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Thucydides · History of the Peloponnesian War §8.80.1-8.80.4

Revolt of Byzantium and Expedition to the Hellespont

Passage 888 of 917 · Greek

Summary

The Peloponnesians, seeking financial support, dispatch Clearchus with forty ships to Pharnabazus; however, the fleet is dispersed by a storm, and only ten ships under Helixus reach the Hellespont to instigate Byzantium's revolt, leading the Athenians in Samos to send a naval force that engages in a minor battle.

§8.80.1ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ θέρει μετὰ τοῦτο εὐθὺς οἱ Πελοποννήσιοι, ἐπειδὴ ἁθρόαις ταῖς ναυσὶν οὐκ ἀξιόμαχοι νομίσαντες εἶναι οὐκ ἀντανήγοντο, ἀπορήσαντες ὁπόθεν τοσαύταις ναυσὶ χρήματα ἕξουσιν, ἄλλως τε καὶ Τισσαφέρνους κακῶς διδόντος, ἀποστέλλουσιν ὡς τὸν Φαρνάβαζον, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἐκ τῆς Πελοποννήσου προσετάχθη, Κλέαρχον τὸν Ῥαμφίου ἔχοντα ναῦς τεσσαράκοντα.
In the same summer immediately after this, the Peloponnesians, since they did not put out to meet them as they did not think themselves to be a match for the enemy with their ships collected, and being at a loss as to where they would get money for so many ships, especially as Tissaphernes provided it poorly, sent to Pharnabazus, just as had also been ordered at first from the Peloponnese, Clearchus the son of Ramphias with forty ships.
§8.80.2ἐπεκαλεῖτό τε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ὁ Φαρνάβαζος καὶ τροφὴν ἑτοῖμος ἦν παρέχειν, καὶ ἅμα καὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον ἐπεκηρυκεύετο αὐτοῖς ἀποστῆναι.
For Pharnabazus was calling upon them and was ready to provide maintenance, and at the same time Byzantium was also sending messengers to them to revolt.
§8.80.3καὶ αἱ μὲν τῶν Πελοποννησίων αὗται νῆες ἀπάρασαι ἐς τὸ πέλαγος, ὅπως λάθοιεν ἐν τῷ πλῷ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους, χειμασθεῖσαι, καὶ αἱ μὲν Δήλου λαβόμεναι αἱ πλείους μετὰ Κλεάρχου καὶ ὕστερον πάλιν ἐλθοῦσαι ἐς Μίλητον (Κλέαρχος δὲ κατὰ γῆν αὖθις ἐς τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον κομισθεὶς ἦρχεν), αἱ δὲ μετὰ Ἑλίξου τοῦ Μεγαρέως στρατηγοῦ δέκα ἐς τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον διασωθεῖσαι Βυζάντιον ἀφιστᾶσιν.
And these Peloponnesian ships, having put out into the open sea so that they might escape the notice of the Athenians on their voyage, were caught in a storm; and the greater part of them with Clearchus, having reached Delos, afterwards returned to Miletus (but Clearchus, having made his way later by land to the Hellespont, took command), while the other ten ships with Helixus the Megarian general, having made their way safely to the Hellespont, caused Byzantium to revolt.
§8.80.4καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οἱ ἐκ τῆς Σάμου πέμπουσιν αἰσθόμενοι νεῶν βοήθειαν καὶ φυλακὴν ἐς τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον, καί τις καὶ ναυμαχία βραχεῖα γίγνεται πρὸ τοῦ Βυζαντίου ναυσὶν ὀκτὼ πρὸς ὀκτώ.
And after this, those in Samos, when they became aware of this, sent a force of ships to the Hellespont as a reinforcement and guard, and a brief naval battle also took place before Byzantium, with eight ships against eight.

Notes

  1. §8.80.1Τισσαφέρνους κακῶς διδόντος — A genitive absolute construction. The object of the present participle διδόντος (such as pay or maintenance) is omitted as it is clear from the context.
  2. §8.80.3Δήλου λαβόμεναι — The middle participle λαβόμεναι (from λαμβάνομαι) takes the genitive (Δήλου) in a nautical sense, meaning "reaching," "making landfall at," or "taking refuge at."
  3. §8.80.3αἱ δὲ μετὰ Ἑλίξου ... δέκα — The main subject of the previous clause, `αἱ μὲν τῶν Πελοποννησίων αὗται νῆες` (the forty ships), is divided into two groups: `αἱ μὲν ... αἱ πλείους` (the majority, i.e., thirty ships with Clearchus that returned to Miletus) and the contrasting `αἱ δὲ ... δέκα` (the remaining ten ships with Helixus that made it to the Hellespont). Syntactically, the main verb of this sentence, ἀφιστᾶσιν, goes with this latter group.

Cite this passage

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War §8.80.1-8.80.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0003.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.80.1-8.80.4

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