Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.33.1-5.33.3

Expedition to Parrhasia and Demolition of Cypsela

Passage 533 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Lacedaemonians under King Pleistoanax marched into Parrhasia, which was subject to Mantinea, demolished the fort at Cypsela, and made the Parrhasians independent.

§5.33.1Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ θέρους πανδημεὶ ἐστράτευσαν, Πλειστοάνακτος τοῦ Παυσανίου Λακεδαιμονίων Βασιλέως ἡγουμένου, τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ἐς Παρρασίους, Μαντινέων ὑπηκόους ὄντας, κατὰ στάσιν ἐπικαλεσαμένων σφᾶς, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν Κυψέλοις τεῖχος ἀναιρήσοντες, ἢν δύνωνται, ὃ ἐτείχισαν Μαντινῆς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐφρούρουν, ἐν τῇ Παρρασικῇ κείμενον ἐπὶ τῇ Σκιρίτιδι τῆς Λακωνικῆς.
In the course of the same summer, the Lacedaemonians also, with their whole force, under the command of Pleistoanax son of Pausanias, king of the Lacedaemonians, made an expedition into the territory of the Parrhasians in Arcadia, who were subjects of the Mantineans, having been invited by them on account of a faction, and at the same time intending, if they could, to demolish the fort at Cypsela, which the Mantineans had built and were themselves garrisoning, situated in the Parrhasian territory on the border of Sciritis in Laconia.
§5.33.2καὶ οἱ μὲν Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὴν γῆν τῶν Παρρασίων ἐδῄουν, οἱ δὲ Μαντινῆς τὴν πόλιν Ἀργείοις φύλαξι παραδόντες αὐτοὶ τὴν ξυμμαχίδα ἐφρούρουν· ἀδύνατοι δ’ ὄντες διασῶσαι τό τε ἐν Κυψέλοις τεῖχος καὶ τὰς ἐν Παρρασίοις πόλεις ἀπῆλθον.
And the Lacedaemonians ravaged the land of the Parrhasians, while the Mantineans, having committed their own city to Argive guards, themselves garrisoned their allied territory; but being unable to save both the fort at Cypsela and the cities in Parrhasia, they withdrew.
§5.33.3Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ τούς τε Παρρασίους αὐτονόμους ποιήσαντες καὶ τὸ τεῖχος καθελόντες ἀνεχώρησαν ἐπ’ οἴκου.
The Lacedaemonians, after making the Parrhasians independent and demolishing the fort, returned home.

Notes

  1. 5.33.1ἐπικαλεσαμένων σφᾶς — Although this is a genitive absolute construction, its logical subject is the Parrhasians, who are referred to in the preceding accusative `Παρρασίους`. The genitive is used in the absolute participle to state the cause or circumstance despite the presence of the noun in the accusative.
  2. 5.33.1ἀναιρήσοντες — Future active participle expressing the purpose ('intending to demolish', 'in order to demolish') of the main subject `Lacedaemonians`.
  3. 5.33.2ἀδύνατοι δ’ ὄντες — The nominative participle `ontes` agrees with `Mantineis` (the subject of the main verb `apelthon`) and expresses the cause of their withdrawal ('being unable' or 'since they were unable').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.33.1-5.33.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.33.1-5.33.3

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.