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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.38.1-8.38.5

Athenian Fortification of Delphinium and Chian Distress

Passage 846 of 917 · Greek

Summary

Following Therimenes' disappearance, the Athenians fortify Delphinium in Chios. The Chians, suffering from severe internal discord and a lack of military confidence, remain passive, while Pedaritus sends a letter to Lacedaemon accusing Astyochus for refusing to aid them.

§8.38.1μετὰ δὲ ταύτας τὰς ξυνθήκας Θηριμένης μὲν παραδοὺς Ἀστυόχῳ τὰς ναῦς ἀποπλέων ἐν κέλητι ἀφανίζεται,
After this treaty, Therimenes, having handed over the ships to Astyochus, sailed away in a light vessel and disappeared.
§8.38.2οἱ δ’ ἐκ τῆς Λέσβου Ἀθηναῖοι ἤδη διαβεβηκότες ἐς τὴν Χίον τῇ στρατιᾷ καὶ κρατοῦντες καὶ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης Δελφίνιον ἐτείχιζον, χωρίον ἄλλως τε ἐκ γῆς καρτερὸν καὶ λιμένας ἔχον καὶ τῆς τῶν Χίων πόλεως οὐ πολὺ ἀπέχον.
Meanwhile, the Athenians from Lesbos, having already crossed over to Chios with their army and holding command of both land and sea, began to fortify Delphinium, a place which was otherwise strong on the land side, possessed harbors, and was not far from the city of Chios.
§8.38.3οἱ δὲ Χῖοι ἐν πολλαῖς ταῖς πρὶν μάχαις πεπληγμένοι, καὶ ἄλλως ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς οὐ πάνυ εὖ διακείμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μετὰ Τυδέως τοῦ Ἴωνος ἤδη ὑπὸ Πεδαρίτου ἐπ᾽ ἀττικισμῷ τεθνεώτων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης πόλεως κατ’ ἀνάγκην ἐς ὀλίγους κατεχομένης ὑπόπτως διακείμενοι ἀλλήλοις ἡσύχαζον, καὶ οὔτ’ αὐτοὶ διὰ ταῦτα οὔθ’ οἱ μετὰ Πεδαρίτου ἐπίκουροι ἀξιόμαχοι αὐτοῖς ἐφαίνοντο.
The Chians, who had been hard hit in many previous battles, and were otherwise in a state of great internal discord—especially since those with Tydeus, son of Ion, had already been put to death by Pedaritus on the charge of Atticism, and the rest of the city was of necessity held by an oligarchy—remained quiet, suspecting one another. For this reason, neither they themselves nor the auxiliaries under Pedaritus seemed to them to be a match for the enemy.
§8.38.4ἐς μέντοι τὴν Μίλητον ἔπεμπον κελεύοντες σφίσι τὸν Ἀστύοχον βοηθεῖν· ὡς δ’ οὐκ ἐσήκουεν, ἐπιστέλλει περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα ὁ Πεδάριτος ὡς ἀδικοῦντος.
Nevertheless, they sent to Miletus, bidding Astyochus come to their aid; but when he would not listen, Pedaritus sent a letter about him to Lacedaemon, accusing him of doing wrong.
§8.38.5καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐν τῇ Χίῳ ἐς τοῦτο καθειστήκει τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις· αἱ δ’ ἐκ τῆς Σάμου νῆες αὐτοῖς ἐπίπλους μὲν ἐποιοῦντο ταῖς ἐν τῇ Μιλήτῳ, ἐπεὶ δὲ μὴ ἀντανάγοιεν, ἀναχωροῦντες πάλιν ἐς τὴν Σάμον ἡσύχαζον.
In this way, affairs in Chios had established themselves for the Athenians; meanwhile, their ships from Samos kept making cruises against those in Miletus, but whenever the enemy would not sail out to meet them, they would withdraw again to Samos and remain quiet.

Notes

  1. §8.38.3τῶν μετὰ Τυδέως ... τεθνεώτων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης πόλεως ... κατεχομένης — Both phrases are constructed as genitives absolute, explaining the reason and background for the Chians' mutual suspicion and inactivity (ὑπόπτως διακείμενοι).
  2. §8.38.3ἀξιόμαχοι αὐτοῖς ἐφαίνοντο — The dative αὐτοῖς is a dative of reference (dativus iudicantis) referring to the Chians themselves (the subject of the main clause, οἱ δὲ Χῖοι). Thus, it means 'neither they themselves nor the auxiliaries under Pedaritus seemed to them (the Chians) to be a match (for the Athenians).'
  3. §8.38.4ὡς ἀδικοῦντος — The conjunction ὡς with the genitive participle (whose unexpressed subject is Astyochus, mentioned as Ἀστύοχον) expresses the subjective reason or allegation made by Pedaritus ('on the ground that he was doing wrong').
  4. §8.38.5ἐπεὶ δὲ μὴ ἀντανάγοιεν — The conjunction ἐπεὶ followed by the optative mood (ἀντανάγοιεν) expresses an iterative condition in past time ('whenever they did not sail out to meet them').

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.38.1-8.38.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.38.1-8.38.5

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