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Polybius · The Histories §16.7.1-16.7.6

Ship Losses and Casualties in the Battle of Chios

Passage 855 of 1311 · Greek

Summary

This section details the specific number of ships and crews lost or captured, as well as the casualties and prisoners of war on both sides in the Battle of Chios.

§16.7.1ἐφθάρησαν δὲ τοῦ μὲν Φιλίππου ναῦς ἐν μὲν τῇ πρὸς Ἄτταλον ναυμαχίᾳ δεκήρης, ἐννήρης, ἑπτήρης, ἑξήρης, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν κατάφρακτοι μὲν δέκα καὶ τριημιολίαι τρεῖς, λέμβοι δὲ πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι καὶ τὰ τούτων πληρώματα·
Of the ships of Philip, there were destroyed in the battle against Attalus a ten-banked ship, a nine-banked, a seven-banked, a six-banked, and of the rest ten decked ships and three hemioliae, and twenty-five lembi with their crews.
§16.7.2ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Ῥοδίους διεφθάρησαν κατάφρακτοι μὲν δέκα, λέμβοι δὲ περὶ τετταράκοντα τὸν ἀριθμόν· ἥλωσαν δὲ δύο τετρήρεις καὶ λέμβοι σὺν τοῖς πληρώμασιν ἑπτά.
In the battle against the Rhodians there were destroyed ten decked ships, and lembi to the number of about forty; and there were captured two quadriremes and seven lembi with their crews.
§16.7.3τῶν δὲ παρʼ Ἀττάλου κατέδυσαν μὲν τριημιολία μία καὶ δύο πεντήρεις, ἥλωσαν δὲ δύο τετρήρεις καὶ τὸ τοῦ βασιλέως σκάφος.
Of those belonging to Attalus, one hemiolia and two quinqueremes sank, while two quadriremes and the flagship of the king were captured.
§16.7.4τῶν δὲ Ῥοδίων διεφθάρησαν μὲν δύο πεντήρεις καὶ τριήρης, ἥλω δʼ οὐδέν.
Of those of the Rhodians, two quinqueremes and a trireme were destroyed, but nothing was captured.
§16.7.5ἄνδρες δὲ τῶν μὲν Ῥοδίων ἀπέθανον εἰς ἑξήκοντα, τῶν δὲ παρʼ Ἀττάλου πρὸς ἑβδομήκοντα, τῶν δὲ τοῦ Φιλίππου Μακεδόνες μὲν εἰς τρισχιλίους, τῶν δὲ πληρωμάτων εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους.
Of men, there died on the Rhodian side about sixty, on the side of Attalus about seventy, and on Philip's side about three thousand Macedonians, and of the crews about six thousand.
§16.7.6ἑάλωσαν δὲ ζωγρίᾳ τῶν μὲν συμμάχων καὶ Μακεδόνων εἰς δισχιλίους, τῶν δʼ ὑπεναντίων εἰς ἑπτακοσίους.
And there were taken alive as prisoners of war, of the allies and Macedonians about two thousand, and of the opponents about seven hundred.

Notes

  1. 16.7.1τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν — Partitive genitive. Under the general subject of Philip's ships (`τοῦ μὲν Φιλίππου ναῦς`), it denotes the subcategory of 'the rest of the vessels' distinct from the large-scale warships mentioned at the beginning.
  2. 16.7.2τὸν ἀριθμόν — Accusative of respect (or specification), meaning 'in number' or 'to the number of' with the adverbial modifier `περὶ τετταράκοντα`.
  3. 16.7.5εἰς / πρὸς — These prepositions (`εἰς` and `πρὸς`) when modifying numerals express approximate numbers, meaning 'about' or 'approximately'.
  4. 16.7.6ζωγρίᾳ — Dative of manner (or state), used adverbially to mean 'alive' or 'as living prisoners'.

Cite this passage

Polybius, The Histories §16.7.1-16.7.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:16.7.1-16.7.6

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