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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.44.1-6.44.4

The Athenian Fleet Reaches Rhegium via Italy

Passage 660 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian fleet crosses the Ionian Sea and coasts along Italy to Rhegium, where the locals maintain neutrality, while the Athenians await information on the funds promised by Segesta.

§6.44.1τοσαύτη ἡ πρώτη παρασκευὴ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον διέπλει.
Such was the size of the first armament for the war that was crossing over.
τούτοις δὲ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἄγουσαι ὁλκάδες μὲν τριάκοντα σιταγωγοί, καὶ τοὺς σιτοποιοὺς ἔχουσαι καὶ λιθολόγους καὶ τέκτονας καὶ ὅσα ἐς τειχισμὸν ἐργαλεῖα, πλοῖα δὲ ἑκατόν, ἃ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μετὰ τῶν ὁλκάδων ξυνέπλει· πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πλοῖα καὶ ὁλκάδες ἑκούσιοι ξυνηκολούθουν τῇ στρατιᾷ ἐμπορίας ἕνεκα· ἃ τότε πάντα ἐκ τῆς Κερκύρας ξυνδιέβαλλε τὸν Ἰόνιον κόλπον.
And carrying provisions for them were thirty merchant vessels laden with grain, which also had on board bakers, stonemasons, carpenters, and all the tools for fortifying, and also one hundred small craft, which of necessity sailed with the merchant vessels; and many other small craft and merchant vessels followed the army voluntarily for the sake of trade; all of which at that time crossed the Ionian gulf together from Corcyra.
§6.44.2καὶ προσβαλοῦσα ἡ πᾶσα παρασκευὴ πρός τε ἄκραν Ἰαπυγίαν καὶ πρὸς Τάραντα καὶ ὡς ἕκαστοι ηὐπόρησαν, παρεκομίζοντο τὴν Ἰταλίαν, τῶν μὲν πόλεων οὐ δεχομένων αὐτοὺς ἀγορᾷ οὐδὲ ἄστει, ὕδατι δὲ καὶ ὅρμῳ, Τάραντος δὲ καὶ Λοκρῶν οὐδὲ τούτοις, ἕως ἀφίκοντο ἐς Ῥήγιον τῆς Ἰταλίας ἀκρωτήριον.
And the whole armament, having touched at the Iapygian promontory and Tarentum, and wherever each could find a way, coasted along Italy, while the cities did not receive them with a market or into their towns, but only with water and anchorage, Tarentum and Locri not even with these, until they arrived at Rhegium, a promontory of Italy.
§6.44.3καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἤδη ἡθροίζοντο, καὶ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, ὡς αὐτοὺς ἔσω οὐκ ἐδέχοντο, στρατόπεδόν τε κατεσκευάσαντο ἐν τῷ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερῷ, οὗ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀγορὰν παρεῖχον, καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἀνελκύσαντες ἡσύχασαν.
And here they now mustered, and, since they were not received inside the city, they established a camp outside, in the sanctuary of Artemis, where the inhabitants also provided a market for them; and having hauled up their ships, they remained quiet.
καὶ πρός [τε] τοὺς Ῥηγίνους λόγους ἐποιήσαντο, ἀξιοῦντες Χαλκιδέας ὄντας Χαλκιδεῦσιν οὖσι Λεοντίνοις βοηθεῖν·
They also held parleys with the Rhegians, urging them, since they were Chalcidians, to aid the Leontines, who were also Chalcidians.
οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ μεθ’ ἑτέρων ἔφασαν ἔσεσθαι, ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἂν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις Ἰταλιώταις ξυνδοκῇ, τοῦτο ποιήσειν.
But they declared that they would join neither side, but would do whatever should be agreed upon by the other Italiotes as well.
§6.44.4οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὰ ἐν τῇ Σικελίᾳ πράγματα ἐσκόπουν ὅτῳ τρόπῳ ἄριστα προσοίσονται· καὶ τὰς πρόπλους ναῦς ἐκ τῆς Ἐγέστης ἅμα προσέμενον, βουλόμενοι εἰδέναι περὶ τῶν χρημάτων εἰ ἔστιν ἃ ἔλεγον ἐν ταῖς Ἀθήναις οἱ ἄγγελοι.
Meanwhile, they began to consider how they could best deal with the situation in Sicily; and at the same time they were awaiting the return of the ships sent in advance from Segesta, wishing to know about the money, whether it was really there as the messengers had reported in Athens.

Notes

  1. §6.44.1ὁλκάδες μὲν τριάκοντα — An anacoluthon where the subject phrase starting with `ὁλκάδες μὲν...` lacks a main finite verb in its own clause, which is subsequently picked up by the relative clause `ἃ τότε πάντα ... ξυνδιέβαλλε` (where the verb is singular, agreeing with the neuter plural relative pronoun `ἃ`).
  2. §6.44.2ὡς ἕκαστοι ηὐπόρησαν — Meaning 'as each found it possible'. The verb `ηὐπόρησαν` (from εὐπορέω, 'to have means or opportunity') refers here to finding favorable conditions or opportunities for landing, indicating that the ships touched land wherever it was convenient for each.
  3. §6.44.3Χαλκιδέας ὄντας — Accusative plural, serving as the subject of the infinitive `βοηθεῖν` and referring to the Rhegians (`τοὺς Ῥηγίνους`). Since the Rhegians themselves were Chalcidians, they are being urged to help their fellow Chalcidians, the Leontines.
  4. §6.44.4οἱ δὲ — While the subject of the immediately preceding clause was the Rhegians (`οἱ δὲ`), this `οἱ δὲ` shifts the subject back to the Athenians.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.44.1-6.44.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.44.1-6.44.4

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