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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.15.1-8.15.2

Release of the reserve fund and Athenian naval measures

Passage 823 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Upon hearing of the revolt of Chios, the Athenians are gripped by a sense of crisis; they repeal the penalties on using the thousand-talent reserve fund, vote to equip a large fleet, send out immediate reinforcements, and confiscate Chian ships.

§8.15.1ἐς δὲ τὰς Ἀθήνας ταχὺ ἀγγελία τῆς Χίου ἀφικνεῖται·
Meanwhile, the news of Chios quickly arrived in Athens.
καὶ νομίσαντες μέγαν ἤδη καὶ σαφῆ τὸν κίνδυνον σφᾶς περιεστάναι, καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ξυμμάχους οὐκ ἐθελήσειν τῆς μεγίστης πόλεως μεθεστηκυίας ἡσυχάζειν, τά τε χίλια τάλαντα, ὧν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ πολέμου ἐγλίχοντο μὴ ἅψασθαι, εὐθὺς ἔλυσαν τὰς ἐπικειμένας ζημίας τῷ εἰπόντι ἢ ἐπιψηφίσαντι ὑπὸ τῆς παρούσης ἐκπλήξεως, καὶ ἐψηφίσαντο κινεῖν καὶ ναῦς πληροῦν οὐκ ὀλίγας, τῶν τε ἐν τῷ Σπειραίῳ ἐφορμουσῶν τὰς μὲν ὀκτὼ ἤδη πέμπειν, αἳ ἀπολιποῦσαι τὴν φυλακὴν τὰς μετὰ Χαλκιδέως διώξασαι καὶ οὐ καταλαβοῦσαι ἀνεκεχωρήκεσαν (ἦρχε δὲ αὐτῶν Στρομβιχίδης Διοτίμου), ἄλλας δὲ οὐ πολὺ ὕστερον βοηθεῖν δώδεκα μετὰ Θρασυκλέους, ἀπολιπούσας καὶ ταύτας τὴν ἐφόρμησιν.
And thinking that a great and manifest danger already surrounded them, and that the rest of the allies would not remain quiet now that their greatest city had revolted, they immediately, under the influence of the present panic, repealed the penalties imposed upon anyone who should propose or put to the vote the use of the thousand talents, which throughout the whole war they had been eager not to touch, and voted to use it and to equip a considerable number of ships; and of those blockading Spiraeum, to send at once eight ships, which had left the guard-station and pursued the ships with Chalcideus, but had returned without catching them (Strombichides, son of Diotimus, commanded them), and not long afterwards to send twelve others under Thrasycles as a reinforcement, these also having left the blockade.
§8.15.2τάς τε τῶν Χίων ἑπτὰ ναῦς, αἳ αὐτοῖς ξυνεπολιόρκουν τὰς ἐν τῷ Σπειραίῳ, ἀπαγαγόντες τοὺς μὲν δούλους ἐξ αὐτῶν ἠλευθέρωσαν, τοὺς δ’ ἐλευθέρους κατέδησαν.
They also took away the seven Chian ships which were assisting them in blockading the ships in Spiraeum, and having carried them off, they set free the slaves among their crews, but put the freemen in chains.
ἑτέρας δὲ 〈δέκα〉 ἀντὶ πασῶν τῶν ἀπελθουσῶν νεῶν ἐς τὴν ἐφόρμησιν τῶν Πελοποννησίων διὰ τάχους πληρώσαντες ἀντέπεμψαν καὶ ἄλλας διενοοῦντο τριάκοντα πληροῦν.
And in place of all the ships that had departed from the blockade of the Peloponnesians, they quickly equipped and sent back 〈ten〉 others, and intended to equip thirty more.
καὶ πολλὴ ἦν ἡ προθυμία καὶ ὀλίγον ἐπράσσετο οὐδὲν ἐς τὴν βοήθειαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν Χίον.
There was great eagerness, and nothing was done in a half-hearted way for the reinforcement to Chios.

Notes

  1. 8.15.1τῆς μεγίστης πόλεως μεθεστηκυίας — A genitive absolute construction expressing the circumstances, "their greatest city having revolted," where the greatest city refers to Chios.
  2. 8.15.1ὧν ... μὴ ἅψασθαι — The relative pronoun ὧν (with its antecedent τὰ χίλια τάλαντα) is in the genitive because the infinitive ἅψασθαι (from ἅπτομαι, "to touch") governs the genitive case. The negative particle μή negates this infinitive.
  3. 8.15.1πέμπειν ... βοηθεῖν — Infinitives of command or resolve, both dependent on the main verb ἐψηφίσαντο ("they voted").
  4. 8.15.2ὀλίγον ἐπράσσετο οὐδὲν — Literally, "nothing was done in a small way/negligently," expressing via double negation a strong affirmative meaning that "every possible effort was made" or "no measures were neglected."

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.15.1-8.15.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.15.1-8.15.2

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