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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.61.1-5.61.5

Athenian Reinforcements and Surrender of Orchomenus

Passage 561 of 917 · Greek

Summary

With the arrival of Athenian reinforcements, the allies, persuaded by Alcibiades and others, marched against and besieged Orcomenus in Arcadia, which quickly surrendered and joined their alliance.

§5.61.1μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο Ἀθηναίων βοηθησάντων χιλίων ὁπλιτῶν καὶ τριακοσίων ἱππέων, ὧν ἐστρατήγουν Λάχης καὶ Νικόστρατος, οἱ Ἀργεῖοι (ὅμως γὰρ τὰς σπονδὰς ὤκνουν λῦσαι πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους) ἀπιέναι ἐκέλευον αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον οὐ προσῆγον βουλομένους χρηματίσαι, πρὶν δὴ Μαντινῆς καὶ Ἠλεῖοι (ἔτι γὰρ παρῆσαν) κατηνάγκασαν δεόμενοι.
After this, when the Athenians had come to their aid with a thousand hoplites and three hundred cavalry, commanded by Laches and Nicostratus as generals, the Argives (for they were nevertheless reluctant to break the truce with the Lacedaemonians) ordered them to depart and would not bring them before the assembly, though they wished to transact business, until the Mantineans and Eleans (for they were still present) forced them by their entreaties.
§5.61.2καὶ ἔλεγον οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀλκιβιάδου πρεσβευτοῦ παρόντος ἔν τε τοῖς Ἀργείοις καὶ ξυμμάχοις ταῦτα, ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς αἱ σπονδαὶ ἄνευ τῶν ἄλλων ξυμμάχων καὶ γένοιντο, καὶ νῦν (ἐν καιρῷ γὰρ παρεῖναι σφεῖς) ἅπτεσθαι χρῆναι τοῦ πολέμου.
And the Athenians, Alcibiades being present as ambassador, said these things to the Argives and the allies: that the truce had not been rightly made without the other allies, and that now, since they themselves had arrived opportunely, they ought to take up the war.
§5.61.3καὶ πείσαντες ἐκ τῶν λόγων τοὺς ξυμμάχους εὐθὺς ἐχώρουν ἐπὶ Ὀρχομενὸν τὸν Ἀρκαδικὸν πάντες πλὴν Ἀργείων· οὗτοι δὲ ὅμως καὶ πεισθέντες ὑπελείποντο πρῶτον, ἔπειτα δ᾽ ὕστερον καὶ οὗτοι ἦλθον.
And having persuaded the allies by their arguments, they all immediately marched against Orcomenus in Arcadia, except the Argives; and the latter, though they also had been persuaded, remained behind at first, but later they too came.
§5.61.4καὶ προσκαθεζόμενοι τὸν Ὀρχομενὸν πάντες ἐπολιόρκουν καὶ προσβολὰς ἐποιοῦντο, βουλόμενοι ἄλλως τε προσγενέσθαι σφίσι καὶ ὅμηροι ἐκ τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ἦσαν αὐτόθι ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων κείμενοι.
And sitting down before Orcomenus, they all besieged it and made assaults, wishing both on other accounts to gain it over, and because there were hostages from Arcadia deposited there by the Lacedaemonians.
§5.61.5οἱ δὲ Ὀρχομένιοι δείσαντες τήν τε τοῦ τείχους ἀσθένειαν καὶ τοῦ στρατοῦ τὸ πλῆθος καί, ὡς οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐβοήθει, μὴ προαπόλωνται, ξυνέβησαν ὥστε ξύμμαχοί τε εἶναι καὶ ὁμήρους σφῶν τε αὐτῶν δοῦναι Μαντινεῦσι καὶ οὓς κατέθεντο Λακεδαιμόνιοι παραδοῦναι.
And the Orcomenians, fearing the weakness of their wall and the multitude of the army, and lest they should be destroyed before any help arrived, as no one was assisting them, came to an agreement to become allies, to give hostages of their own to the Mantineans, and to deliver up those whom the Lacedaemonians had deposited.

Notes

  1. §5.61.1Ἀθηναίων βοηθησάντων χιλίων ὁπλιτῶν — Genitive absolute, expressing the temporal and circumstantial background ("when the Athenians had come to their aid").
  2. §5.61.1βουλομένους χρηματίσαι — The accusative present participle `βουλομένους` modifies the preceding pronoun `αὐτούς` (the Athenians) and is best interpreted concessively ("although they wished to transact business").
  3. §5.61.2ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθῶς αἱ σπονδαὶ ἄνευ τῶν ἄλλων ξυμμάχων καὶ γένοιντο, καὶ νῦν ... ἅπτεσθαι χρῆναι τοῦ πολέμου — A transition in indirect discourse. The first clause is introduced by the conjunction `ὅτι` with the optative `γένοιντο` (optative of indirect discourse), while the second clause with `καὶ νῦν ...` transitions smoothly into an accusative and infinitive construction governed directly by `ἔλεγον` (implied with `χρῆναι`).
  4. §5.61.5μὴ προαπόλωνται — A fear clause introduced by the participle `δείσαντες` (expressing fear). Although dependent on a past-tense verbal idea, the subjunctive `προαπόλωνται` is retained instead of the optative, conveying a sense of vividness (repraesentatio).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.61.1-5.61.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.61.1-5.61.5

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