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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.45.1-7.45.2

Erection of Trophies and Athenian Recovery of the Dead

Passage 766 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Syracusans erect two trophies while the Athenians recover their dead under a truce, and a disproportionately large number of weapons are captured because many soldiers discarded their armor when leaping down the cliffs.

§7.45.1τῇ δ’ ὑστεραίᾳ οἱ μὲν Συρακόσιοι δύο τροπαῖα ἔστησαν, ἐπί τε ταῖς Ἐπιπολαῖς ᾗ ἡ πρόσβασις καὶ κατὰ τὸ χωρίον ᾗ οἱ Βοιωτοὶ πρῶτον ἀντέστησαν, οἱ δ’ Ἀθηναῖοι τοὺς νεκροὺς ὑποσπόνδους ἐκομίσαντο.
On the next day, the Syracusans set up two trophies, both on Epipolae where the ascent is, and near the place where the Boeotians first made their stand; while the Athenians recovered their dead under a truce.
§7.45.2ἀπέθανον δὲ οὐκ ὀλίγοι αὐτῶν τε καὶ τῶν ξυμμάχων, ὅπλα μέντοι ἔτι πλείω ἢ κατὰ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐλήφθη· οἱ γὰρ κατὰ τῶν κρημνῶν βιασθέντες ἅλλεσθαι ψιλοὶ [ἄνευ τῶν ἀσπίδων] οἱ μὲν ἀπώλλυντο, οἱ δ’ ἐσώθησαν.
There died not a few of themselves and of their allies, yet the arms taken were even more than in proportion to the dead; for of those who were forced to leap down the cliffs, being light-armed [without their shields], some perished, while others escaped.

Notes

  1. 7.45.2ἢ κατὰ τοὺς νεκρούς — The construction of the comparative πλείω followed by ἤ κατά + accusative means 'more than in proportion to the dead'. It indicates that the number of weapons abandoned or captured was disproportionately larger than the actual number of casualties.
  2. 7.45.2οἱ γὰρ κατὰ τῶν κρημνῶν βιασθέντες ἅλλεσθαι ψιλοὶ ... οἱ μὲν ἀπώλλυντο, οἱ δ’ ἐσώθησαν — This is a construction of whole and part apposition (schēma kath' holon kai meros). The nominative participle οἱ βιασθέντες ('those who were forced') functions as the overall subject, which is then subdivided into οἱ μὲν ('some') and οἱ δ’ ('others'), each governing its own verb (ἀπώλλυντο and ἐσώθησαν respectively).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.45.1-7.45.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.45.1-7.45.2

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