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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.57.1-5.57.2

Spartan and Allied Expedition against Argos

Passage 557 of 917 · Greek

Summary

In the middle of summer, the Lacedaemonians and their allies launch a major campaign against Argos to relieve Epidaurus and other struggling allies, concentrating a massive army at Phlius.

§5.57.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου θέρους μεσοῦντος Λακεδαιμόνιοι, ὡς αὐτοῖς οἵ τε Ἐπιδαύριοι ξύμμαχοι ὄντες ἐταλαιπώρουν καὶ τἆλλα ἐν τῇ Πελοποννήσῳ τὰ μὲν ἀφειστήκει, τὰ δ’ οὐ καλῶς εἶχε, νομίσαντες, εἰ μὴ προκαταλήψονται ἐν τάχει, ἐπὶ πλέον χωρήσεσθαι αὐτά, ἐστράτευον αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ Εἵλωτες πανδημεὶ ἐπ’ Ἄργος· ἡγεῖτο δὲ Ἆγις ὁ Ἀρχιδάμου Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεύς.
In the middle of the following summer, the Lacedaemonians, seeing that their allies the Epidaurians were in distress, and that of the other affairs in the Peloponnese some had revolted and others were in a bad state, and thinking that if they did not quickly take precautionary measures, these matters would go still further, marched with their whole force, themselves and the Helots, against Argos; and Agis the son of Archidamus, king of the Lacedaemonians, was in command.
§5.57.2ξυνεστράτευον δ’ αὐτοῖς Τεγεᾶταί τε καὶ ὅσοι ἄλλοι Ἀρκάδων Λακεδαιμονίοις ξύμμαχοι ἦσαν.
There marched with them the Tegeans and all the other Arcadians who were allies of the Lacedaemonians.
οἱ δ’ ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης Πελοποννήσου ξύμμαχοι καὶ οἱ ἔξωθεν ἐς Φλειοῦντα ξυνελέγοντο, Βοιωτοὶ μὲν πεντακισχίλιοι ὁπλῖται καὶ τοσοῦτοι ψιλοὶ καὶ ἱππῆς πεντακόσιοι καὶ ἅμιπποι ἴσοι, Κορίνθιοι δὲ δισχίλιοι ὁπλῖται, οἱ δ’ ἄλλοι ὡς ἕκαστοι, Φλειάσιοι δὲ πανστρατιᾷ, ὅτι ἐν τῇ ἐκείνων ἦν τὸ στράτευμα.
But the allies from the rest of the Peloponnese and those from without assembled at Phlius: the Boeotians with five thousand hoplites, as many light-armed troops, five hundred cavalry, and an equal number of hamippoi; the Corinthians with two thousand hoplites; the others as they severally might; and the Phliasians with their whole force, because the army was in their territory.

Notes

  1. §5.57.1εἰ μὴ προκαταλήψονται — A conditional clause meaning 'if they should not anticipate/take precautionary measures.' Although the main context is past (νομίσαντες... ἐστράτευον), the indicative future of the direct speech is retained here instead of being changed to the optative in indirect discourse, emphasizing the urgency and certainty of the situation.
  2. §5.57.2ἅμιπποι ἴσοι — Meaning 'an equal number of foot-soldiers.' The ἅμιπποι were specially trained light-armed infantrymen who ran alongside the cavalry and supported them in battle.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.57.1-5.57.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.57.1-5.57.2

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