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Pausanias · Description of Greece §10.22.7-10.22.13

Flanking of Mount Oeta and March on Delphi

Passage 441 of 465 · Greek

Summary

While retribution is exacted from the Galatians, Brennus utilizes a guide to flank the Greeks via a path on Mount Oeta, but the Athenian fleet rescues the Greek forces, and various contingents gather to defend Delphi.

§10.22.7Καλλιεῦσι δὲ καίπερ δεινὰ οὕτω παθοῦσιν ὡς μηδὲ τὰ ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου πεποιημένα ἔς τε Λαιστρυγόνας καὶ ἐς Κύκλωπα ἐκτὸς εἶναι δοκεῖν ἀληθείας, ὅμως κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἐγίνετο ἡ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν δίκη·
Although the people of Callieae suffered such terrible things that even the poetic tales of Homer concerning the Laestrygones and the Cyclops seemed not to be far from the truth, nevertheless the retribution on their behalf came in full measure.
ἀπὸ γὰρ τεσσάρων μυριάδων προσόντων σφίσιν ὀκτακοσίων ἐλάσσονες ἡμίσεων ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον οἱ βάρβαροι τὸ πρὸς Θερμοπύλαις ἀπεσώθησαν.
For out of their force of forty thousand and eight hundred, fewer than half of the barbarians saved themselves back to the camp at Thermopylae.
§10.22.8περὶ δὲ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ τοὺς ἐν Θερμοπύλαις συνέβαινεν ἄλλα τοιαῦτα.
At the same time, the following events were happening to the Greeks at Thermopylae.
ἀτραπός ἐστι διὰ τοῦ ὄρους τῆς Οἴτης, μία μὲν ἡ ὑπὲρ Τραχῖνος ἀπότομός τε τὰ πλείω καὶ ὄρθιος δεινῶς, ἑτέρα δὲ ἡ διὰ τῆς Αἰνιάνων ὁδεῦσαι στρατῷ ῥᾴων, διʼ ἧς καὶ Ὑδάρνης ποτὲ Μῆδος κατὰ νώτου τοῖς περὶ Λεωνίδην ἐπέθετο Ἕλλησι.
There is a path through the mountain of Oeta; one, above Trachis, is mostly precipitous and terribly steep, while the other, through the territory of the Aenianians, is easier for an army to march through, along which Hydarnes the Mede once attacked the Greeks under Leonidas from behind.
§10.22.9κατὰ ταύτην τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπηγγέλλοντο ἄξειν Βρέννον οἱ Ἡρακλεῶται καὶ οἱ Αἰνιᾶνες, οὐ κακονοίᾳ τῇ ἐς τὸ Ἑλληνικόν, τοὺς δὲ Κελτοὺς ἐκ τῆς χώρας σφίσιν ἀπελθεῖν μηδὲ ἐγκαθημένους φθείρειν περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενοι.
Along this road the Heracleots and the Aenianians promised to lead Brennus, not because of ill-will toward the Greek cause, but making it of great importance that the Celts should depart from their land and not settle there and destroy it.
καί μοι φαίνεται Πίνδαρος ἀληθῆ καὶ ἐν τῷδε εἰπεῖν, ὃς πάντα τινὰ ὑπὸ κακῶν οἰκείων ἔφη πιέζεσθαι, ἐπὶ δὲ ἀλλοτρίοις κήδεσιν ἀπήμαντον εἶναι.
And Pindar seems to me to have spoken the truth in this also, who said that everyone is oppressed by his own troubles, but is untouched by the grief of others.
§10.22.10τότε δὲ ἡ τῶν Αἰνιάνων καὶ τῶν Ἡρακλεωτῶν ὑπόσχεσις ἐπήγειρε τὸν Βρέννον· καὶ Ἀκιχώριον μὲν κατέλιπεν ἐπὶ τῇ στρατιᾷ, προειπών, ἐπειδὰν περιλάβωσιν αὐτοὶ τὸ Ἑλληνικόν, τηνικαῦτα καὶ ἐκείνοις ἐφόδου καιρὸν εἶναι·
At that time, the promise of the Aenianians and the Heracleots excited Brennus; and he left Acichorius in charge of the army, instructing him beforehand that when they themselves had surrounded the Greek force, that would be the time for them also to attack.
ἀπολέξας δὲ αὐτὸς μυριάδας τοῦ στρατοῦ τέσσαρας ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ὁδὸν διὰ τῆς ἀτραποῦ.
Selecting forty thousand of the army himself, he made his way through the path.
§10.22.11καί πως ἐπʼ ἐκείνης συνέβαινε τῆς ἡμέρας τήν τε ὁμίχλην κατὰ τοῦ ὄρους καταχεῖσθαι πολλὴν καὶ ἀμαυρὸν ὑπʼ αὐτῆς εἶναι τὸν ἥλιον, ὥστε τῶν Φωκέων τοῖς ἔχουσιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀτραπῷ τὴν φρουρὰν οὐ πρότερον ἐπιόντες οἱ βάρβαροι παρέσχοντο αἴσθησιν πρὶν ἢ πλησίον ἐγεγόνεσαν.
And it happened that on that day a thick mist was poured down over the mountain, and the sun was obscured by it, so that the barbarians did not make themselves perceived by the Phocians who were keeping guard on the path until they had come close.
ἐνταῦθα δὲ οἱ μὲν μάχης ἦρχον, οἱ δὲ ἠμύνοντο ἐρρωμένως, τέλος δὲ ἐβιάσθησαν καὶ ἀναχωροῦσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀτραποῦ·
Thereupon the one side began the battle, and the others defended themselves vigorously, but at last they were forced back and retreated from the path.
καταδραμόντες μέντοι παρὰ τοὺς συμμάχους καὶ ἀπαγγείλαντες τὰ παρόντα ἔφθησαν πρὶν ἢ ἀκριβῆ καὶ πανταχόθεν τελέαν γενέσθαι τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ τὴν κύκλωσιν.
However, running down to the allies and reporting the situation, they anticipated the completion of the encirclement of the Greek force before it became precise and complete from all sides.
§10.22.12ἔνθα δὴ οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν τριήρων Ἀθηναῖοι φθάνουσιν ὑπεξαγαγόντες ἐκ τῶν Θερμοπυλῶν τὸ Ἑλληνικόν·
Then the Athenians on the triremes succeeded in withdrawing the Greek force from Thermopylae beforehand.
καὶ οἱ μὲν κατὰ τὰς πατρίδας ἕκαστοι τὰς αὑτῶν ἐσκεδάσθησαν, ὁ δὲ Βρέννος οὐδένα ἔτι ἐπισχὼν χρόνον, πρὶν ἢ τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τοῦ σὺν τῷ Ἀκιχωρίῳ παραγενέσθαι, τὴν ὁδὸν ἐποιεῖτο ἐπὶ τοὺς Δελφούς.
And the Greeks dispersed, each to their own homelands, while Brennus, waiting no longer for the arrival of those from the camp with Acichorius, made his way toward Delphi.
οἱ δὲ καταφεύγουσιν ὑπὸ δείματος ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστήριον· καὶ ὁ θεὸς σφᾶς οὐκ εἴα φοβεῖσθαι, φυλάξειν δὲ αὐτὸς ἐπηγγέλλετο τὰ ἑαυτοῦ.
The inhabitants fled in terror to the oracle, but the god forbade them to fear, and promised that he himself would guard his own.
§10.22.13οἱ δὲ ἀφικόμενοι τιμωρεῖν τῷ θεῷ τοσοίδε ἐγένοντο Ἑλλήνων· Φωκεῖς μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων πασῶν, ἐκ δὲ Ἀμφίσσης ὁπλῖται τετρακόσιοι, παρὰ δὲ Αἰτωλῶν ὀλίγοι μέν τινες αὐτίκα, ὅτε ἐπύθοντο ἐς τὸ πρόσω χωροῦντας τοὺς βαρβάρους, διακοσίους δὲ καὶ χιλίους Φιλόμηλος ἤγαγεν ὕστερον.
Those of the Greeks who came to aid the god were as follows: Phocians from all their cities, four hundred hoplites from Amphissa, and from the Aetolians a few immediately when they heard that the barbarians were advancing, and later Philomelus brought twelve hundred.
τὸ δὲ μάλιστα ἐν ἀκμῇ τῶν Αἰτωλῶν ἐτράπετο ἐπὶ τὴν μετὰ τοῦ Ἀκιχωρίου στρατιάν, καὶ μάχης μὲν οὐκ ἦρχον, ὁδευόντων δὲ ἐπέκειντο ἀεὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἁρπάζοντές τε τὰ τῶν σκευαγωγούντων καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἄνδρας φονεύοντες· καὶ ἡ πορεία κατὰ ταύτην μάλιστα ἐγίνετό σφισι βραδεῖα τὴν αἰτίαν.
But the most vigorous part of the Aetolians turned against the army with Acichorius, and although they did not begin a pitched battle, they kept attacking the rearguard of the marching army, plundering the baggage-carriers and killing the men themselves; and for this reason their march was made extremely slow.
κατέλιπε δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν Ἡράκλειαν ὁ Ἀκιχώριος μοῖραν, οἳ ἔμελλον φρουρήσειν τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου χρήματα.
Acichorius also left a division around Heracleia to guard the baggage in the camp.

Notes

  1. §10.22.7ἐλάσσονες ἡμίσεων — Meaning 'fewer than half.' ἡμίσεων is the genitive plural of ἥμισυ (half), serving as a genitive of comparison after the comparative adjective ἐλάσσονες.
  2. §10.22.9περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενοι — A participle construction meaning 'making it of great importance.' It takes an accusative and infinitive clause (τοὺς Κελτοὺς ... ἀπελθεῖν μηδὲ ... φθείρειν) as its object, explaining the motivation of the subjects (the Heracleots and Aenianians).
  3. §10.22.11ἔφθησαν πρὶν ἢ ... γενέσθαι — A construction meaning 'they anticipated [the event] before ... occurred.' It is used intransitively (or with an implied action like warning the allies in context), indicating that the Phocians managed to inform the allies before the Greek force was surrounded.
  4. §10.22.13τὸ δὲ μάλιστα ἐν ἀκμῇ — Meaning 'the most vigorous part,' which is qualified by the genitive τῶν Αἰτωλῶν (of the Aetolians). This neuter phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.

Cite this passage

Pausanias, Description of Greece §10.22.7-10.22.13. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.22.7-10.22.13

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