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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.55.1-8.55.3

Athenian Base at Chalce and the Death of Pedaritus

Passage 863 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian generals Leon and Diomedon attack Rhodes and establish their base at Chalce. In Chios, Pedaritus attacks the Athenian fortification but is defeated and killed in a counter-attack.

§8.55.1ὁ δὲ Λέων καὶ ὁ Διομέδων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χειμῶνι ἀφιγμένοι ἤδη ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν Ἀθηναίων ναῦς ἐπίπλουν τῇ Ῥόδῳ ἐποιήσαντο.
Leon and Diomedon, having already arrived at the Athenian fleet during the same winter, made an expedition against Rhodes.
καὶ τὰς μὲν ναῦς καταλαμβάνουσιν ἀνειλκυσμένας τῶν Πελοποννησίων, ἐς δὲ τὴν γῆν ἀπόβασίν τινα ποιησάμενοι καὶ τοὺς προσβοηθήσαντας Ῥοδίων νικήσαντες μάχῃ ἀπεχώρησαν ἐς τὴν Χάλκην, καὶ τὸν πόλεμον ἐντεῦθεν μᾶλλον 〈ἢ〉 ἐκ τῆς Κῶ ἐποιοῦντο·
And they found the ships of the Peloponnesians hauled up on shore; and having made a landing on the territory and defeated in battle those of the Rhodians who came to help, they withdrew to Chalce, and from there rather than from Cos they carried on the war.
εὐφυλακτότερα γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐγίγνετο, εἴ ποι ἀπαίροι τὸ τῶν Πελοποννησίων ναυτικόν.
For it became easier for them to keep watch if the Peloponnesian fleet should put out to sea anywhere.
§8.55.2ἦλθε δ’ ἐς τὴν Ῥόδον καὶ Ξενοφαντίδας Λάκων παρὰ Πεδαρίτου ἐκ Χίου, λέγων ὅτι τὸ τεῖχος τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἤδη ἐπιτετέλεσται, καὶ εἰ μὴ βοηθήσουσι πάσαις ταῖς ναυσίν, ἀπολεῖται τὰ ἐν Χίῳ πράγματα.
There also came to Rhodes a Lacedaemonian, Xenophantidas, from Pedaritus in Chios, saying that the Athenian wall was now completed, and that unless they should help with all their ships, the affairs in Chios would be ruined.
οἱ δὲ διενοοῦντο βοηθήσειν.
And they intended to help.
§8.55.3ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ὁ Πεδάριτος αὐτός τε καὶ τὸ περὶ αὑτὸν ἐπικουρικὸν ἔχων καὶ τοὺς Χίους πανστρατιᾷ προσβαλὼν τῶν Ἀθηναίων τῷ περὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐρύματι αἱρεῖ τέ τι αὐτοῦ καὶ νεῶν τινῶν ἀνειλκυσμένων ἐκράτησεν·
Meanwhile, Pedaritus himself, with the mercenary force about him and the Chians in full force, attacked the Athenian fortification around their ships, captured a part of it, and got possession of some ships that had been hauled up.
ἐπεκβοηθησάντων δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ τρεψαμένων τοὺς Χίους πρώτους νικᾶται καὶ τὸ ἄλλο τὸ περὶ τὸν Πεδάριτον, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποθνῄσκει καὶ τῶν Χίων πολλοὶ καὶ ὅπλα ἐλήφθη πολλά.
But when the Athenians sallied out to help and routed the Chians first, the rest of the force around Pedaritus was also defeated; and he himself was killed, along with many of the Chians, and many arms were captured.

Notes

  1. 8.55.1εὐφυλακτότερα — The neuter plural is used impersonally to mean 'it was easier to keep watch.' The εἰ clause (εἴ ποι ἀπαίροι) functions practically as the subject, or refers generally to the whole situation.
  2. 8.55.1εἴ ποι ἀπαίροι — εἰ with the optative. Corresponding to the past tense in the main clause (ἐγίγνετο), it expresses a past contingent condition, or the hypothesis 'if ... should put out.'
  3. 8.55.3τῶν Ἀθηναίων τῷ περὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐρύματι — The genitive τῶν Ἀθηναίων (of the Athenians) modifies the noun ἐρύματι (fortification). Placing it before the article τῷ creates a hyperbaton.
  4. 8.55.3ἐπεκβοηθησάντων δὲ τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ τρεψαμένων τοὺς Χίους πρώτους — A genitive absolute construction. The logical subject of the two participles ἐπεκβοηθησάντων and τρεψαμένων is τῶν Ἀθηναίων. It is used because the subject is different from that of the main clause (νικᾶται...).

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.55.1-8.55.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.55.1-8.55.3

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