Humanitext Reader

Arrian · Periplus of the Euxine Sea §5.1-5.2

Hauling Ships Ashore, Salvage, and Delay at Athenae

Passage 5 of 25 · Greek

Summary

To escape the storm, most of the ships are successfully hauled up on the shore, though one is wrecked and its materials completely salvaged. The crew is forced to remain at Athenae due to the weather.

§5.1τὰς δὲ πολλὰς ἐδόκει πέμπειν ἐς τοὺς αἰγιαλοὺς τοὺς πλησίον νεωλκηθησομένας.
But it was decided to send the majority of the ships to the neighboring shores to be hauled up.
καὶ ἐνεωλκήθησαν ὥστε ἀπαθεῖς διαγενέσθαι πάσας πλὴν μιᾶς, ἥντινα ἐν τῷ ὁρμίζεσθαι πρὸ τοῦ καιροῦ ἐπιστρέψασαν πλαγίαν ὑπολαβὸν τὸ κῦμα ἐξήνεγκεν ἐς τὴν ᾐόνα καὶ συνέτριψεν.
And they were hauled up, so that all of them survived undamaged except for one; which, having turned broadside prematurely during anchorage, was caught underneath by a wave, cast ashore, and shattered.
§5.2ἀπεσώθη μέντοι πάντα, οὐ τὰ ἱστία μόνον καὶ τὰ σκεύη τὰ ναυτικὰ καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἧλοι, καὶ ὁ κηρὸς ἀπεξύσθη, ὡς μηδενὸς ἄλλου ἢ ξύλων δεῖσθαι ναυπηγησίμων ἐς τὴν κατασκευήν, ὧν παμπόλλη, χειμὼν ἐπὶ δύο ἡμέρας κατεῖχεν, καὶ ἦν ἀνάγκη μένειν· ἐχρῆν γὰρ ἄρα μηδὲ τὰς ἐν τῷ Πόντῳ Ἀθήνας παραπλεῦσαι ἡμᾶς ὥσπερ τινὰ ὅρμον ἔρημον καὶ ἀνώνυμον.
Nevertheless, everything was saved, not only the sails, the nautical gear, and the men, but even the nails, and the wax was scraped off, so that we needed nothing else for the construction than shipbuilding timber, of which there was a vast abundance. A storm held us back for two days, and it was necessary to remain; for it was destined, after all, that we should not sail past Athenae in the Pontus as if it were some deserted and nameless harbor.
ἐνθένδε ἄραντες ὑπὸ μὲν τὴν ἕω πλαγίου τοῦ κλύδωνος
Setting out from there towards dawn, with the wave striking us broadside,

Notes

  1. §5.1ἐδόκει — Impersonal construction taking the following infinitive phrase πέμπειν as its subject, meaning "it was decided" or "it seemed good."
  2. §5.1πλαγίαν — Feminine accusative singular of the adjective πλάγιος (sideways). It functions predicatively with the participle ἐπιστρέψασαν (which modifies ἥντινα), meaning "sideways" or "broadside."
  3. §5.2ὧν παμπόλλη — The relative pronoun ὧν (genitive plural) refers to the preceding neuter noun ξύλων, but the adjective παμπόλλη (very much) is feminine singular. This construct implies the ellipsis of a feminine noun such as ὕλη (timber, wood) or ἀφθονία (abundance).
  4. §5.2ἐχρῆν γὰρ ἄρα — The imperfect ἐχρῆν (it was necessary/destined) combined with the particle ἄρα (expressing a retrospective realization of the truth) denotes a providential or destined necessity ("for it was destined after all...").

Cite this passage

Arrian, Periplus of the Euxine Sea §5.1-5.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg004.humanitext-grc2:5.1-5.2

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