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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.51.1-5.51.2

Battle at Heraclea in Trachis and End of Year Twelve

Passage 551 of 917 · Greek

Summary

In the following winter, a battle breaks out in Heraclea in Trachis against hostile neighboring tribes, in which the Lacedaemonian governor is killed, bringing the twelfth year of the war to an end.

§5.51.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος Ἡρακλεώταις τοῖς ἐν Τραχῖνι μάχη ἐγένετο πρὸς Αἰνιᾶνας καὶ Δόλοπας καὶ Μηλιᾶς καὶ Θεσσαλῶν τινάς.
In the following winter, a battle took place between the Heracleots in Trachis and the Aenianians, Dolopes, Malians, and certain of the Thessalians.
§5.51.2προσοικοῦντα γὰρ τὰ ἔθνη ταῦτα τῇ πόλει πολέμια ἦν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπ’ ἄλλῃ τινὶ γῇ ἢ τῇ τούτων τὸ χωρίον ἐτειχίσθη.
For these tribes, dwelling adjacent to the city, were hostile to it; for the place had been fortified on no other land than theirs.
καὶ εὐθύς τε καθισταμένῃ τῇ πόλει ἠναντιοῦντο ἐς ὅσον ἐδύναντο φθείροντες καὶ τότε τῇ μάχῃ ἐνίκησαν τοὺς Ἡρακλεώτας, καὶ Ξενάρης ὁ Κνίδιος Λακεδαιμόνιος ἄρχων αὐτῶν ἀπέθανε, διεφθάρησαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι τῶν Ἡρακλεωτῶν.
From the very beginning, while the city was being established, they had opposed it, doing damage as much as they could, and on this occasion they defeated the Heracleots in the battle; and Xenares, the son of Cnidius, their Lacedaemonian governor, was killed, and others of the Heracleots also perished.
καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα, καὶ δωδέκατον ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα.
And the winter ended, and the twelfth year of the war came to an end.

Notes

  1. 5.51.2τῇ τούτων — Consisting of the feminine dative singular article τῇ (agreeing with the preceding γῇ) and the genitive plural τούτων, meaning 'their land'. Together with the comparative ἤ, it forms 'on no other land than theirs', emphasizing that the city was built precisely on their own territory.
  2. 5.51.2καθισταμένῃ τῇ πόλει — Present middle-passive participle of καθίστημι in the dative, describing the state of the city 'being established'. This dative is either governed by the verb ἠναντιοῦντο ('they opposed') or functions as a dative of time ('at the very time when the city was being established').
  3. 5.51.2Ξενάρης ὁ Κνίδιος Λακεδαιμόνιος — Since Xenares is explicitly called a 'Lacedaemonian (Λακεδαιμόνιος)', the attributive ὁ Κνίδιος cannot mean 'the Cnidian' (from Cnidus), but must be understood as a patronymic meaning 'the son of Cnidius' (Cnidius being the father's proper name).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.51.1-5.51.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.51.1-5.51.2

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