Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §4.96.1-4.96.9

Battle of Delium and the Rout of the Athenians

Passage 461 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Battle of Delium begins; despite early Athenian success on one side, a Boeotian right-wing counter-push and a sudden cavalry ambush by Pagondas throw the Athenians into a panic, leading to their total rout and retreat.

§4.96.1τοιαῦτα τοῦ Ἱπποκράτους παρακελευομένου καὶ μέχρι μὲν μέσου τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἐπελθόντος, τὸ δὲ πλέον οὐκέτι φθάσαντος, οἱ Βοιωτοί, παρακελευσαμένου καὶ σφίσιν ὡς διὰ ταχέων καὶ ἐνταῦθα Παγώνδου, παιανίσαντες ἐπῇσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ λόφου.
While Hippocrates was thus exhorting them and had gone as far as the middle of the army, but had no longer had time to go further, the Boeotians, Pagondas having also exhorted them there as quickly as possible, sang the paean and charged down from the hill.
ἀντεπῇσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ προσέμειξαν δρόμῳ.
The Athenians also charged against them and engaged at a run.
§4.96.2καὶ ἑκατέρων τῶν στρατοπέδων τὰ ἔσχατα οὐκ ἦλθεν ἐς χεῖρας, ἀλλὰ τὸ αὐτὸ ἔπαθεν· ῥύακες γὰρ ἐκώλυσαν.
And the extremities of both armies did not come to blows, but suffered the same fate; for torrents prevented them.
τὸ δὲ ἄλλο καρτερᾷ μάχῃ καὶ ὠθισμῷ ἀσπίδων ξυνειστήκει.
But the rest engaged in a fierce battle and pushing of shields.
§4.96.3καὶ τὸ μὲν εὐώνυμον τῶν Βοιωτῶν καὶ μέχρι μέσου ἡσσᾶτο ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀθηναίων, καὶ ἐπίεσαν τούς τε ἄλλους ταύτῃ καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα τοὺς Θεσπιᾶς.
And the left wing of the Boeotians, even up to the center, was being defeated by the Athenians, and they pressed hard upon the others in that quarter, and not least the Thespians.
ὑποχωρησάντων γὰρ αὐτοῖς τῶν παρατεταγμένων, καὶ κυκλωθέντων ἐν ὀλίγῳ, οἵπερ διεφθάρησαν Θεσπιῶν, ἐν χερσὶν ἀμυνόμενοι κατεκόπησαν· καί τινες καὶ τῶν Ἀθηναίων διὰ τὴν κύκλωσιν ταραχθέντες ἠγνόησάν τε καὶ ἀπέκτειναν ἀλλήλους.
For their neighbours in the line having given way, and they being surrounded in a narrow space, those of the Thespians who perished were cut down fighting hand to hand; and some even of the Athenians, thrown into confusion by the surrounding, failed to recognize and killed one another.
§4.96.4τὸ μὲν οὖν ταύτῃ ἡσσᾶτο τῶν Βοιωτῶν καὶ πρὸς τὸ μαχόμενον κατέφυγε, τὸ δὲ δεξιόν, ᾗ οἱ Θηβαῖοι ἦσαν, ἐκράτει τῶν Ἀθηναίων, καὶ ὠσάμενοι κατὰ βραχὺ τὸ πρῶτον ἐπηκολούθουν.
In this part, then, the Boeotians were being defeated and fled to the part that was still fighting; but their right wing, where the Thebans were, was defeating the Athenians, and having pushed them back, at first followed them up step by step.
§4.96.5καὶ ξυνέβη, Παγώνδου περιπέμψαντος δύο τέλη τῶν ἱππέων ἐκ τοῦ ἀφανοῦς περὶ τὸν λόφον, ὡς ἐπόνει τὸ εὐώνυμον αὐτῶν, καὶ ὑπερφανέντων αἰφνιδίως, τὸ νικῶν τῶν Ἀθηναίων κέρας, νομίσαν ἄλλο στράτευμα ἐπιέναι, ἐς φόβον καταστῆναι· §4.96.6καὶ ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἤδη, ὑπό τε τοῦ τοιούτου καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Θηβαίων ἐφεπομένων καὶ παραρρηγνύντων, φυγὴ καθειστήκει παντὸς τοῦ στρατοῦ τῶν Ἀθηναίων.
And it happened that, Pagondas having sent two squadrons of cavalry round the hill from out of sight, since their left wing was in distress, and these having suddenly appeared, the victorious wing of the Athenians, thinking that another army was coming against them, fell into a panic; and now on both sides, owing to this circumstance and to the Thebans who were pursuing and breaking their line, a flight was established of the whole Athenian army.
§4.96.7καὶ οἱ μὲν πρὸς τὸ Δήλιόν τε καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ὥρμησαν, οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὠρωποῦ, ἄλλοι δὲ πρὸς Πάρνηθα τὸ ὄρος, οἱ δὲ ὡς ἕκαστοί τινα εἶχον ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας.
And some rushed towards Delium and the sea, others to Oropus, others towards Mount Parnes, and others as each had some hope of safety.
§4.96.8Βοιωτοὶ δὲ ἐφεπόμενοι ἔκτεινον, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ἱππῆς οἵ τε αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ Λοκροὶ βεβοηθηκότες ἄρτι τῆς τροπῆς γιγνομένης· νυκτὸς δὲ ἐπιλαβούσης τὸ ἔργον ῥᾷον τὸ πλῆθος τῶν φευγόντων διεσώθη.
And the Boeotians followed and slew them, and especially their own cavalry and the Locrians who had come to their aid just as the rout was taking place; but night having come on, the work was made easier, and the multitude of the fugitives escaped in safety.
§4.96.9καὶ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ οἵ τε ἐκ τοῦ Ὠρωποῦ καὶ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ Δηλίου φυλακὴν ἐγκαταλιπόντες (εἶχον γὰρ αὐτὸ ὅμως ἔτι) ἀπεκομίσθησαν κατὰ θάλασσαν ἐπ’ οἴκου.
And on the following day, those from Oropus and those from Delium, having left a garrison (for they still held it nevertheless), were carried back by sea to their home.

Notes

  1. 4.96.1τὸ δὲ πλέον οὐκέτι φθάσαντος — Part of the genitive absolute `τοῦ Ἱπποκράτους ... φθάσαντος`. The verb `φθάνω` is used here without a participle, meaning 'not to have time (to go further)' or 'to be unable to reach further in time.' `τὸ πλέον` is an adverbial accusative meaning 'any further.'
  2. 4.96.3οἵπερ διεφθάρησαν Θεσπιῶν — `Θεσπιῶν` is a partitive genitive depending on the relative pronoun `οἵπερ`, meaning 'those of the Thespians who perished.' This whole relative clause functions as a noun phrase serving as the subject of the passive verb `κατεκόπησαν` in the main clause.
  3. 4.96.5ξυνέβη ... ἐς φόβον καταστῆναι — An infinitive clause functioning as the subject of the impersonal verb `ξυνέβη` ('it happened'). The logical subject of the infinitive `καταστῆναι` is the neuter noun phrase `τὸ νικῶν τῶν Ἀθηναίων κέρας` ('the victorious wing of the Athenians'), which remains in the nominative rather than the accusative case. The syntax is interrupted by multiple genitive absolute clauses, requiring careful attention to trace the connection.
  4. 4.96.8νυκτὸς δὲ ἐπιλαβούσης — Genitive absolute, meaning 'night having come on' or 'night having overtaken them.' The verb `ἐπιλαμβάνω` is used here intransitively (or with an implied object) in the sense of 'overtaking' or 'falling.' This explains the circumstance that made the escape of the fleeing Athenians easier (`ῥᾷον`).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §4.96.1-4.96.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.96.1-4.96.9

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.