Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.62.1-7.62.4

Nicias Explains New Tactics and Iron Claws for the Harbor Battle

Passage 783 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Nicias explains the counter-measures prepared in consultation with the helmsmen for the narrow harbor, such as placing archers on deck and using iron claws, urging the soldiers to brace for a virtual land-battle from the ships.

§7.62.1‘ἃ δὲ ἀρωγὰ ἐνείδομεν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ λιμένος στενότητι πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα ὄχλον τῶν νεῶν ἔσεσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τῶν καταστρωμάτων παρασκευήν, οἷς πρότερον ἐβλαπτόμεθα, πάντα καὶ ἡμῖν νῦν ἐκ τῶν παρόντων μετὰ τῶν κυβερνητῶν ἐσκεμμένα ἡτοίμασται.
Moreover, whatever aids we have discerned, in view of the narrowness of the harbor, against the future crowd of ships and against their preparation on the decks—by which things we were previously damaged—all these have now, as far as present circumstances allow, been considered and prepared by us in consultation with the helmsmen.
§7.62.2καὶ γὰρ τοξόται πολλοὶ καὶ ἀκοντισταὶ ἐπιβήσονται καὶ ὄχλος, ᾧ ναυμαχίαν μὲν ποιούμενοι ἐν πελάγει οὐκ ἂν ἐχρώμεθα διὰ τὸ βλάπτειν ἂν τὸ τῆς ἐπιστήμης τῇ βαρύτητι τῶν νεῶν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐνθάδε ἠναγκασμένῃ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν πεζομαχίᾳ πρόσφορα ἔσται.
For indeed many archers and javelin-throwers will embark, as well as a multitude which, if we were fighting a sea-battle in the open sea, we would not have used because their weight would damage our ships' maneuverability, but in the land-battle from the ships forced upon us here, they will be useful.
§7.62.3ηὕρηται δ’ ἡμῖν ὅσα χρὴ ἀντιναυπηγῆσαι, καὶ πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἐπωτίδων αὐτοῖς παχύτητας, ᾧπερ δὴ μάλιστα ἐβλαπτόμεθα, χειρῶν σιδηρῶν ἐπιβολαί, αἳ σχήσουσι τὴν πάλιν ἀνάκρουσιν τῆς προσπεσούσης νεώς, ἢν τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις οἱ ἐπιβάται ὑπουργῶσιν.
We have also found out all the counter-measures that must be built, and against the thickness of their catheads, by which indeed we were most damaged, the casting of iron claws has been prepared, which will prevent the backing water of an enemy ship that has crashed into us, if the hoplites on deck perform the duties that follow upon this.
§7.62.4ἐς τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ ἠναγκάσμεθα ὥστε πεζομαχεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν, καὶ τὸ μήτε αὐτοὺς ἀνακρούεσθαι μήτ’ ἐκείνους ἐᾶν ὠφέλιμον φαίνεται, ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς γῆς, πλὴν ὅσον ἂν ὁ πεζὸς ἡμῶν ἐπέχῃ, πολεμίας οὔσης.
For to this very point indeed we have been forced, so as to fight a land-battle from our ships, and it appears advantageous neither to back water ourselves nor to permit them to do so, especially since the land, except for as much as our infantry occupies, is hostile.

Notes

  1. 7.62.1ἃ δὲ ἀρωγὰ ἐνείδομεν... — The relative pronoun ἃ has attracted its predicative adjective ἀρωγὰ into the relative clause. This clause serves as the logical object of the main verb in anticipation of the main subject πάντα... ἡτοίμασται.
  2. 7.62.2διὰ τὸ βλάπτειν ἂν τὸ τῆς ἐπιστήμης τῇ βαρύτητι τῶν νεῶν — The articular infinitive τὸ βλάπτειν is combined with ἄν to express potentiality or hypothetical result ('would damage'). The phrase τὸ τῆς ἐπιστήμης acts as the object of βλάπτειν, while τῇ βαρύτητι τῶν νεῶν is a dative of cause.
  3. 7.62.3ηὕρηται δ’ ἡμῖν ... χειρῶν σιδηρῶν ἐπιβολαί — The singular verb ηὕρηται takes the neuter plural relative clause ὅσα... as its subject, and is subsequently followed by the plural subject χειρῶν σιδηρῶν ἐπιβολαί. While logically acting as another subject ('the casting of iron claws has also been devised'), there is a grammatical mismatch in number.
  4. 7.62.4ἄλλως τε καὶ τῆς γῆς ... πολεμίας οὔσης — A genitive absolute construction (τῆς γῆς ... πολεμίας οὔσης) introduced by ἄλλως τε καί ('especially since...'). The phrase πλὴν ὅσον ἂν... is an inserting relative clause expressing restriction.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.62.1-7.62.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.62.1-7.62.4

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.