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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.46.1

Gylippus Departs to Gather Sicilian Reinforcements

Passage 767 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Encouraged by their unexpected success, the Syracusans dispatched Sicanus to Akragas to win over the faction-ridden city, while Gylippus set out for other parts of Sicily to raise more troops in the hope of capturing the Athenian walls.

§7.46.1μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο οἱ μὲν Συρακόσιοι ὡς ἐπὶ ἀπροσδοκήτῳ εὐπραγίᾳ πάλιν αὖ ἀναρρωσθέντες, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἐς μὲν Ἀκράγαντα στασιάζοντα πέντε καὶ δέκα ναυσὶ Σικανὸν ἀπέστειλαν, ὅπως ὑπαγάγοιτο τὴν πόλιν, εἰ δύναιτο· Γύλιππος δὲ κατὰ γῆν ἐς τὴν ἄλλην Σικελίαν ᾤχετο αὖθις, ἄξων στρατιὰν ἔτι, ὡς ἐν ἐλπίδι ὢν καὶ τὰ τείχη τῶν Ἀθηναίων αἱρήσειν βίᾳ, ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἐν ταῖς Ἐπιπολαῖς οὕτω ξυνέβη.
After this, the Syracusans, having recovered their strength again upon this unexpected success, just as before, dispatched Sicanus with fifteen ships to Akragas, which was in a state of faction, in order to bring the city over, if he could; while Gylippus departed again by land into the rest of Sicily, to bring back still more troops, being in the hope that he might even take the Athenian walls by storm, since the affair on Epipolae had turned out in this way.

Notes

  1. §7.46.1ὡς ἐπὶ ἀπροσδοκήτῳ εὐπραγίᾳ πάλιν αὖ ἀναρρωσθέντες — The particle `ὡς`, indicating subjective reason or attitude, modifies the participle `ἀναρρωσθέντες` while enclosing the prepositional phrase `ἐπὶ ἀπροσδοκήτῳ εὐπραγίᾳ`. The preposition `ἐπί` governs the dative of cause `εὐπραγίᾳ`.
  2. §7.46.1ὡς ἐν ἐλπίδι ὢν καὶ τὰ τείχη τῶν Ἀθηναίων αἱρήσειν βίᾳ — The future infinitive `αἱρήσειν` depends on the phrase `ἐν ἐλπίδι ὢν` (introduced by subjective `ὡς` with the participle), expressing the content of the hope. The conjunction `καί` functions as an intensive adverb meaning 'even' or 'actually' modifying the clause.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.46.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.46.1

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