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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.134.1-4.134.2

Indecisive Battle of Laodoceum between Mantinea and Tegea

Passage 499 of 917 · Greek

Summary

During the ensuing winter, while Athens and Sparta remained quiet due to the armistice, Mantinea and Tegea clashed at Laodoceum, resulting in an indecisive battle where both sides claimed victory.

§4.134.1ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐπιόντι χειμῶνι τὰ μὲν Ἀθηναίων καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων ἡσύχαζε διὰ τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν, Μαντινῆς δὲ καὶ Τεγεᾶται καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι ἑκατέρων ξυνέβαλον ἐν Λαοδοκείῳ τῆς Ὀρεσθίδος, καὶ νίκη ἀμφιδήριτος ἐγένετο·
In the ensuing winter, the affairs of the Athenians and Lacedaemonians remained quiet because of the armistice; but the Mantineans and the Tegeans, with the allies of each, clashed at Laodoceum in Oresthis, and the victory was undecided.
κέρας γὰρ ἑκάτεροι τρέψαντες τὸ καθ’ αὑτοὺς τροπαῖά τε ἀμφότεροι ἔστησαν καὶ σκῦλα ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀπέπεμψαν.
For each side routed the wing opposed to themselves, and both set up trophies and sent spoils to Delphi.
§4.134.2διαφθαρέντων μέντοι πολλῶν ἑκατέροις καὶ ἀγχωμάλου τῆς μάχης γενομένης καὶ ἀφελομένης νυκτὸς τὸ ἔργον οἱ Τεγεᾶται μὲν ἐπηυλίσαντό τε καὶ εὐθὺς ἔστησαν τροπαῖον, Μαντινῆς δὲ ἀπεχώρησάν τε ἐς Βουκολιῶνα καὶ ὕστερον ἀντέστησαν.
However, after many had fallen on both sides and the battle had been close, night having interrupted the action, the Tegeans bivouacked on the field and immediately set up a trophy, whereas the Mantineans withdrew to Bucolion and later set up a counter-trophy.

Notes

  1. §4.134.1τὸ καθ’ αὑτοὺς — Prepositional phrase modifying κέρας (wing). Here, αὑτοὺς is the reflexive pronoun referring to the subject ἑκάτεροι (each of the two sides), meaning 'the wing opposed to themselves'.
  2. §4.134.2ἀφελομένης νυκτὸς τὸ ἔργον — Genitive absolute construction. ἀφελομένης is the middle aorist participle of ἀφαιρέω (to take away, interrupt), with the genitive νυκτός as its subject and the accusative τὸ ἔργον (the action, battle) as its object, meaning 'night having interrupted the action'.
  3. §4.134.2ἀντέστησαν — Aorist of ἀνθίστημι (to set up in opposition / to stand against). In contrast to the Tegeans setting up a trophy, this implies that the Mantineans later returned to set up a 'counter-trophy'.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.134.1-4.134.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.134.1-4.134.2

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