Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.52.1-5.52.2

Boeotian Seizure of Heraclea and Alcibiades' Operations

Passage 552 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Boeotians take over the ruined Heraclea to prevent an Athenian occupation. Alcibiades operates in the Peloponnese to strengthen the alliance and plans the fortification of Patrae and Rhium, which is thwarted by the Corinthians and others.

§5.52.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου θέρους εὐθὺς ἀρχομένου τὴν Ἡράκλειαν, ὡς μετὰ τὴν μάχην κακῶς ἐφθείρετο, Βοιωτοὶ παρέλαβον, καὶ Ἀγησιππίδαν τὸν Λακεδαιμόνιον ὡς οὐ καλῶς ἄρχοντα ἐξέπεμψαν.
At the very beginning of the following summer, the Boeotians took possession of Heraclea, which was in a wretched state of ruin after the battle, and sent away Agesippidas, the Lacedaemonian, on the ground that he was governing badly.
δείσαντες δὲ παρέλαβον τὸ χωρίον μὴ Λακεδαιμονίων τὰ κατὰ Πελοπόννησον θορυβουμένων Ἀθηναῖοι λάβωσιν· Λακεδαιμόνιοι μέντοι ὠργίζοντο αὐτοῖς.
They took over the place because they feared that, while the Lacedaemonians were occupied with the disturbances in the Peloponnese, the Athenians might seize it; the Lacedaemonians, however, were angry with them.
§5.52.2καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ θέρους Ἀλκιβιάδης ὁ Κλεινίου στρατηγὸς ὢν Ἀθηναίων, Ἀργείων καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων ξυμπρασσόντων, ἐλθὼν ἐς Πελοπόννησον μετ’ ὀλίγων Ἀθηναίων ὁπλιτῶν καὶ τοξοτῶν καὶ τῶν αὐτόθεν ξυμμάχων παραλαβὼν τά τε ἄλλα ξυγκαθίστη περὶ τὴν ξυμμαχίαν διαπορευόμενος Πελοπόννησον τῇ στρατιᾷ, καὶ Πατρέας τε τείχη καθεῖναι ἔπεισεν ἐς θάλασσαν καὶ αὐτὸς ἕτερον διενοεῖτο τειχίσαι ἐπὶ τῷ Ῥίῳ τῷ Ἀχαϊκῷ.
And in the same summer, Alcibiades, the son of Cleinias, being a general of the Athenians, with the cooperation of the Argives and their allies, went to the Peloponnese with a few Athenian hoplites and archers, and taking with him the allies from those parts, went about the Peloponnese with his army and settled other matters concerning the alliance; and he persuaded the Patreans to extend their walls down to the sea, and intended himself to build another fort at the Achaean Rhium.
Κορίνθιοι δὲ καὶ Σικυώνιοι, καὶ οἷς ἦν ἐν βλάβῃ τειχισθὲν βοηθήσαντες διεκώλυσαν.
But the Corinthians and Sicyonians, and those to whom its fortification would be a detriment, came to the rescue and prevented him.

Notes

  1. §5.52.1τὴν Ἡράκλειαν — This accusative noun is syntactically the object of the main verb `παρέλαβον`, but is placed at the very beginning of the sentence as a prolepsis (anticipation) for emphasis, preceding the subordinate clause introduced by `ὡς`.
  2. §5.52.1μὴ Λακεδαιμονίων τὰ κατὰ Πελοπόννησον θορυβουμένων Ἀθηναῖοι λάβωσιν — Within the fear clause introduced by `μὴ` (with the subjunctive `λάβωσιν`) depending on the participle `δείσαντες`, a genitive absolute construction `Λακεδαιμονίων ... θορυβουμένων` is embedded to express the simultaneous circumstance.
  3. §5.52.2οἷς ἦν ἐν βλάβῃ τειχισθὲν — A construction consisting of the dative relative pronoun `οἷς` (for whom) and `ἐν βλάβῃ εἶναι` (to be to the detriment of). The neuter singular participle `τειχισθέν` (the building of the fort) functions as the subject.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.52.1-5.52.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.52.1-5.52.2

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.