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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.19.1-8.19.4

Flight of Chian ships and revolt of Lebedus

Passage 827 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Following the treaty, the Chian ships sail to Anaia but are scattered by the approaching Athenian fleet. The Chians subsequently bring Lebedus and Erae to revolt before returning home.

§8.19.1ἡ μὲν ξυμμαχία αὕτη ἐγένετο·
This alliance was thus concluded.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οἱ Χῖοι εὐθὺς δέκα ἑτέρας πληρώσαντες ναῦς ἔπλευσαν ἐς Ἄναια, βουλόμενοι περί τε τῶν ἐν Μιλήτῳ πυθέσθαι καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἅμα ἀφιστάναι.
Immediately after this, the Chians, having equipped ten other ships, sailed to Anaia, wishing to get information about the situation in Miletus and at the same time to induce the cities to revolt.
§8.19.2καὶ ἐλθούσης παρὰ Χαλκιδέως ἀγγελίας αὐτοῖς ἀποπλεῖν πάλιν, καὶ ὅτι Ἀμόργης παρέσται κατὰ γῆν στρατιᾷ, ἔπλευσαν ἐς Διὸς ἱερόν·
And when a message came to them from Chalcideus telling them to sail back, and stating that Amorges would arrive by land with an army, they sailed to the temple of Zeus.
καὶ καθορῶσιν ἑκκαίδεκα ναῦς, ἃς ὕστερον ἔτι Θρασυκλέους Διομέδων ἔχων ἀπ’ Ἀθηνῶν προσέπλει.
There they descried sixteen ships, which Diomedon, coming from Athens, was sailing up with, later than Thrasycles.
§8.19.3καὶ ὡς εἶδον, ἔφευγον μιᾷ μὲν νηὶ ἐς Ἔφεσον, αἱ δὲ λοιπαὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Τέω.
And when they saw them, they fled, one ship to Ephesus, and the rest towards Teos.
καὶ τέσσαρας μὲν κενὰς οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι λαμβάνουσι τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐς τὴν γῆν φθασάντων· αἱ δ’ ἄλλαι ἐς τὴν Τηίων πόλιν καταφεύγουσιν.
The Athenians captured four of them empty, the men having succeeded in escaping to the land; and the others took refuge in the city of the Teians.
§8.19.4καὶ οἱ μὲν Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπὶ τῆς Σάμου ἀπέπλευσαν, οἱ δὲ Χῖοι ταῖς λοιπαῖς ναυσὶν ἀναγαγόμενοι καὶ ὁ πεζὸς μετ’ αὐτῶν Λέβεδον ἀπέστησαν καὶ αὖθις Αἱράς.
Then the Athenians sailed back to Samos, while the Chians, putting out with their remaining ships, and accompanied by the land forces, caused Lebedus to revolt, and afterwards Erae.
καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἕκαστοι ἐπ’ οἴκου ἀπεκομίσθησαν, καὶ ὁ πεζὸς καὶ αἱ νῆες.
After this, they all returned home, both the land forces and the ships.

Notes

  1. §8.19.2ἐλθούσης παρὰ Χαλκιδέως ἀγγελίας αὐτοῖς ἀποπλεῖν πάλιν, καὶ ὅτι Ἀμόργης παρέσται κατὰ γῆν στρατιᾷ — The noun ἀγγελίας is explained by both the infinitive ἀποπλεῖν (giving an instruction to sail back) and the ὅτι-clause (stating the fact of Amorges' approach) in parataxis. The entire phrase forms a genitive absolute construction with ἐλθούσης ... ἀγγελίας.
  2. §8.19.2ὕστερον ἔτι Θρασυκλέους — The proper noun Θρασυκλέους is a genitive of comparison governed by the adverb ὕστερον, which acts like a comparative. Literally 'still later than Thrasycles', indicating that Diomedon was dispatched from Athens as an additional reinforcement after Thrasycles.
  3. §8.19.3τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐς τὴν γῆν φθασάντων — A genitive absolute construction. The verb φθάνω means 'to anticipate' or 'to reach beforehand'. Here it indicates that the crew members succeeded in reaching the land before the Athenians could capture them, which is why the ships were taken empty (κενάς).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.19.1-8.19.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.19.1-8.19.4

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