest). It refers to the agents or interested parties for whom and by whom the wicket-gate was broken open and the main gates opened.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.111.1-4.111.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.111.1-4.111.2

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