Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.44.1-8.44.4
Revolt of Rhodes to the Peloponnesians
Summary
The Peloponnesians sailed to Rhodes upon the invitation of its oligarchs, quickly bringing the island over to their side after a surprise landing at Cameirus. The Athenians arrived too late to prevent the revolt and withdrew to nearby islands to launch counterattacks, while the Peloponnesians levied money and remained inactive.
§8.44.1οἱ δ’ ἐς τὴν Ῥόδον ἐπικηρυκευομένων ἀπὸ τῶν δυνατωτάτων ἀνδρῶν τὴν γνώμην εἶχον πλεῖν, ἐλπίζοντες νῆσόν τε οὐκ ἀδύνατον καὶ ναυβατῶν πλήθει καὶ πεζῷ προσάξεσθαι, καὶ ἅμα ἡγούμενοι αὐτοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπαρχούσης ξυμμαχίας δυνατοὶ ἔσεσθαι Τισσαφέρνην μὴ αἰτοῦντες χρήματα τρέφειν τὰς ναῦς.
The Peloponnesians had a mind to sail to Rhodes, as proposals had been made to them by the most influential men there. They hoped to bring over an island that was by no means weak in the number of its sailors and in infantry, and at the same time they thought that they would be able to maintain their ships from their existing alliance without asking Tissaphernes for money.
§8.44.2πλεύσαντες οὖν εὐθὺς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χειμῶνι ἐκ τῆς Κνίδου καὶ προσβαλόντες Καμείρῳ τῆς Ῥοδίας πρῶτον ναυσὶ τέσσαρσι καὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἐξεφόβησαν μὲν τοὺς πολλοὺς οὐκ εἰδότας τὰ πρασσόμενα, καὶ ἔφευγον, ἄλλως τε καὶ ἀτειχίστου οὔσης τῆς πόλεως·
Sailing therefore immediately in the same winter from Cnidus, and first touching at Cameirus in the territory of Rhodes with ninety-four ships, they frightened the common people, who knew nothing of the negotiations, and made them flee, especially as the city was unfortified.
εἶτα ξυγκαλέσαντες οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τούτους τε καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τοῖν δυοῖν πολέοιν, Λίνδου καὶ Ἰηλυσοῦ, Ῥοδίους ἔπεισαν ἀποστῆναι Ἀθηναίων· καὶ προσεχώρησε Ῥόδος Πελοποννησίοις.
Then the Lacedaemonians, having summoned these and the Rhodians from the other two cities, Lindus and Ialysus, persuaded them to revolt from the Athenians; and Rhodes came over to the Peloponnesians.
§8.44.3οἱ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ταῖς ἐκ τῆς Σάμου ναυσὶν αἰσθόμενοι ἔπλευσαν μὲν βουλόμενοι φθάσαι καὶ ἐπεφάνησαν πελάγιοι, ὑστερήσαντες δὲ οὐ πολλῷ τὸ μὲν παραχρῆμα ἀπέπλευσαν ἐς Χάλκην, ἐντεῦθεν δ’ ἐς Σάμον, ὕστερον δὲ ἐκ τῆς Χάλκης καὶ ἐκ τῆς Κῶ [καὶ ἐκ τῆς Σάμου] τοὺς ἐπίπλους ποιούμενοι ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥόδον ἐπολέμουν.
The Athenians, hearing of this at the same time, sailed with their ships from Samos, wishing to forestall them, and appeared in the open sea; but having arrived too late by only a little, they sailed back for the moment to Chalce, and thence to Samos; but afterwards, making descents upon Rhodes from Chalce, Cos, [and Samos], they carried on the war.
§8.44.4οἱ δὲ χρήματα μὲν ἐξέλεξαν ἐς δύο καὶ τριάκοντα τάλαντα οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι παρὰ τῶν Ῥοδίων, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα ἡσύχαζον ἡμέρας ὀγδοήκοντα, ἀνελκύσαντες τὰς ναῦς.
The Peloponnesians levied a contribution of thirty-two talents from the Rhodians, but otherwise remained quiet for eighty days, having hauled up their ships.
Notes
- 8.44.1ἐπικηρυκευομένων — A genitive absolute construction where the logical subject (the messengers initiating the proposal) is implied. The following prepositional phrase `ἀπὸ τῶν δυνατωτάτων ἀνδρῶν` ('from the most influential men') indicates the source of the initiative.
- 8.44.1προσάξεσθαι — The future middle infinitive of `προσάγω`. It carries a middle-voice meaning ('to bring over to one's own side') and functions as the complement of `ἐλπίζοντες`.
- 8.44.4τὰ δ’ ἄλλα — The neuter plural accusative of the pronoun used adverbially to mean 'as for the rest' or 'otherwise'. It functions as an accusative of respect.
Cite this passage
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.44.1-8.44.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.44.1-8.44.4
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