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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.52.1-7.52.2

Naval Battle in the Great Harbor and Death of Eurymedon

Passage 773 of 917 · Greek

Summary

On the following day, the Syracusans attacked with seventy-six ships and their land forces, and the Athenians countered with eighty-six ships. The Syracusans defeated the Athenian center, cut off and killed Eurymedon on the right wing in the recess of the harbor, and drove all the Athenian ships ashore.

§7.52.1καὶ ταύτῃ μὲν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀπεχώρησεν ἡ στρατιὰ τῶν Συρακοσίων·
And on this day the army of the Syracusans withdrew.
τῇ δ’ ὑστεραίᾳ ταῖς τε ναυσὶν ἐκπλέουσιν οὔσαις ἓξ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ τῷ πεζῷ ἅμα πρὸς τὰ τείχη ἐχώρουν.
But on the following day they sailed out with seventy-six ships, and at the same time advanced with their land forces against the walls.
οἱ δ’ Ἀθηναῖοι ἀντανῆγον ναυσὶν ἓξ καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ προσμείξαντες ἐναυμάχουν.
The Athenians put out to meet them with eighty-six ships, and closing with them, engaged in a sea-battle.
§7.52.2καὶ τὸν Εὐρυμέδοντα ἔχοντα τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ βουλόμενον περικλῄσασθαι τὰς ναῦς τῶν ἐναντίων καὶ ἐπεξάγοντα τῷ πλῷ πρὸς τὴν γῆν μᾶλλον, νικήσαντες οἱ Συρακόσιοι καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι τὸ μέσον πρῶτον τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀπολαμβάνουσι κἀκεῖνον ἐν τῷ κοίλῳ καὶ μυχῷ τοῦ λιμένος καὶ αὐτόν τε διαφθείρουσι καὶ τὰς μετ’ αὐτοῦ ναῦς ἐπισπομένας·
And Eurymedon, who commanded the right wing of the Athenians and wished to surround the ships of the enemy, and therefore extended his line in sailing more towards the shore, was cut off by the Syracusans and their allies, after they had first defeated the center of the Athenians, in the hollow and innermost recess of the harbor; and they destroyed both Eurymedon himself and the ships that had followed him.
ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὰς πάσας ἤδη ναῦς τῶν Ἀθηναίων κατεδίωκόν τε καὶ ἐξεώθουν ἐς τὴν γῆν.
After this they pursued and drove ashore all the remaining Athenian ships as well.

Notes

  1. ¦7.52.2¦τὸν Εὐρυμέδοντα ἔχοντα... — The accusative `τὸν Εὐρυμέδοντα` at the beginning, together with the participles ending in `ἐπεξάγοντα`, serves as the direct object of the main verbs `ἀπολαμβάνουσι` and `διαφθείρουσι`. The subject `οἱ Συρακόσιοι καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι`, accompanied by the participle clause `νικήσαντες...`, is inserted in the middle, creating a prominent hyperbaton. `κἀκεῖνον` (καὶ ἐκεῖνον) is used to resume and emphasize the object `Εὐρυμέδοντα` after the long insertion.
  2. ¦7.52.2¦ἐπεξάγοντα τῷ πλῷ — The dative `τῷ πλῷ` (course, sailing) is used with `ἐπεξάγοντα` (extending, stretching out, here used intransitively or reflexively) as a dative of manner or instrument, meaning "extending his line of sailing" or "stretching out in his course."
  3. ¦7.52.2¦τὰς μετ’ αὐτοῦ ναῦς ἐπισπομένας — `ἐπισπομένας` is the aorist participle middle (accusative feminine plural) of `ἐφέπομαι` (to follow), modifying `τὰς μετ’ αὐτοῦ ναῦς`, meaning "the ships that had followed him."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.52.1-7.52.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.52.1-7.52.2

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