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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.100.1-6.100.3

Athenian Assault and Destruction of the Syracusan Counter-Wall

Passage 716 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Taking advantage of the Syracusans' withdrawal after completing their counter-wall, the Athenians launched a surprise attack, captured the palisade, and briefly penetrated the enemy's outwork before being repulsed, ultimately demolishing the counter-wall.

§6.100.1ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῖς Συρακοσίοις ἀρκούντως ἐδόκει ἔχειν ὅσα τε ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ᾠκοδομήθη τοῦ ὑποτειχίσματος, καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἦλθον κωλύσοντες, φοβούμενοι μὴ σφίσι δίχα γιγνομένοις ῥᾷον μάχωνται, καὶ ἅμα τὴν καθ’ αὑτοὺς περιτείχισιν ἐπειγόμενοι, οἱ μὲν Συρακόσιοι φυλὴν μίαν καταλιπόντες φύλακα τοῦ οἰκοδομήματος ἀνεχώρησαν ἐς τὴν πόλιν, οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι τούς τε ὀχετοὺς αὐτῶν, οἳ ἐς τὴν πόλιν ὑπονομηδὸν ποτοῦ ὕδατος ἠγμένοι ἦσαν, διέφθειραν, καὶ τηρήσαντες τούς τε ἄλλους Συρακοσίους κατὰ σκηνὰς ὄντας ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ καί τινας καὶ ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἀποκεχωρηκότας καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ σταυρώματι ἀμελῶς φυλάσσοντας, τριακοσίους μὲν σφῶν αὐτῶν λογάδας καὶ τῶν ψιλῶν τινὰς ἐκλεκτοὺς ὡπλισμένους προύταξαν θεῖν δρόμῳ ἐξαπιναίως πρὸς τὸ ὑποτείχισμα, ἡ δ’ ἄλλη στρατιὰ δίχα, ἡ μὲν μετὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου στρατηγοῦ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, εἰ ἐπιβοηθοῖεν, ἐχώρουν, ἡ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ ἑτέρου πρὸς τὸ σταύρωμα τὸ παρὰ τὴν πυλίδα.
When it seemed to the Syracusans that as much of the counter-wall as had been palisaded and built was sufficient, and the Athenians did not come to prevent them, because they feared that if they divided their forces it would be easier for the enemy to fight them, and at the same time they were pressing on with the circumvallation on their own side, the Syracusans, leaving one tribe as a guard for the building, withdrew into the city. But the Athenians destroyed their waterpipes, which were laid underground to carry drinking water into the city, and having watched for the time when the other Syracusans were in their tents at midday, and some had even gone back into the city, and those in the palisade were keeping guard carelessly, they ordered three hundred picked men of their own and some selected light-armed troops who were armed to run suddenly at the double towards the counter-wall; while the rest of the army divided in two, one part under one of the generals marching toward the city in case they should come to the rescue, and the other under the other general toward the palisade near the postern gate.
§6.100.2καὶ προσβαλόντες οἱ τριακόσιοι αἱροῦσι τὸ σταύρωμα· καὶ οἱ φύλακες αὐτὸ ἐκλιπόντες κατέφυγον ἐς τὸ προτείχισμα τὸ περὶ τὸν Τεμενίτην.
And the three hundred, making the assault, captured the palisade; and the guards, abandoning it, fled into the outwork around the Temenites.
καὶ αὐτοῖς ξυνεσέπεσον οἱ διώκοντες, καὶ ἐντὸς γενόμενοι βίᾳ ἐξεκρούσθησαν πάλιν ὑπὸ τῶν Συρακοσίων, καὶ τῶν Ἀργείων τινὲς αὐτόθι καὶ τῶν Ἀθηναίων οὐ πολλοὶ διεφθάρησαν.
The pursuers rushed in together with them, but once inside, they were driven out again by force by the Syracusans, and there some of the Argives and a few of the Athenians were killed.
§6.100.3καὶ ἐπαναχωρήσασα ἡ πᾶσα στρατιὰ τήν τε ὑποτείχισιν καθεῖλον καὶ τὸ σταύρωμα ἀνέσπασαν καὶ διεφόρησαν τοὺς σταυροὺς παρ’ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τροπαῖον ἔστησαν.
Then the whole army, having retreated, demolished the counter-wall, pulled up the palisade, carried the stakes away to their own lines, and erected a trophy.

Notes

  1. §6.100.1ἀρκούντως ἐδόκει ἔχειν — The infinitive ἔχειν is used intransitively with the adverb ἀρκούντως (sufficiently) to mean 'to be in a certain state', functioning as the complementary infinitive of ἐδόκει (seemed). The subject is the relative clause beginning with ὅσα (as much of the counter-wall as had been palisaded and built).
  2. §6.100.1φοβούμενοι μὴ σφίσι δίχα γιγνομένοις ῥᾷον μάχωνται — A fear clause introduced by μὴ after the participle φοβούμενοι (fearing). The subject of the subjunctive μάχωνται is the Syracusans, and the indirect reflexive pronoun in the dative, σφίσι (referring back to the Athenians), indicates the object of μάχωνται (fight, attack). The dative participle δίχα γιγνομένοις (being divided) agrees with σφίσι, meaning 'fearing lest, if they (the Athenians) were divided, the enemy should fight them more easily.'
  3. §6.100.1ἡ δ’ ἄλλη στρατιὰ δίχα... ἐχώρουν — Although the subject ἡ δ’ ἄλλη στρατιὰ (the rest of the army) is singular as a collective noun, the verb ἐχώρουν is in the plural because of the division indicated by δίχα (in two) and the subsequent ἡ μὲν... ἡ δὲ... structure. This is an instance of constructio ad sensum (agreement according to sense).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.100.1-6.100.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.100.1-6.100.3

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