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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.42.1-6.42.2

Division of the Fleet at Corcyra and Advance Ships

Passage 658 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian and allied forces assemble in Corcyra, where the generals review and divide the army into three divisions. They then dispatch three advance ships to Italy and Sicily to inquire which cities will receive them.

§6.42.1οἱ δ’ Ἀθηναῖοι ἤδη ἐν τῇ Κερκύρᾳ αὐτοί τε καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι ἅπαντες ἦσαν.
Meanwhile, the Athenians themselves and all their allies were already in Corcyra.
καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπεξέτασιν τοῦ στρατεύματος καὶ ξύνταξιν, ὥσπερ ἔμελλον ὁρμιεῖσθαί τε καὶ στρατοπεδεύεσθαι, οἱ στρατηγοὶ ἐποιήσαντο, καὶ τρία μέρη νείμαντες ἓν ἑκάστῳ ἐκλήρωσαν, ἵνα μήτε ἅμα πλέοντες ἀπορῶσιν ὕδατος καὶ λιμένων καὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἐν ταῖς καταγωγαῖς, πρός τε τἆλλα εὐκοσμότεροι καὶ ῥᾴους ἄρχειν ὦσι, κατὰ τέλη στρατηγῷ προστεταγμένοι·
And first of all, the generals held a review and organization of the army, in the manner they were about to anchor and encamp, and having divided it into three parts, they assigned one to each by lot, so that by not sailing all together they might not suffer from a lack of water, harbors, and provisions at their landing places, and in other respects might be more orderly and easier to command, being assigned to a general by divisions.
§6.42.2ἔπειτα δὲ προύπεμψαν καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν καὶ Σικελίαν τρεῖς ναῦς εἰσομένας αἵτινες σφᾶς τῶν πόλεων δέξονται.
Next, they also sent ahead three ships to Italy and Sicily to find out which of the cities would receive them.
καὶ εἴρητο αὐταῖς προαπαντᾶν, ὅπως ἐπιστάμενοι καταπλέωσιν.
And it had been instructed to these ships to meet them on the way back, so that they might sail in with full knowledge of the situation.

Notes

  1. 6.42.1ῥᾴους ἄρχειν — The active infinitive `ἄρχειν` is used as an epexegetic (explanatory) infinitive modifying the comparative adjective `ῥᾴους` (nominative plural masculine of `ῥᾴων`, 'easier'). Literally 'easier to rule/command,' where the active voice has a passive force. The subject of `ῥᾴους` refers to the soldiers.
  2. 6.42.2εἰσομένας — The future participle of `οἶδα` (to know), in the feminine accusative plural, modifying `τρεῖς ναῦς` (three ships). The future participle is used here to express purpose ('in order to find out'), and is followed by the indirect question clause `αἵτινες ... δέξονται`.
  3. 6.42.2εἴρητο αὐταῖς προαπαντᾶν — `εἴρητο` is the impersonal pluperfect passive of `λέγω` (to say/order), meaning 'it had been commanded.' The recipient of the order is in the dative `αὐταῖς` (to them [the ships]), and the substance of the command is expressed by the infinitive `προαπαντᾶν` (to meet beforehand / on the way).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.42.1-6.42.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.42.1-6.42.2

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