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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §5.83.1-5.83.4

Demolition of Argos' Walls and Blockade of Macedon

Passage 583 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Lacedaemonians destroyed the long walls of Argos, and the Athenians blockaded Perdiccas of Macedon on account of his betrayal of their alliance.

§5.83.1τοῦ δ’ ἐπιγιγνομένου χειμῶνος Λακεδαιμόνιοι ὡς ᾔσθοντο τειχιζόντων, ἐστράτευσαν ἐς τὸ Ἄργος αὐτοί τε καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι πλὴν Κορινθίων· ὑπῆρχε δέ τι αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Ἄργους αὐτόθεν πρασσόμενον.
In the following winter, when the Lacedaemonians perceived that they were building the walls, they and their allies, except the Corinthians, marched against Argos; there was also some intrigue being carried on for them from within Argos itself.
ἦγε δὲ τὴν στρατιὰν Ἆγις ὁ Ἀρχιδάμου Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεύς. §5.83.2καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως δοκοῦντα προϋπάρχειν οὐ προυχώρησεν ἔτι· τὰ δὲ οἰκοδομούμενα τείχη ἑλόντες καὶ καταβαλόντες καὶ Ὑσιὰς χωρίον τῆς Ἀργείας λαβόντες καὶ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους ἅπαντας οὓς ἔλαβον ἀποκτείναντες ἀνεχώρησαν καὶ διελύθησαν κατὰ πόλεις. §5.83.3ἐστράτευσαν δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἀργεῖοι ἐς τὴν Φλειασίαν καὶ δῃώσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὅτι σφῶν τοὺς φυγάδας ὑπεδέχοντο· οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα κατῴκηντο. §5.83.4κατέκλῃσαν δὲ τοῦ αὐτοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ Μακεδόνας Ἀθηναῖοι, Περδίκκᾳ ἐπικαλοῦντες τήν τε πρὸς Ἀργείους καὶ Λακεδαιμονίους γενομένην ξυνωμοσίαν, καὶ ὅτι παρασκευασαμένων αὐτῶν στρατιὰν ἄγειν ἐπὶ Χαλκιδέας τοὺς ἐπὶ Θρᾴκης καὶ Ἀμφίπολιν Νικίου τοῦ Νικηράτου στρατηγοῦντος ἔψευστο τὴν ξυμμαχίαν καὶ ἡ στρατεία μάλιστα διελύθη ἐκείνου †ἀπάραντος †· πολέμιος οὖν ἦν.
The army was led by Agis, the son of Archidamus, king of the Lacedaemonians. But the expectations from within the city, which had seemed to be ready beforehand, did not progress further; and having taken and demolished the walls that were being built, and having captured Hysiae, a place in the Argive territory, and killed all the free men whom they took, they retreated and dispersed to their respective cities. After this, the Argives also marched into Phliasia, and having ravaged it, departed, because they had received their refugees; for most of them had settled there. In the same winter, the Athenians also blockaded the Macedonians, accusing Perdiccas of the conspiracy formed with the Argives and Lacedaemonians, and that when they had prepared to lead an army against the Chalcidians in the direction of Thrace and Amphipolis, under the command of Nicias the son of Niceratus, he had broken his alliance, and the expedition was chiefly broken up because of his departure; he was therefore an enemy.
καὶ ὁ χειμὼν ἐτελεύτα οὗτος, καὶ πέμπτον καὶ δέκατον ἔτος τῷ πολέμῳ ἐτελεύτα.
And this winter ended, and the fifteenth year of the war came to an end.

Notes

  1. §5.83.1τειχιζόντων — A genitive present participle functioning as the complement of ᾔσθοντο (verb of perception), with the implied subject being the Argives from the context.
  2. §5.83.1πρασσόμενον — A neuter singular present participle modifying τι, meaning "some intrigue being carried on." αὐτοῖς is a dative of advantage, interpreted as "for them (the Lacedaemonians)."
  3. §5.83.2τὰ μὲν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως δοκοῦντα προϋπάρχειν — A neuter plural nominative phrase acting as the subject of the singular verb προυχώρησεν. It refers to "the things from the city which seemed to be ready beforehand," namely, the assistance of the internal conspirators.
  4. §5.83.4ἐκείνου ἀπάραντος — Marked with daggers (†) indicating textual corruption. It is a genitive absolute construction, generally understood as Perdiccas' "departure" or "defection," which led directly to the abandonment of the Athenian expedition.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §5.83.1-5.83.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.83.1-5.83.4

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