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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.104.1-6.104.3

Gylippus's Voyage to Italy and Nicias's Neglect

Passage 720 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Gylippus, hearing exaggerated reports of Syracuse's complete siege, abandons hope for Sicily and moves to secure Italy, but is forced back to Taras by a storm. Meanwhile, Nicias underestimates Gylippus's small fleet and fails to keep watch.

§6.104.1ἐν δὲ τούτῳ Γύλιππος ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος καὶ αἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Κορίνθου νῆες περὶ Λευκάδα ἤδη ἦσαν, βουλόμενοι ἐς τὴν Σικελίαν διὰ τάχους βοηθῆσαι.
Meanwhile, Gylippus the Lacedaemonian and the ships from Corinth were already around Leucas, wishing to bring aid to Sicily with all speed.
καὶ ὡς αὐτοῖς αἱ ἀγγελίαι ἐφοίτων δειναὶ καὶ πᾶσαι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐψευσμέναι ὡς ἤδη παντελῶς ἀποτετειχισμέναι αἱ Συράκουσαί εἰσι, τῆς μὲν Σικελίας οὐκέτι ἐλπίδα οὐδεμίαν εἶχεν ὁ Γύλιππος, τὴν δὲ Ἰταλίαν βουλόμενος περιποιῆσαι αὐτὸς μὲν καὶ Πυθὴν ὁ Κορίνθιος ναυσὶ δυοῖν μὲν Λακωνικαῖν, δυοῖν δὲ Κορινθίαιν ὅτι τάχιστα ἐπεραιώθησαν τὸν Ἰόνιον ἐς Τάραντα, οἱ δὲ Κορίνθιοι πρὸς ταῖς σφετέραις δέκα Λευκαδίας δύο καὶ Ἀμπρακιώτιδας τρεῖς προσπληρώσαντες ὕστερον ἔμελλον πλεύσεσθαι.
And as the alarming reports kept coming to them, all of them being alike falsely exaggerated to the effect that Syracuse was already completely shut off by walls, Gylippus had no longer any hope for Sicily; but wishing to secure Italy for their side, he himself and Pythen the Corinthian crossed the Ionian Sea to Taras as quickly as possible with two Laconian and two Corinthian ships, while the Corinthians, after equipping two Leucadian and three Ambraciot ships in addition to their own ten, were to sail later.
§6.104.2καὶ ὁ μὲν Γύλιππος ἐκ τοῦ Τάραντος ἐς τὴν Θουρίαν πρῶτον πρεσβευσάμενος καὶ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀνανεωσάμενος πολιτείαν καὶ οὐ δυνάμενος αὐτοὺς προσαγαγέσθαι, ἄρας παρέπλει τὴν Ἰταλίαν, καὶ ἁρπασθεὶς ὑπ’ ἀνέμου κατὰ τὸν Τεριναῖον κόλπον, ὃς ἐκπνεῖ ταύτῃ μέγας κατὰ βορέαν ἑστηκώς, ἀποφέρεται ἐς τὸ πέλαγος, καὶ πάλιν χειμασθεὶς ἐς τὰ μάλιστα τῷ Τάραντι προσμίσγει· καὶ τὰς ναῦς, ὅσαι μάλιστα ἐπόνησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος, ἀνελκύσας ἐπεσκεύαζεν.
And Gylippus, having first sent an embassy from Taras to Thuria and renewed his father's right of citizenship, but being unable to win them over, weighed anchor and coasted along Italy. But being caught by a wind off the Terinaean Gulf, which blows hard in this quarter when the north wind is established, he was carried out into the open sea, and after being tossed by a very violent storm, he made Taras again, where he hauled up and repaired those of his ships which had suffered most from the tempest.
§6.104.3ὁ δὲ Νικίας πυθόμενος αὐτὸν προσπλέοντα ὑπερεῖδε τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νεῶν, ὅπερ καὶ οἱ Θούριοι ἔπαθον, καὶ λῃστικώτερον ἔδοξε παρεσκευασμένους πλεῖν, καὶ οὐδεμίαν φυλακήν πω ἐποιεῖτο.
But Nicias, on hearing of his approach, despised the small number of his ships, just as the Thurians also had done, and thinking that they were sailing equipped more like privateers, he kept as yet no watch.

Notes

  1. §6.104.1ὡς αὐτοῖς αἱ ἀγγελίαι ἐφοίτων δειναὶ καὶ πᾶσαι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐψευσμέναι — The participle `ἐψευσμέναι` modifies `αἱ ἀγγελίαι` attributively, meaning "falsified" or "untrue." The phrase `ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό` is an adverbial expression meaning "in the same direction" or "alike," indicating that all reports were consistently exaggerated.
  2. §6.104.1τὴν δὲ Ἰταλίαν βουλόμενος περιποιῆσαι — The active infinitive of the verb `περιποιέω` means "to preserve for oneself, secure" or "to save." Here, it expresses Gylippus's intention to secure or keep the Italian cities (such as Taras) on the Spartan-Corinthian side, even if Sicily seemed lost.
  3. §6.104.2τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀνανεωσάμενος πολιτείαν — `πολιτεία` refers to "citizenship." Gylippus's father, Cleandridas, had previously been exiled from Sparta and became a citizen of Thurii. The middle voice `ἀνανεόομαι` ("to renew") implies that Gylippus sought to revive for his own benefit the public or private ties of hospitality and friendship based on his father's former citizenship there.
  4. §6.104.2ὃς ἐκπνεῖ ταύτῃ μέγας κατὰ βορέαν ἑστηκώς — The relative pronoun `ὃς` could refer to the preceding `κόλπον` (gulf), but contextually it more naturally refers to `ἀνέμου` (wind). The participle `ἑστηκώς` (perfect of `ἵστημι`) describes a wind that has "set in" or "become established," explaining the nature of the wind that blows hard in this area when the north wind is constant.
  5. §6.104.3ὅπερ καὶ οἱ Θούριοι ἔπαθον — The relative pronoun `ὅπερ` refers back to the general action of the main clause (despising the small number of ships). The verb `ἔπαθον` (aorist of `πάσχω`, "to experience" or "suffer") is used here in the sense of "experienced the same feeling" or "acted likewise," meaning that the Thurians had also held the same contemptuous attitude toward Gylippus's small fleet.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.104.1-6.104.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.104.1-6.104.3

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