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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.33.1-8.33.4

Astyochus' Voyage to Miletus and a False Alarm

Passage 841 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Astyochus threatens the Chians and sails for Miletus, narrowly avoiding the Athenian fleet at Corycus. Alerted by Pedaritus of a suspected betrayal in Erythrae, he returns to investigate, but finding it to be a false alarm, both commanders resume their journeys.

§8.33.1κἀκεῖνος λαβὼν τάς τε τῶν Κορινθίων πέντε καὶ ἕκτην Μεγαρίδα καὶ μίαν Ἑρμιονίδα καὶ ἃς αὐτὸς Λακωνικὰς ἔχων ἦλθεν, ἔπλει ἐπὶ τῆς Μιλήτου πρὸς τὴν ναυαρχίαν, πολλὰ ἀπειλήσας τοῖς Χίοις ἦ μὴν μὴ ἐπιβοηθήσειν, ἤν τι δέωνται. §8.33.2καὶ προσβαλὼν Κωρύκῳ τῆς Ἐρυθραίας ἐνηυλίσατο.
And he, taking the five Corinthian ships, a sixth from Megara, one from Hermione, and those Laconian ships which he himself had brought, sailed for Miletus to assume his naval command, after having threatened the Chians with many oaths that he would certainly not help them if they should need any. And touching at Corycus in the territory of Erythrae, he spent the night there.
οἱ δ’ ἀπὸ τῆς Σάμου Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπὶ τὴν Χίον πλέοντες τῇ στρατιᾷ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐπὶ θάτερα λόφου διείργοντο καὶ καθωρμίσαντο καὶ ἐλελήθεσαν ἀλλήλους. §8.33.3ἐλθούσης δὲ παρὰ Πεδαρίτου ὑπὸ νύκτα ἐπιστολῆς ὡς Ἐρυθραίων ἄνδρες αἰχμάλωτοι ἐκ Σάμου ἐπὶ προδοσίᾳ ἐς Ἐρυθρὰς ἥκουσιν ἀφειμένοι, ἀνάγεται ὁ Ἀστύοχος εὐθὺς ἐς τὰς Ἐρυθρὰς πάλιν, καὶ παρὰ τοσοῦτον ἐγένετο αὐτῷ μὴ περιπεσεῖν τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις. §8.33.4διαπλεύσας δὲ καὶ ὁ Πεδάριτος πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἀναζητήσαντες τὰ περὶ τῶν δοκούντων προδιδόναι, ὡς ηὗρον ἅπαν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκ τῆς Σάμου προφασισθέν, ἀπολύσαντες τῆς αἰτίας ἀπέπλευσαν ὁ μὲν ἐς τὴν Χίον, ὁ δὲ ἐς τὴν Μίλητον ἐκομίσθη, ὥσπερ διενοεῖτο.
Meanwhile, the Athenians sailing with their force from Samos to Chios also anchored on the other side of the same hill, being separated by it, and they remained unaware of each other. But when a letter came from Pedaritus in the night, saying that certain Erythraean prisoners had arrived at Erythrae from Samos, released for the purpose of betrayal, Astyochus immediately put to sea again for Erythrae; and it was by a very narrow margin that he avoided falling in with the Athenians. Pedaritus also having sailed over to him, they investigated the matter of those who were suspected of betraying the city; and when they found that the whole affair had been feigned as a pretext for the escape of the men from Samos, they acquitted them of the charge and sailed away, the one returning to Chios, and the other making his way to Miletus, as he had intended.

Notes

  1. 8.33.1ἦ μὴν μὴ ἐπιβοηθήσειν — The particles ἦ μήν introduce a strong oath or solemn declaration, here accompanying the future infinitive ἐπιβοηθήσειν to express a severe threat with a solemn promise that he would absolutely not bring aid.
  2. 8.33.3παρὰ τοσοῦτον ἐγένετο αὐτῷ μὴ περιπεσεῖν — An idiomatic expression literally meaning 'it was by so much (a narrow margin) to him not to fall in with,' which functionally translates to 'he came within a narrow margin of falling in with' or 'he narrowly escaped falling in with' the Athenians.
  3. 8.33.4ὡς ηὗρον ἅπαν ... προφασισθέν — The passive participle προφασισθέν acts as a predicative participle complementing the verb of finding/knowing ηὗρον ('when they found that the whole affair had been feigned as a pretext...').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.33.1-8.33.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.33.1-8.33.4

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