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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.56.1-4.56.2

Raids on the Laconian Coast and the Move to Thyrea

Passage 421 of 917 · Greek

Summary

While the Athenian forces ravage the Lacedaemonian coast, only one garrison attempts a counter-attack but is repulsed, after which the Athenians return to Cythera. Subsequently, the Athenians sail to Thyrea, a border territory given by Sparta to the exiled Aeginetans.

§4.56.1τοῖς δὲ Ἀθηναίοις τότε τὴν παραθαλάσσιον δῃοῦσι τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ἡσύχασαν, ὡς καθ᾽ ἑκάστην φρουρὰν γίγνοιτό τις ἀπόβασις, πλήθει τε ἐλάσσους ἕκαστοι ἡγούμενοι εἶναι καὶ ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ·
While the Athenians were then ravaging the coastal region, most of the Lacedaemonian garrisons remained quiet whenever a landing took place at their respective posts, thinking as they did that they were individually inferior in number and being in the state of mind described above.
μία δὲ φρουρά, ἥπερ καὶ ἠμύνατο περὶ Κοτύρταν καὶ Ἀφροδιτίαν, τὸν μὲν ὄχλον τῶν ψιλῶν ἐσκεδασμένον ἐφόβησεν ἐπιδρομῇ, τῶν δὲ ὁπλιτῶν δεξαμένων ὑπεχώρησε πάλιν, καὶ ἄνδρες τέ τινες ἀπέθανον αὐτῶν ὀλίγοι καὶ ὅπλα ἐλήφθη, τροπαῖόν τε στήσαντες οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἀπέπλευσαν ἐς Κύθηρα.
However, one garrison, which actually put up a defense around Cotyrta and Aphroditia, put to flight by a sudden charge the scattered crowd of light-armed troops, but when the hoplites received their attack, it retreated again, and a few of their men were killed and some arms taken. The Athenians, having erected a trophy, sailed back to Cythera.
§4.56.2ἐκ δὲ αὐτῶν περιέπλευσαν ἐς Ἐπίδαυρον τὴν Λιμηράν, καὶ δῃώσαντες μέρος τι τῆς γῆς ἀφικνοῦνται ἐπὶ Θυρέαν, ἥ ἐστι μὲν τῆς Κυνουρίας γῆς καλουμένης, μεθορία δὲ τῆς Ἀργείας καὶ Λακωνικῆς·
From there they sailed round to Epidaurus Limera, and after ravaging a part of its territory, they arrived at Thyrea, which belongs to the so-called Cynurian land, being on the border of Argolis and Laconia.
νεμόμενοι δὲ αὐτὴν ἔδοσαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι Αἰγινήταις ἐκπεσοῦσιν ἐνοικεῖν διά τε τὰς ὑπὸ τὸν σεισμὸν σφίσι γενομένας καὶ τῶν Εἱλώτων τὴν ἐπανάστασιν εὐεργεσίας καὶ ὅτι Ἀθηναίων ὑπακούοντες ὅμως πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων γνώμην αἰεὶ ἕστασαν.
The Lacedaemonians, who held this land, had given it to the Aeginetans to dwell in when they were expelled, both on account of the services rendered to them at the time of the earthquake and the revolt of the Helots, and because, although they were subjects of the Athenians, they had always stood by the Lacedaemonian interest.

Notes

  1. §4.56.1τοῖς δὲ Ἀθηναίοις τότε τὴν παραθαλάσσιον δῃοῦσι — This dative phrase functions as a dative of relation (or disadvantage) grammatically dependent on the main verb `ἡσύχασαν`, meaning 'in relation to the Athenians ravaging the coastal region (the garrisons remained quiet)'. It serves a function similar to a genitive absolute, setting the background of the sentence.
  2. §4.56.1ὡς καθ᾽ ἑκάστην φρουρὰν γίγνοιτό τις ἀπόβασις — The conjunction `ὡς` is used here with the optative of repetition `γίγνοιτό`, expressing indefinite repetition ('whenever a landing took place at each garrison's post'). Alternatively, it could express a subjective reason ('inasmuch as...'), but the iterative interpretation is more natural in this context.
  3. §4.56.1καὶ ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ — Refers back to the psychological and situational state of the Lacedaemonians—their panic, loss of confidence, and timidity—which was described in detail in the preceding chapter (4.55).
  4. §4.56.2νεμόμενοι δὲ αὐτὴν ἔδοσαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι — The present participle `νεμόμενοι` (possessing / occupying) stands in a circumstantial relation to the main verb `ἔδοσαν` (gave), expressing either the reason ('since they themselves possessed it') or the attendant circumstance ('possessing it, they gave it').
  5. §4.56.2Ἀθηναίων ὑπακούοντες ὅμως πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων γνώμην αἰεὶ ἕστασαν — The participle `ὑπακούοντες` governs the genitive `Ἀθηναίων` and, accompanied by the adverb `ὅμως`, has a concessive meaning ('although they were subjects of the Athenians'). The pronoun `ἐκείνων` refers back to the main subject, the Lacedaemonians (`Λακεδαιμόνιοι`), indicating that the Aeginetans always stood by the Lacedaemonian interest despite being under Athenian rule.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.56.1-4.56.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.56.1-4.56.2

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