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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.13.1-5.13.2

Ramphias's Retreat from Thessaly and Moves toward Peace

Passage 513 of 917 · Greek

Summary

With the onset of winter, the Spartan reinforcements under Ramphias advance as far as Thessaly, but they decide to abandon the expedition and return home upon learning of Brasidas' death, the Athenian retreat, and their home government's inclination toward peace.

§5.13.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος εὐθὺς μέχρι μὲν Πιερίου τῆς Θεσσαλίας διῆλθον οἱ περὶ τὸν Ῥαμφίαν, κωλυόντων δὲ τῶν Θεσσαλῶν καὶ ἅμα Βρασίδου τεθνεῶτος, ᾧπερ ἦγον τὴν στρατιάν, ἀπετράποντο ἐπ’ οἴκου, νομίσαντες οὐδένα καιρὸν ἔτι εἶναι τῶν τε Ἀθηναίων ἥσσῃ ἀπεληλυθότων καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόχρεων αὐτῶν ὄντων δρᾶν τι ὧν κἀκεῖνος ἐπενόει.
At the very beginning of the following winter, Ramphias and his men advanced as far as Pierium in Thessaly; but as the Thessalians opposed their passage, and at the same time Brasidas, for whom they were bringing the army, was dead, they turned back home, thinking that there was no longer any opportunity, since the Athenians had departed after their defeat, and they themselves were not capable of carrying out any of the plans which he had intended.
§5.13.2μάλιστα δὲ ἀπῆλθον εἰδότες τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους, ὅτε ἐξῇσαν, πρὸς τὴν εἰρήνην μᾶλλον τὴν γνώμην ἔχοντας.
Above all, they returned because they knew, when they set out, that the Lacedaemonians were more inclined toward peace.

Notes

  1. 5.13.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος εὐθὺς — Genitive of time, meaning "at the very beginning of the following winter," with the adverb εὐθὺς directly modifying the genitive phrase.
  2. 5.13.1κωλυόντων δὲ τῶν Θεσσαλῶν ... νομίσαντες οὐδένα καιρὸν ἔτι εἶναι τῶν τε Ἀθηναίων ἥσσῃ ἀπεληλυθότων καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόχρεων αὐτῶν ὄντων — Multiple genitive absolute constructions are layered here. The first set, `κωλυόντων τῶν Θεσσαλῶν` and `Βρασίδου τεθνεῶτος`, provides the direct reasons for the main verb `ἀπετράποντο`. The second set, `τῶν τε Ἀθηναίων ... ἀπεληλυθότων` and `οὐκ ἀξιόχρεων αὐτῶν ὄντων`, also genitive absolutes, explains the circumstances serving as the basis for the participle `νομίσαντες`. The pronoun `αὐτῶν` refers to Ramphias and his expeditionary force.
  3. 5.13.2εἰδότες τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ... ἔχοντας — The participle of knowing, `εἰδότες`, takes the accusative subject `τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους` and the participle `ἔχοντας`, forming an indirect discourse construction (participial complement) expressing the knowledge of a fact.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.13.1-5.13.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.13.1-5.13.2

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