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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.112.1-4.112.3

Assault on Torone and Securing the Heights

Passage 477 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Brasidas charges upon seeing the signal, with some troops entering through the gates and others scaling the wall using construction beams. Brasidas heads for the heights to secure the city, while the rest disperse.

§4.112.1καὶ ὁ Βρασίδας ἰδὼν τὸ ξύνθημα ἔθει δρόμῳ, ἀναστήσας τὸν στρατὸν ἐμβοήσαντάς τε ἁθρόον καὶ ἔκπληξιν πολλὴν τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει παρασχόντας.
And Brasidas, seeing the signal, advanced at a run, having aroused his army, who raised a shout all together and caused great consternation to those in the city.
§4.112.2καὶ οἱ μὲν κατὰ τὰς πύλας εὐθὺς ἐσέπιπτον, οἱ δὲ κατὰ δοκοὺς τετραγώνους, αἳ ἔτυχον τῷ τείχει πεπτωκότι καὶ οἰκοδομουμένῳ πρὸς λίθων ἀνολκὴν προσκείμεναι.
And some rushed in at once through the gates, while others went up by square beams which happened to be placed against the wall where it had fallen and was being rebuilt, for the purpose of drawing up stones.
§4.112.3Βρασίδας μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος εὐθὺς ἄνω καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μετέωρα τῆς πόλεως ἐτράπετο, βουλόμενος κατ’ ἄκρας καὶ βεβαίως ἑλεῖν αὐτήν· ὁ δὲ ἄλλος ὅμιλος κατὰ πάντα ὁμοίως ἐσκεδάννυντο.
Brasidas, then, and the main body turned at once upwards and towards the high parts of the city, wishing to capture it completely and securely; while the rest of the multitude scattered similarly in every direction.

Notes

  1. §4.112.1ἐμβοήσαντάς τε ἁθρόον καὶ ἔκπληξιν πολλὴν τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει παρασχόντας — The masculine plural accusative participles `ἐμβοήσαντας` and `παρασχόντας` agree in sense (constructio ad sensum) with the singular collective noun `τὸν στρατόν` which serves as their logical subject.
  2. §4.112.2αἳ ἔτυχον τῷ τείχει πεπτωκότι καὶ οἰκοδομουμένῳ πρὸς λίθων ἀνολκὴν προσκείμεναι — The verb `ἔτυχον` (third-person plural aorist of `τυγχάνω`) takes the nominative participle `προσκείμεναι` to express the idea of "happened to be placed." The dative phrase `τῷ τείχει πεπτωκότι καὶ οἰκοδομουμένῳ` depends on `προσκείμεναι`.
  3. §4.112.3κατ’ ἄκρας — Literally meaning "from the heights" or "from top to bottom," this prepositional phrase is used idiomatically here to mean "completely" or "utterly."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.112.1-4.112.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.112.1-4.112.3

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