Humanitext Reader

Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.105.1-8.105.3

Thrasybulus' Counterattack and the Turn of Battle

Passage 913 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Peloponnesians break the Athenian center and drive them ashore, but fall into disorder during the pursuit. Taking advantage of this, Thrasybulus on the Athenian right counterattacks and routs the enemy, reversing the battle's course alongside Thrasyllus on the left.

§8.105.1προσπεσόντες οὖν οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἐξέωσάν τε ἐς τὸ ξηρὸν τὰς ναῦς τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ ἐς τὴν γῆν ἐπεξέβησαν, τῷ ἔργῳ πολὺ περισχόντες.
The Peloponnesians, therefore, falling upon the center, drove the ships of the Athenians ashore and landed upon the beach, having gained a great advantage in the action.
§8.105.2ἀμῦναι δὲ τῷ μέσῳ οὔθ’ οἱ περὶ τὸν Θρασύβουλον ἀπὸ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὑπὸ πλήθους τῶν ἐπικειμένων νεῶν ἐδύναντο οὔθ’ οἱ περὶ τὸν Θράσυλον ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐωνύμου (ἀφανές τε γὰρ ἦν διὰ τὴν ἄκραν τὸ Κυνὸς σῆμα, καὶ ἅμα οἱ Συρακόσιοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι οὐκ ἐλάσσους ἐπιτεταγμένοι εἶργον αὐτούς), πρὶν οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι διὰ τὸ κρατήσαντες ἀδεῶς ἄλλοι ἄλλην ναῦν διώκειν ἤρξαντο μέρει τινὶ σφῶν ἀτακτότεροι γενέσθαι.
But to assist the center was impossible either for Thrasybulus and his men from the right, owing to the multitude of the ships pressing upon them, or for Thrasyllus and his men from the left (for the Cynossema cape hid the view, and at the same time the Syracusans and the others, stationed against them in no inferior numbers, kept them in check), until the Peloponnesians, because they had conquered and were fearlessly pursuing one ship or another, began to fall into some disorder in a part of their line.
§8.105.3γνόντες δὲ οἱ περὶ τὸν Θρασύβουλον τὰς ἐπὶ σφίσι ναῦς ἐπεχούσας παυσάμενοι τῆς ἐπεξαγωγῆς ἤδη τοῦ κέρως καὶ ἐπαναστρέψαντες εὐθὺς ἠμύναντό τε καὶ τρέπουσι, καὶ τὰς κατὰ τὸ νικῆσαν τῶν Πελοποννησίων μέρος ὑπολαβόντες πεπλανημένας ἔκοπτόν τε καὶ ἐς φόβον τὰς πλείους ἀμαχεὶ καθίστασαν.
Thrasybulus and his men, perceiving that the ships directed against them had slackened their advance, ceased at once from further extending their wing, and immediately turning about, fought them and put them to flight; and intercepting the scattered ships of that part of the Peloponnesians which had been victorious, they cut them off and threw most of them into a panic without a struggle.
οἵ τε Συρακόσιοι ἐτύγχανον καὶ αὐτοὶ ἤδη τοῖς περὶ τὸν Θράσυλον ἐνδεδωκότες καὶ μᾶλλον ἐς φυγὴν ὁρμήσαντες, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἑώρων.
The Syracusans also happened to have already given way before Thrasyllus and his men, and when they saw the others also fleeing, they broke into outright flight.

Notes

  1. 8.105.1ἐπεξέβησαν — The subject of the verb ἐπεξέβησαν (3rd person plural aorist indicative of ἐπεκβαίνω, 'to disembark against') is contextually οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι. It indicates that the Peloponnesians themselves landed on the shore to pursue the Athenian crews who had fled inland.
  2. 8.105.2πρὶν οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι ... ἤρξαντο — A construction where πρὶν is followed by the indicative past (ἤρξαντο) after a negative main clause (οὔθ’ ... ἐδύναντο). This expresses 'they could not do so until...', indicating a specific temporal turning point at which the situation finally changed.
  3. 8.105.3τὰς ἐπὶ σφίσι ναῦς ἐπεχούσας — The present participle ἐπεχούσας (from ἐπέχω) can be interpreted either as 'directing their course (against)' or 'holding back/slacking.' Here, the latter meaning ('had slackened their advance' or 'held back') is more appropriate, as the Peloponnesian left wing, which had been attempting to outflank the Athenian right, paused due to the events in the center. This pause provides the logical cue for Thrasybulus' men to cease extending their line (παυσάμενοι τῆς ἐπεξαγωγῆς) and turn to attack.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.105.1-8.105.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.105.1-8.105.3

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.