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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.43.1-4.43.5

Fierce Battle between Athenians and Corinthians at Solygeia

Passage 408 of 917 · Greek

Summary

A fierce hand-to-hand battle breaks out near Solygeia between the newly-landed Athenians and the defending Corinthians, with both sides experiencing alternating advances and retreats.

§4.43.1καὶ Βάττος μὲν ὁ ἕτερος τῶν στρατηγῶν (δύο γὰρ ἦσαν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ οἱ παρόντες) λαβὼν λόχον ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν Σολύγειαν κώμην φυλάξων ἀτείχιστον οὖσαν, Λυκόφρων δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ξυνέβαλεν.
And Battus, one of the two generals (for there were two present in the battle), taking a company, went to the village of Solygeia in order to guard it, as it was unfortified, while Lycophron with the rest engaged the enemy.
§4.43.2καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τῷ δεξιῷ κέρᾳ τῶν Ἀθηναίων εὐθὺς ἀποβεβηκότι πρὸ τῆς Χερσονήσου οἱ Κορίνθιοι ἐπέκειντο, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατεύματι.
And first of all, the Corinthians pressed hard upon the right wing of the Athenians, which had just landed in front of Chersonesus, and then also upon the rest of the army.
καὶ ἦν ἡ μάχη καρτερὰ καὶ ἐν χερσὶ πᾶσα.
And the battle was obstinate and entirely hand-to-hand.
§4.43.3καὶ τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν κέρας τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ Καρυστίων (οὗτοι γὰρ παρατεταγμένοι ἦσαν ἔσχατοι) ἐδέξαντό τε τοὺς Κορινθίους καὶ ἐώσαντο μόλις· οἱ δὲ ὑποχωρήσαντες πρὸς αἱμασιάν (ἦν γὰρ τὸ χωρίον πρόσαντες πᾶν) βάλλοντες τοῖς λίθοις καθύπερθεν ὄντες καὶ παιανίσαντες ἐπῇσαν αὖθις, δεξαμένων δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἐν χερσὶν ἦν πάλιν ἡ μάχη.
And the right wing of the Athenians and Carystians (for these latter were posted at the very extremity) received the Corinthians and with difficulty repulsed them; but they, having retreated to a stone wall (for the ground was all uphill), threw stones from their higher position and, having sung the paean, advanced again; and when the Athenians received them, the battle was again hand-to-hand.
§4.43.4λόχος δέ τις τῶν Κορινθίων ἐπιβοηθήσας τῷ εὐωνύμῳ κέρᾳ ἑαυτῶν ἔτρεψε τῶν Ἀθηναίων τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας καὶ ἐπεδίωξεν ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν· πάλιν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν ἀνέστρεψαν οἵ τε Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ οἱ Καρύστιοι.
But a certain company of the Corinthians, coming to the rescue of their own left wing, routed the right wing of the Athenians and pursued them to the sea; but from the ships the Athenians and Carystians rallied again.
§4.43.5τὸ δὲ ἄλλο στρατόπεδον ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐμάχετο ξυνεχῶς, μάλιστα δὲ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας τῶν Κορινθίων, ἐφ’ ᾧ ὁ Λυκόφρων ὢν κατὰ τὸ εὐώνυμον τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἠμύνετο· ἤλπιζον γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν Σολύγειαν κώμην πειράσειν.
Meanwhile the rest of the army on both sides fought without ceasing, especially the right wing of the Corinthians, where Lycophron was, defending themselves against the left wing of the Athenians; for they expected that the Athenians would make an attempt upon the village of Solygeia.

Notes

  1. §4.43.1φυλάξων ἀτείχιστον οὖσαν — The future participle φυλάξων depends on the main verb ἦλθεν, expressing purpose ('in order to guard'). οὖσαν is the participle of εἰμί acting as a predicative adjunct with the adjective ἀτείχιστον, qualifying τὴν Σολύγειαν κώμην to explain its vulnerable state.
  2. §4.43.3δεξαμένων δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων — A genitive absolute construction. Following the previous clause 'they advanced again (ἐπῇσαν αὖθις)', it expresses the temporal or conditional circumstance 'when the Athenians received them'.
  3. §4.43.5ἤλπιζον γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν Σολύγειαν κώμην πειράσειν — The verb ἐλπίζω is used here in its general sense of 'to expect' or 'anticipate' rather than 'hope'. It takes an accusative and infinitive construction, indicating that the Corinthians expected that the Athenians (αὐτοὺς) would make an attempt (πειράσειν, used intransitively) on the village.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.43.1-4.43.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.43.1-4.43.5

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