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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.45.1-4.45.2

Ravaging of Crommyon and Fortification of Methana

Passage 410 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian forces, after ravaging Crommyon, fortified the isthmus of Methana to establish a garrison for plundering neighboring territories, and then sailed back home.

§4.45.1ἄραντες δὲ ἐκ τῶν νήσων οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἔπλευσαν αὐθημερὸν ἐς Κρομμυῶνα τῆς Κορινθίας· ἀπέχει δὲ τῆς πόλεως εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν σταδίους.
The Athenians, setting sail from the islands, sailed on the same day to Crommyon in the territory of Corinth; it is one hundred and twenty stades distant from the city.
καὶ καθορμισάμενοι τήν τε γῆν ἐδῄωσαν καὶ τὴν νύκτα ηὐλίσαντο.
And having come to anchor, they ravaged the land and spent the night there.
§4.45.2τῇ δ’ ὑστεραίᾳ παραπλεύσαντες ἐς τὴν Ἐπιδαυρίαν πρῶτον καὶ ἀπόβασίν τινα ποιησάμενοι ἀφίκοντο ἐς Μέθανα τὴν μεταξὺ Ἐπιδαύρου καὶ Τροιζῆνος, καὶ ἀπολαβόντες τὸν τῆς χερσονήσου ἰσθμὸν ἐτείχισαν, [ἐν ᾧ ἡ Μεθώνη ἐστί,] καὶ φρούριον καταστησάμενοι ἐλῄστευον τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον τήν τε Τροιζηνίαν γῆν καὶ Ἁλιάδα καὶ Ἐπιδαυρίαν.
On the next day, having first sailed along the coast of Epidauria and made a landing, they arrived at Methana between Epidaurus and Troezen; and having cut off the isthmus of the peninsula, they fortified it [within which Methone is situated], and having established a garrison, they plundered for the subsequent period the Troezenian, Haliean, and Epidaurian lands.
ταῖς δὲ ναυσίν, ἐπειδὴ ἐξετείχισαν τὸ χωρίον, ἀπέπλευσαν ἐπ’ οἴκου.
With their ships, when they had finished fortifying the place, they sailed away home.

Notes

  1. §4.45.1ἄραντες — Aorist active participle (masculine nominative plural) of αἴρω (to raise, lift). It is used idiomatically with the ellipsis of direct objects like τὰς ἀγκύρας (anchors) or τὰ ἱστία (sails), meaning "to set sail" or "to set out."
  2. §4.45.2ἀπολαβόντες — Aorist active participle of ἀπολαμβάνω (to cut off, intercept). It describes blocking off the isthmus (ἰσθμός) of the peninsula, thereby isolating the rest of the peninsula by land through fortification.
  3. §4.45.2ταῖς δὲ ναυσίν — Dative of means or accompaniment, meaning "with their ships" or "by means of their ships."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.45.1-4.45.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.45.1-4.45.2

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