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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.80.1-5.80.3

Spartan-Argive Joint Action and Athenian Evacuation

Passage 580 of 917 · Greek

Summary

After concluding their alliance, Sparta and Argos decided to break ties with Athens and act in unison, while forming alliances with neighboring powers. Regarding the fort at Epidaurus, the Athenians evacuated their garrison through a stratagem and restored the fort.

§5.80.1αἱ μὲν σπονδαὶ καὶ ἡ ξυμμαχία αὕτη ἐγεγένητο· καὶ ὁπόσα ἀλλήλων πολέμῳ ἢ εἴ τι ἄλλο εἶχον, διελύσαντο.
Thus the treaty and the alliance were concluded; and they settled all the disputes regarding what they had taken from one another in war, or whatever else they held.
κοινῇ δὲ ἤδη τὰ πράγματα τιθέμενοι ἐψηφίσαντο κήρυκα καὶ πρεσβείαν παρ’ Ἀθηναίων μὴ προσδέχεσθαι, ἢν μὴ ἐκ Πελοποννήσου ἐξίωσι τὰ τείχη ἐκλιπόντες, καὶ μὴ ξυμβαίνειν τῳ μηδὲ πολεμεῖν ἀλλ’ ἢ ἅμα.
Now managing their affairs in common, they voted not to receive any herald or embassy from the Athenians, unless they should evacuate the forts and withdraw from the Peloponnese, and not to make peace or war with anyone except in common.
§5.80.2καὶ τά τε ἄλλα θυμῷ ἔφερον καὶ ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης χωρία καὶ ὡς Περδίκκαν ἔπεμψαν ἀμφότεροι πρέσβεις, καὶ ἀνέπεισαν Περδίκκαν ξυνομόσαι σφίσιν.
They also pushed forward other matters with enthusiasm, and both states sent ambassadors to the places in the direction of Thrace and to Perdiccas, and they persuaded Perdiccas to join their alliance.
οὐ μέντοι εὐθύς γε ἀπέστη τῶν Ἀθηναίων, ἀλλὰ διενοεῖτο, ὅτι καὶ τοὺς Ἀργείους ἑώρα· ἦν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐξ Ἄργους.
He did not, however, immediately revolt from the Athenians, but was deliberating because he saw the Argives doing so; for he himself was of Argive descent in ancient times.
καὶ τοῖς Χαλκιδεῦσι τούς τε παλαιοὺς ὅρκους ἀνενεώσαντο καὶ ἄλλους ὤμοσαν.
They also renewed their ancient oaths with the Chalcidians and swore new ones.
§5.80.3ἔπεμψαν δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους οἱ Ἀργεῖοι πρέσβεις, τὸ ἐξ Ἐπιδαύρου τεῖχος κελεύοντες ἐκλιπεῖν.
The Argives also sent ambassadors to the Athenians, ordering them to evacuate the fort at Epidaurus.
οἱ δ’ ὁρῶντες ὀλίγοι πρὸς πλείους ὄντες τοὺς ξυμφύλακας, ἔπεμψαν Δημοσθένη τοὺς σφετέρους ἐξάξοντα.
The Athenians, seeing that they were few in number compared to the other guards, sent Demosthenes to bring their men out.
ὁ δὲ ἀφικόμενος καὶ ἀγῶνά τινα πρόφασιν γυμνικὸν ἔξω τοῦ φρουρίου ποιήσας, ὡς ἐξῆλθε τὸ ἄλλο φρούριον, ἀπέκλῃσε τὰς πύλας· καὶ ὕστερον Ἐπιδαυρίοις ἀνανεωσάμενοι τὰς σπονδὰς αὐτοὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἀπέδοσαν τὸ τείχισμα.
Upon his arrival, having arranged a gymnastic contest outside the fortress as a pretext, when the rest of the garrison went out, he shut the gates; and later, having renewed the treaty with the Epidaurians, the Athenians themselves restored the fort.

Notes

  1. 5.80.1ἀλλ’ ἢ ἅμα — The idiom ἀλλ’ ἢ after a negative means 'except' or 'other than'. Here it modifies the infinitive clauses μὴ ξυμβαίνειν μηδὲ πολεμεῖν, specifying that they must not make peace or war with anyone except 'in common' (ἅμα).
  2. 5.80.2ὅτι καὶ τοὺς Ἀργείους ἑώρα — ὅτι is taken as a causal conjunction ('because'). It explains the reason why Perdiccas did not immediately revolt: 'because he saw that the Argives [had also joined the alliance]'. Although it could theoretically introduce an object clause after διενοεῖτο, the causal reading is more natural in this context.
  3. 5.80.3ὁρῶντες ὀλίγοι πρὸς πλείους ὄντες τοὺς ξυμφύλακας — The participle ὄντες agrees with the subject (the Athenians), and ὀλίγοι (few) is its nominative complement. On the other hand, πλείους (more numerous) is in the accusative, modifying τοὺς ξυμφύλακας (the joint-guards). It forms a contrast: 'seeing that they themselves were few compared to the more numerous joint-guards.'

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.80.1-5.80.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.80.1-5.80.3

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