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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §6.98.1-6.98.4

Athenian Fortification of Syce and Cavalry Skirmish

Passage 714 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Allied cavalry joins the Athenians, bringing their total to 650. The Athenians advance to Syce and rapidly build a circular fort; the Syracusans march out to fight but retreat due to disorganization, resulting in an Athenian victory in a subsequent minor cavalry skirmish.

§6.98.1καὶ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον αὐτοῖς ἦλθον ἔκ τε Ἐγέστης ἱππῆς τριακόσιοι καὶ Σικελῶν καὶ Ναξίων καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν ὡς ἑκατόν· καὶ Ἀθηναίων ὑπῆρχον πεντήκοντα καὶ διακόσιοι, οἷς ἵππους τοὺς μὲν παρ’ Ἐγεσταίων καὶ Καταναίων ἔλαβον, τοὺς δ’ ἐπρίαντο, καὶ ξύμπαντες πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑξακόσιοι ἱππῆς ξυνελέγησαν.
And not long afterwards there came to them from Egesta three hundred cavalry, and of the Sicels and Naxians and some others about one hundred; and there were already two hundred and fifty Athenian cavalry, for whom they obtained horses, partly from the Egestaeans and Catanaeans, and partly by purchase; and thus a total of six hundred and fifty cavalry was assembled.
§6.98.2καὶ καταστήσαντες ἐν τῷ Λαβδάλῳ φυλακὴν ἐχώρουν πρὸς τὴν Συκῆν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι, ἵναπερ καθεζόμενοι ἐτείχισαν τὸν κύκλον διὰ τάχους.
And after establishing a garrison in Labdalum, the Athenians advanced to Syce, where they took up their position and built the circular fort with all speed.
καὶ ἔκπληξιν τοῖς Συρακοσίοις παρέσχον τῷ τάχει τῆς οἰκοδομίας· καὶ ἐπεξελθόντες μάχην διενοοῦντο ποιεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ περιορᾶν.
They struck terror into the Syracusans by the rapidity of their building; and the Syracusans, marching out, resolved to offer battle and not look on passively.
§6.98.3καὶ ἤδη ἀντιπαρατασσομένων ἀλλήλοις οἱ τῶν Συρακοσίων στρατηγοὶ ὡς ἑώρων σφίσι τὸ στράτευμα διεσπασμένον τε καὶ οὐ ῥᾳδίως ξυντασσόμενον, ἀνήγαγον πάλιν ἐς τὴν πόλιν πλὴν μέρους τινὸς τῶν ἱππέων· οὗτοι δὲ ὑπομένοντες ἐκώλυον τοὺς Ἀθηναίους λιθοφορεῖν τε καὶ ἀποσκίδνασθαι μακροτέραν.
But when they were already drawing up in battle array against each other, the Syracusan generals, seeing that their army was disorganized and not easily falling into line, led them back again into the city, except for a certain part of the cavalry; and these, remaining behind, prevented the Athenians from carrying stones and from dispersing too far.
§6.98.4καὶ τῶν Ἀθηναίων φυλὴ μία τῶν ὁπλιτῶν καὶ οἱ ἱππῆς μετ’ αὐτῶν πάντες ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς τῶν Συρακοσίων ἱππέας προσβαλόντες, καὶ ἀπέκτεινάν τέ τινας καὶ τροπαῖον τῆς ἱππομαχίας ἔστησαν.
But one tribe of the Athenian hoplites, together with all the cavalry, fell upon the Syracusan cavalry and routed them, killing some of them and erecting a trophy for this cavalry action.

Notes

  1. §6.98.1οἷς — Dative masculine plural of the relative pronoun ὅς, referring back to the preceding Ἀθηναίων (the 250 Athenian cavalry). It functions as a dative of advantage: 'for whom (they procured horses)'.
  2. §6.98.2τὸν κύκλον — Refers to 'the circle' (Kyklos), a circular fort or central stronghold that was to serve as the hub for the entire Athenian wall of circumvallation around Syracuse.
  3. §6.98.3ἀντιπαρατασσομένων ἀλλήλοις — Genitive absolute construction with the present participle. The logical subject (both the Athenian and Syracusan armies) is omitted as it is clear from the context.
  4. §6.98.3μακροτέραν — Comparative feminine accusative singular of the adjective μακρός, with the noun ὁδόν (way) omitted, used adverbially to mean 'further' or 'too far'.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §6.98.1-6.98.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.98.1-6.98.4

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