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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.135.1-4.135.2

Brasidas' Failed Night Attack on Potidaea

Passage 500 of 917 · Greek

Summary

At the end of the winter, Brasidas attempts a surprise attack on Potidaea but fails, and the ninth year of the war comes to an end.

§4.135.1ἀπεπείρασε δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ ὁ Βρασίδας τελευτῶντος καὶ πρὸς ἔαρ ἤδη Ποτειδαίας.
In the same winter, at its close and already towards spring, Brasidas also made an attempt on Potidaea.
προσελθὼν γὰρ νυκτὸς καὶ κλίμακα προσθεὶς μέχρι μὲν τούτου ἔλαθεν· τοῦ γὰρ κώδωνος παρενεχθέντος οὕτως ἐς τὸ διάκενον, πρὶν ἐπανελθεῖν τὸν παραδιδόντα αὐτόν, ἡ πρόσθεσις ἐγένετο·
For, having approached by night and applied a ladder, up to this point he went unnoticed; indeed, just as the bell was being passed along into the interval, before the man handing it over returned, the placing of the ladder took place.
ἔπειτα μέντοι εὐθὺς αἰσθομένων, πρὶν προσβῆναι, ἀπήγαγε πάλιν κατὰ τάχος τὴν στρατιὰν καὶ οὐκ ἀνέμεινεν ἡμέραν γενέσθαι.
However, when they immediately perceived it, before his men could mount, he led the army back again in haste and did not wait for day to break.
§4.135.2καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα, καὶ ἔνατον ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα τῷδε ὃν Θουκυδίδης ξυνέγραψεν.
And the winter ended, and the ninth year ended for this war of which Thucydides wrote the history.

Notes

  1. §4.135.1ἀπεπείρασε ... Ποτειδαίας — The verb ἀποπειράω (here active aorist, used with the force of the middle) governs the genitive (Ποτειδαίας), meaning "to make an attempt on" or "to try to take".
  2. §4.135.1τοῦ γὰρ κώδωνος παρενεχθέντος — A genitive absolute construction. It describes the ancient Greek garrison system where sentries passed a bell (κώδων) along the battlements to ensure everyone was awake and on duty.
  3. §4.135.1αἰσθομένων — A genitive absolute with an omitted subject (e.g., "the sentries" or "the defenders"). The context implies the guards on the wall perceived the attempt.
  4. §4.135.1πρὶν προσβῆναι — The conjunction πρίν followed by an infinitive (προσβῆναι, aorist infinitive of προσβαίνω). It means "before they (Brasidas' men) could mount (the ladder)", with the subject of the infinitive understood from the context.
  5. §4.135.2τῷ πολέμῳ ... τῷδε ὃν Θουκυδίδης ξυνέγραψεν — The dative τῷ πολέμῳ with the demonstrative τῷδε, modified by the relative clause ὃν...ξυνέγραψεν, functions as a dative of reference with ἐτελεύτα: "ended for this war which Thucydides wrote."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.135.1-4.135.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.135.1-4.135.2

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