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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.95.1-6.95.2

Aborted Spartan Campaign and Failed Coup at Thespiae

Passage 711 of 917 · Greek

Summary

In the same spring, the Lacedaemonians march on Argos but retreat due to an earthquake, while the Argives plunder Thyreatis. That summer, a democratic uprising fails in Thespiae.

§6.95.1τοῦ δ’ αὐτοῦ ἦρος καὶ ἐπ’ Ἄργος στρατεύσαντες Λακεδαιμόνιοι μέχρι μὲν Κλεωνῶν ἦλθον, σεισμοῦ δὲ γενομένου ἀπεχώρησαν.
During the same spring, the Lacedaemonians also marched against Argos and advanced as far as Cleonae, but after an earthquake occurred, they retreated.
καὶ Ἀργεῖοι μετὰ ταῦτα ἐσβαλόντες ἐς τὴν Θυρεᾶτιν ὅμορον οὖσαν λείαν τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων πολλὴν ἔλαβον, ἣ ἐπράθη ταλάντων οὐκ ἔλασσον πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι.
After this, the Argives invaded the neighboring district of Thyreatis and took a great deal of booty from the Lacedaemonians, which was sold for no less than twenty-five talents.
§6.95.2καὶ ὁ Θεσπιῶν δῆμος ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ θέρει οὐ πολὺ ὕστερον ἐπιθέμενος τοῖς τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχουσιν οὐ κατέσχεν, ἀλλὰ βοηθησάντων Θηβαίων οἱ μὲν ξυνελήφθησαν, οἱ δ’ ἐξέπεσον Ἀθήναζε.
In the same summer, not long afterwards, the popular party of Thespiae attacked those who held office, but failed to master the city; and when the Thebans came to the rescue, some of them were captured, while others fled to Athens.

Notes

  1. §6.95.1τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων — Genitive modifying the noun λείαν (booty, plunder). It functions as a possessive genitive (property belonging to the Lacedaemonians) or a genitive of separation/object, indicating the source from whom the plunder was taken.
  2. §6.95.1ταλάντων — Genitive of comparison construction with the comparative adjective ἔλασσον (less), standing instead of ἤ (than), meaning "not less than twenty-five talents."
  3. §6.95.2οὐ κατέσχεν — The aorist indicative of the verb κατέχω. The direct object (such as "the power" or "the city") is understood from the context, rendering the phrase to mean "they did not succeed in gaining control."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.95.1-6.95.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.95.1-6.95.2

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