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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.40.1-8.40.3

Chian Appeal for Relief and Mass Slave Desertion

Passage 848 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Chians and Pedaritus entreat Astyochus to rescue Chios, which is besieged by the Athenians. Due to the mass desertion of Chian slaves causing severe damage, Astyochus, despite his initial hesitation due to past threats, is moved by the enthusiasm of the allies to prepare for aid.

§8.40.1οἱ δὲ Χῖοι καὶ Πεδάριτος κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον οὐδὲν ἧσσον, καίπερ διαμέλλοντα, τὸν Ἀστύοχον πέμποντες ἀγγέλους ἠξίουν σφίσι πολιορκουμένοις βοηθῆσαι ἁπάσαις ταῖς ναυσὶ καὶ μὴ περιιδεῖν τὴν μεγίστην τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ ξυμμαχίδων πόλεων ἔκ τε θαλάσσης εἰργομένην καὶ κατὰ γῆν λῃστείαις πορθουμένην.
At the same time, the Chians and Pedaritus, none the less, although Astyochus was delaying, sent messengers to him and demanded that he should help them in their besieged state with his entire fleet, and not allow the largest of the allied cities in Ionia to be excluded from the sea and ravaged by plundering raids on land.
§8.40.2οἱ γὰρ οἰκέται τοῖς Χίοις πολλοὶ ὄντες καὶ μιᾷ γε πόλει πλὴν Λακεδαιμονίων πλεῖστοι γενόμενοι καὶ ἅμα διὰ τὸ πλῆθος χαλεπωτέρως ἐν ταῖς ἀδικίαις κολαζόμενοι, ὡς ἡ στρατιὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων βεβαίως ἔδοξε μετὰ τείχους ἱδρῦσθαι, εὐθὺς αὐτομολίᾳ τε ἐχώρησαν οἱ πολλοὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ πλεῖστα κακὰ ἐπιστάμενοι τὴν χώραν οὗτοι ἔδρασαν.
For the slaves of the Chians were numerous, being indeed the most in any single city except Lacedaemon, and at the same time, on account of their number, they were punished more severely for their wrongdoings. As soon as the Athenian army appeared to have firmly established itself behind fortifications, the majority of them immediately deserted to them, and, knowing the country well, they inflicted the greatest mischief upon it.
§8.40.3ἔφασαν οὖν χρῆναι οἱ Χῖοι, ἕως ἔτι ἐλπὶς καὶ δυνατὸν κωλῦσαι, τειχιζομένου τοῦ Δελφινίου καὶ ἀτελοῦς ὄντος καὶ στρατοπέδῳ καὶ ναυσὶν ἐρύματος μείζονος προσπεριβαλλομένου, βοηθῆσαι σφίσιν.
The Chians therefore declared that he ought to help them, while there was still hope and it was possible to prevent it, while Delphinium was being fortified and was still incomplete, and a larger defensive enclosure was being added around it for both the camp and the ships.
ὁ δὲ Ἀστύοχος καίπερ οὐ διανοούμενος διὰ τὴν τότε ἀπειλήν, ὡς ἑώρα καὶ τοὺς ξυμμάχους προθύμους ὄντας, ὥρμητο ἐς τὸ βοηθεῖν.
Astyochus, on his part, although he had no mind to do so because of the threat made at that time, when he saw that the allies also were eager, was resolved to go to their aid.

Notes

  1. 8.40.1διαμέλλοντα — Present participle used with `καίπερ` to express concession, agreeing in gender, number, and case with the accusative noun `τὸν Ἀστύοχον` which immediately follows.
  2. 8.40.2μιᾷ γε πόλει — Dative of respect or limitation, qualifying the comparison to denote 'in any single city (except Lacedaemon).'
  3. 8.40.3τειχιζομένου τοῦ Δελφινίου — Genitive absolute construction. The participles `τειχιζομένου` (with its subject `τοῦ Δελφινίου`), `ὄντος`, and `προσπεριβαλλομένου` are coordinated to describe the ongoing circumstances or time frame.
  4. 8.40.3διὰ τὴν τότε ἀπειλήν — The adverb `τότε` is placed in the attributive position between the article `τὴν` and the noun `ἀπειλήν`, functioning adjectivally to mean 'the threat made at that time.'

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.40.1-8.40.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.40.1-8.40.3

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