Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §7.82.1-7.82.3

Surrender of Demosthenes and Nicias' Crossing of Erineus

Passage 803 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Exhausted by the continuous attacks of the Syracusans, Demosthenes' division surrendered under an agreement that guaranteed their lives, and six thousand men were taken prisoner, while Nicias' division crossed the river Erineus and stationed themselves on high ground.

§7.82.1ἐπειδὴ δ’ οὖν δι’ ἡμέρας βάλλοντες πανταχόθεν τοὺς Ἀθηναίους καὶ ξυμμάχους ἑώρων ἤδη τεταλαιπωρημένους τοῖς τε τραύμασι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ κακώσει, κήρυγμα ποιοῦνται Γύλιππος καὶ Συρακόσιοι καὶ οἱ ξύμμαχοι πρῶτον μὲν τῶν νησιωτῶν εἴ τις βούλεται ἐπ’ ἐλευθερίᾳ ὡς σφᾶς ἀπιέναι· καὶ ἀπεχώρησάν τινες πόλεις οὐ πολλαί.
So when, after pelting the Athenians and their allies from all sides throughout the day, they saw that they were already exhausted by their wounds and other sufferings, Gylippus, the Syracusans, and their allies made a proclamation: first, that if any of the islanders wished to come over to them on condition of their freedom, they might do so; and some cities, though not many, came over.
§7.82.2ἔπειτα δ’ ὕστερον καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τοὺς μετὰ Δημοσθένους ὁμολογία γίγνεται ὥστε ὅπλα τε παραδοῦναι καὶ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν μηδένα μήτε βιαίως μήτε δεσμοῖς μήτε τῆς ἀναγκαιοτάτης ἐνδείᾳ διαίτης.
Afterwards, an agreement was also made with all the rest who were with Demosthenes, on terms that they should surrender their arms, and that no one should be put to death either by violence, or by imprisonment, or by the lack of the barest necessities of life.
§7.82.3καὶ παρέδοσαν οἱ πάντες σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἑξακισχίλιοι, καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον ὃ εἶχον ἅπαν κατέθεσαν ἐσβαλόντες ἐς ἀσπίδας ὑπτίας, καὶ ἐνέπλησαν ἀσπίδας τέσσαρας.
And they all surrendered themselves, to the number of six thousand; and all the money they had they deposited, throwing it into upturned shields, and they filled four shields.
καὶ τούτους μὲν εὐθὺς ἀπεκόμιζον ἐς τὴν πόλιν· Νικίας δὲ καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀφικνοῦνται ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Ἐρινεόν, καὶ διαβὰς πρὸς μετέωρόν τι καθῖσε τὴν στρατιάν.
These they immediately began to convey to the city; but Nicias and those with him arrived on that day at the river Erineus, and having crossed, he stationed his army on a piece of high ground.

Notes

  1. 7.82.1τῶν νησιωτῶν εἴ τις βούλεται — τῶν νησιωτῶν is a partitive genitive depending on the pronoun τις in the conditional clause: "if anyone among the islanders wishes." Placed at the beginning of the clause, it serves to immediately define the target audience of the proclamation.
  2. 7.82.2ὥστε ὅπλα τε παραδοῦναι καὶ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν μηδένα — The construction ὥστε with the infinitive, following the noun ὁμολογία (agreement), expresses the specific terms and conditions of the agreement. The accumulation of negatives from μὴ onwards (μὴ ... μηδένα μήτε ... μήτε ...) emphasizes absolute negation (that no one should die by any of these means).
  3. 7.82.3διαβὰς ... καθῖσε τὴν στρατιάν — The singular nominative participle διαβὰς (having crossed) and the singular active verb καθῖσε (stationed/seated) agree with the singular subject, Nicias (Νικίας). καθῖσε is used here transitively ("to cause to sit", i.e., "to station" or "to halt") rather than intransitively, taking τὴν στρατιάν in the accusative as its object.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §7.82.1-7.82.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.82.1-7.82.3

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.