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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.72.1-7.72.4

Athenian Sailors Refuse to Embark and Retreat Is Chosen

Passage 793 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Following their defeat in the sea-fight, the Syracusans erect a trophy while the Athenians plan an immediate retreat by night. Demosthenes proposes to man the remaining ships for another attempt, but the demoralized sailors refuse to embark.

§7.72.1γενομένης δ’ ἰσχυρᾶς τῆς ναυμαχίας καὶ πολλῶν νεῶν ἀμφοτέροις καὶ ἀνθρώπων ἀπολομένων οἱ Συρακόσιοι καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι ἐπικρατήσαντες τά τε ναυάγια καὶ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀνείλοντο, καὶ ἀποπλεύσαντες πρὸς τὴν πόλιν τροπαῖον ἔστησαν,
As the sea-fight had been severe and many ships and men had been lost on both sides, the Syracusans and their allies, having gained the victory, took up their wrecks and dead, and sailing back to the city, erected a trophy.
§7.72.2οἱ δ’ Ἀθηναῖοι ὑπὸ μεγέθους τῶν παρόντων κακῶν νεκρῶν μὲν πέρι ἢ ναυαγίων οὐδὲ ἐπενόουν αἰτῆσαι ἀναίρεσιν, τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς ἐβουλεύοντο εὐθὺς ἀναχωρεῖν.
The Athenians, however, because of the magnitude of their present miseries, did not even think of asking for the recovery of their dead or wrecks, but planned to retreat immediately during the night.
§7.72.3Δημοσθένης δὲ Νικίᾳ προσελθὼν γνώμην ἐποιεῖτο πληρώσαντας ἔτι τὰς λοιπὰς τῶν νεῶν βιάσασθαι, ἢν δύνωνται, ἅμα ἕῳ τὸν ἔκπλουν, λέγων ὅτι πλείους ἔτι αἱ λοιπαί εἰσι νῆες χρήσιμαι σφίσιν ἢ τοῖς πολεμίοις· ἦσαν γὰρ τοῖς μὲν Ἀθηναίοις περίλοιποι ὡς ἑξήκοντα, τοῖς δ’ ἐναντίοις ἐλάσσους ἢ πεντήκοντα.
Demosthenes came to Nicias and proposed that they should man the remaining ships and force their passage out, if they could, at daybreak, pointing out that they still had more useful ships left than the enemy; for the Athenians had about sixty remaining, while their opponents had fewer than fifty.
§7.72.4καὶ ξυγχωροῦντος Νικίου τῇ γνώμῃ καὶ βουλομένων πληροῦν αὐτῶν οἱ ναῦται οὐκ ἤθελον ἐσβαίνειν διὰ τὸ καταπεπλῆχθαί τε τῇ ἥσσῃ καὶ μὴ ἂν ἔτι οἴεσθαι κρατῆσαι.
And though Nicias agreed to this proposal and they wished to man the ships, the sailors refused to go on board because they were utterly dismayed by their defeat and thought they could no longer conquer.

Notes

  1. 7.72.3πληρώσαντας — Accusative participle referring to the implicit subject of the infinitive βιάσασθαι (the Athenians). It is in the accusative case as the subject of the accusative-and-infinitive construction.
  2. 7.72.4βουλομένων πληροῦν αὐτῶν — A genitive absolute construction with the commanders (Nicias and Demosthenes) as the subject. Like the preceding ξυγχωροῦντος Νικίου, it introduces a subject different from the main subject of the sentence, οἱ ναῦται (the sailors).
  3. 7.72.4μὴ ἂν ἔτι οἴεσθαι κρατῆσαι — The particle ἂν goes with the infinitive κρατῆσαι, representing the potential or conditional direct statement οὐκ ἂν κρατήσαιμεν (we would no longer conquer) shifted into the infinitive under the main verb οἴεσθαι (to think).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.72.1-7.72.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.72.1-7.72.4

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