Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator), 2.31

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L’automne finissait, lorsque les Athéniens en corps de nation, citoyens et métèques, envahirent la Mégaride sous la conduite de Périclès fils de Xanthippos. Les cent vaisseaux qui avaient fait le tour du Péloponèse se trouvaient alors à Égine. Dès qu'on apprit sur cette flotte que ceux de la ville étaient en masse à Mégare, on fit voile pour les rejoindre. Jamais armée athénienne n’avait présenté un si magnifique coup d’œil. La ville était alors dans tout son éclat et n’avait pas encore souffert de la peste. Les Athéniens à eux seuls ne comptaient pas moins de dix mille hoplites, non compris les trois mille qui assiégeaient Potidée. Les métèques faisant le service d'hoplites étaient près de trois milles à quoi il faut ajouter la troupe, fort considérable, des soldats armés à la légère, Après qu’on eut dévasté une bonne partie de la Mégande, on se retira. Dans la suite et durant tout le cours de cette guerre, les Athéniens renouvelèrent chaque année ces incursions en Mégaride avec leurs cavaliers ou avec toutes leurs forces, jusqu’au moment oùNiséa tomba en leur pouvoir (a).

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator). Paris. 1863.

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Current edition First1KGreek

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése (French) (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 2.31.1 focus

[1] περὶ δὲ τὸ φθινόπωρον τοῦ θέρους τούτου Ἀθηναῖοι πανδημεί, αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ μέτοικοι, ἐσέβαλον ἐς τὴν Μεγαρίδα Περικλέους τοῦ Ξανθίππου στρατηγοῦντος. καὶ οἱ περὶ Πελοπόννησον Ἀθηναῖοι ἐν ταῖς ἑκατὸν ναυσίν (ἔτυχον γὰρ ἤδη ἐν Αἰγίνῃ ὄντες ἐπ’ οἴκου ἀνακομιζόμενοι) ὡς ᾔσθοντο τοὺς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως πανστρατιᾷ ἐν Μεγάροις ὄντας, ἔπλευσαν παρ’ αὐτοὺς καὶ ξυνεμείχθησαν.

[2] στρατόπεδόν τε μέγιστον δὴ τοῦτο ἁθρόον Ἀθηναίων ἐγένετο, ἀκμαζούσης ἔτι τῆς πόλεως καὶ οὔπω νενοσηκυίας· μυρίων γὰρ ὁπλιτῶν οὐκ ἐλάσσους ἦσαν αὐτοὶ Ἀθηναῖοι (χωρὶς δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἐν Ποτειδαίᾳ τρισχίλιοι ἦσαν), μέτοικοι δὲ ξυνεσέβαλον οὐκ ἐλάσσους τρισχιλίων ὁπλιτῶν, χωρὶς δὲ ὁ ἄλλος ὅμιλος ψιλῶν οὐκ ὀλίγος. δῃώσαντες δὲ τὰ πολλὰ τῆς γῆς ἀνεχώρησαν.

[3] ἐγένοντο δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι ὕστερον ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον ἐσβολαὶ Ἀθηναίων ἐς τὴν Μεγαρίδα καὶ ἱππέων καὶ πανστρατιᾷ, μέχρι οὗ Νίσαια ἑάλω ὑπ’ Ἀθηναίων.

Translations (10)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 2.31.1 focus

[1] About the end of the autumn of this summer the Athenians, both themselves and the strangers that dwelt amongst them, with the whole power of the city, under the conduct of Pericles the son 31antippus, invaded the territory of Megara. And those Athenians likewise that had been with the hundred galleys about Peloponnesus, in their return, being now at Aegina, hearing that the whole power of the city was gone into Megaris, went and joined them.

[2] And this was the greatest army that ever the Athenians had together in one place before, the city being now in her strength and the plague not yet amongst them. For the Athenians themselves were no less than ten thousand men of arms, besides the three thousand at Potidaea; and the strangers that dwelt amongst them and accompanied them in this invasion were no fewer than three thousand men of arms more, besides other great numbers of lightarmed soldiers.

[3] And when they had wasted the greatest part of the country, they went back to Athens. And afterwards, year after year during this war the Athenians often invaded Megaris, sometimes with their horsemen and sometimes with their whole army, until such time as they had won Nisaea.

History of the Peloponnesian War Perseus (Thucydides. History of the Peloponnesian War. Crawley, Richard, translator. London and Toronto: J. M. Dent and Sons Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1914.) — 2.31.1 focus

[1] Towards the autumn of this year the Athenians invaded the Megarid with their whole levy, resident aliens included, under the command of Pericles, son of Xanthippus. The Athenians in the hundred ships round Peloponnese on their journey home had just reached Aegina , and hearing that the citizens at home were in full force at Megara , now sailed over and joined them.

[2] This was without doubt the largest army of Athenians ever assembled, the state being still in the flower of her strength and yet unvisited by the plague. Full ten thousand heavy infantry were in the field, all Athenian citizens, besides the three thousand before Potidaea . Then the resident aliens who joined in the incursion were at least three thousand strong; besides which there was a multitude of light troops. They ravaged the greater part of the territory, and then retired.

[3] Other incursions into the Megarid were afterwards made by the Athenians annually during the war, sometimes only with cavalry, sometimes with all their forces. This went on until the capture of Nisaea .

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 2.31 focus

Nach diesem Sommer, zur Zeit des Spätherbstes, fielen
die Athener insgesammt und mit ihnen ihre Beisitzer in Megaris ein,
unter Anführung des Perikles, des Aanthippos Sohn. Auch die
Athener vom Peloponnes, welche auf den hundert Schiffen nach Hause
segelten und grade auf der Höhe von Aegina angekommen waren, als
sie erfuhren, daß die ans der Stadt mit ihrer gefammten Macht in
Megaris stünden, schifften hin und vereinigten sich mit ihnen, und so
war dies Heer das größte, welches die Athener zusammengebracht
haben, so lange die Stadt noch in Blüthe stand und noch nicht durch
die Krankheit gelitten hatte. Denn der Athener selbst waren nicht
weniger als zehn Tausend Schwerbewaffnete, und außer diesen hatten
sie noch drei Tausend IV) in Potidäa stehen; von den Beisitzern aber
waren nicht weniger als drei Tausend Schwerbewaffnete mit ihnen
ausgefallen, und dazu kam noch der übrige Haufe von
Leichtbewaffneten, nicht gering an Zahl. Nachdem sie nun den größten Theil der
Landschaft verwüstet hatten, kehrten sie zurück. Aber auch noch später
in diesem Kriege geschahen jährlich Einfälle der Athener in das
Gebiet von Megara, theils mit der Reiterei, theils mit der
Gefammtmacht, bis Nisäa von ihnen genommen wurde.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 2.31 focus

Gegen Ende dieses Sommers fielen die Athener mit ihrem
ganzen Heere, Bürger und Schutzverwaudte, unter Perikles,
Lanthippos' Sohn, nach Megaris ein. Als die auf ihrer Rück
fahrt vom Peloponnes grade bei Hgina angelangten Athener
auf den hundert Schiffen hörten, daß ganz Athen in Megaris
wäre, hielten sie auch dahin ab und vereinigten sich dort mit
ihren Landsleuten. Und so wurde dies das größte Heer,
welches die Athener noch in ihrer Blütezeit vor Eintritt der
Pest auf den Beinen gehabt haben; denn ganz abgesehen von
den dreitausend bei Potidäa stellten die Athener selbst mindestens
zehntausend Hopliten und ihre Schutzverwandten mindestens
dreitausend; dazu kam dann noch die große Menge der Leicht
bewaffneten. Nachdem sie einen großen Teil des Landes ver
heert hatten, zogen sie wieder ab. Auch im weiteren Verlauf
des Krieges machten die Athener alljährlich solche Einfälle nach
Megaris, entweder bloß mit der Reiterei oder auch mit dem
ganzen Heere, bis sie Nisaia genommen hatten.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 2.31 focus

XXXI. Ce même été, vers l’automne, les Athéniens en masse, citoyens et métèques ,· envahirent la Mégaride, sous le commandement de Périclès, fils de Xanthippe. La flotte de cent vaisseaux qui avait croisé autour du Péloponnèse se trouvait alors à Égine, effectuant son retour à Athènes. Ceux qui la montaient, à la première nouvelle que la population de la ville s’était portée en masse contre Mégare, firent voile aussitôt de ce côté et allèrent se réunir à l’expédition ; jamais armée athénienne aussi nombreuse ne s’était trouvée rassemblée dans un même camp : la république était alors dans toute sa puissance et la maladie¹ n’avait pas encore sévi. Les Athéniens seuls ne fournissaient pas moins de dix mille hoplites, non compris trois mille qui étaient à Potidée. Trois mille hoplites métoeques au moins prirent part à cette expédition ; et il y avait, de plus, un corps nombreux de troupes légères. Après avoir ravagé la plus grande partie du pays, ils s’en retournèrent.

Les Athéniens firent encore dans le cours de cette guerre d'autres excursions en Mégaride : chaque année² le pays était envahi soit par la cavalerie, soit par l’armée entière, jusqu’au moment où ils s’emparèrent de Nisée.

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides, Vol. 1-4. Smith, Charles Foster, translator. London and Cambridge, MA: Heinemann and Harvard University Press, 1919-1923.) — 2.31.1 focus

[1] Toward the autumn of this year the Athenians with all their military forces, drawn both from the citizens and the resident aliens, invaded Megaris under the command of Pericles son of Xanthippus, who was general.¹ The Athenians of the fleet of one hundred ships operating around Peloponnesus, who happened to be at Aegina on their way home, when they heard that the whole military force of the city was at Megara, sailed over and joined them.

[2] This was the largest army of Athenians that had ever been assembled in one body, for the city was still at the height of its strength and not as yet stricken by the plague; the Athenians themselves numbered not less than ten thousand heavy infantry, not including the three thousand at Potidaea² and there were three thousand heavy-armed aliens who took part in the invasion, and, besides, a considerable body of light-armed troops. After they had ravaged most of the Megarian country they retired.

[3] Later on in the course of the war still other invasions were made by the Athenians into Megaris every year, both with the cavalry and with the whole army, until Nisaea was captured.³

History of the Peloponnesian War First1KGreek (Thucydides. The history of the Peloponnesian War, Volume 1-2. Dale, Henry, translator. London: Heinemann and Henry G. Bohn, 1851-1852.) — 2.31.1 focus

[1] About the autumn of this summer, the Athenians invaded the Megarid with all their forces, themselves and the resident aliens, under the command of Pericles son of Xanthippus. And the Athenians in the hundred ships around the Peloponnese, (for they happened at this time to be at Aegina on their return home,) finding that the men of the city were in full force at Megara, sailed and joined them. And this was certainly the largest army of the Athenians that ever assembled together;

[2] as the city was at the height of its strength, and not yet afflicted with the plague; for of the Athenians themselves there were not fewer than ten thousand heavy-armed, (besides which they had the three thousand at Potidaea,) and of resident aliens who joined them in the incursion not fewer than three thousand heavy-armed; and added to these, there was all the crowd of light-armed in great numbers. After ravaging the greater part of the territory, they returned.

[3] Other incursions into the Megarid were also afterwards made annually by the Athenians in the course of the war, both with their cavalry and with all their force, until Nisaea was taken by them.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 2.31.1 focus

[1] Sub hujus aestatis autumnum Athenienses publice quum ipsi, tum etiam inquilini, duce Pericle Xanthippi filio in agrum Megarensem irruptionem fecerunt. Et Athenienses, qui circa Peloponnesum cum centum navibus erant (forte enim jam in ^Egina erant domum repetentes) quum andissent, suos cives cum universi populi copiis ex urbe profectos ad Megara esse, ad eos navigarunt, seque cum iis junxerunt

[2] Atque hic Atheniensium exercitus in unum collectus omnium maximus fuit, quum respublica adhuc fioreret, nec dum morbo laborasset; nam ipsi Athenienses non pauciores erant, quam decem millia gravis armaturae militum; (praeterea vero iis etiam apud Potidaeam erant tria militum milia), inquilini autem non pauciores tribus millibus gravis armaturae militum cum ipsis ad illam expeditionem iverant; praetereaque alia non parva militum levis armaturae turba. Vastata autem maxima illius agri parte se receperunt.

[3] Fecerunt vero alias quoque multes irruptiones Athenienses procedente bello quotannis iu agrum Megarensem modo cum equitatu, modo etiam curu. universi populi copiis, donec Nisaeam ceperunt.

Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides First1KGreek (Thucydides. Vier Staatsreden aus Thucydides. Gürsching, Heinrich, translator. Augsburg: Wirth, 1856.) — 2.35.1 focus

[1] Wenn es bisher bei den Rednern an dieser Stätte fast allgemeiner Brauch geworden, den Mann zu rühmen, der mit der Bestattung diese Rede verband, weil an dem Grabe gefallener Krieger ein ehrendes Wort sich zieme, so würde ich es für hinreichend gehalten haben, dass man Helden der That mit einer festlichen Handlung ehre, — wie das denn der Staat durch die Bestattung gethan hat, deren Zeugen ihr so eben gewesen — und würde die Verherrlichung so vieler Männer nicht einem Einzelnen und der zufälligen Wirkung seines Vortrags anheimgegeben haben.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 2.31 focus

Circa l' autunno di questa estate gli Ateniesi, a pieno popolo, tanto cittadini che inquilini, andarono ad assaltare la campagna megarcse, sotto la condotta di Pericle figliolo di Xantippo. Quei delle cento navi intorno al Peloponneso, nel ritornare a casa , arrivati ad Egina ebbero notizia che quei d’Atene con tutto l' esercito erano a Megara : laonde indirizzaronsi colà per riunirsi con loro. E però questo , tutto insieme , fu l' esercito più numeroso degli Ateniesi ; avvegnaché la città era ancora nell’auge di sua grandezza, non essendo per anche stata afflitta dalla pestilenza. Infatti gli Ateniesi propio non erano meno di diecimila di grave armatura , senza quei tremila che avevano a Potidea. Nè meno di tremila inquilini di grave milizia si erano uniti ad essi in questa spedizione, senza contare l' altra turba non piccola di milizia leggera. Colà devastato che ebbero gran parte del territorio , si ritirarono. Accaddero successivamente anno per anno, durante la guerra , molte invasioni si della cavalleria, che di tutte insieme le genti ateniesi nel megarese , sino a che da loro nou fu presa Nisea.

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides Book 2 (Thucydides, Book II. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1891.) focus

Φθινόπωρον —in September.

Μεγαρίδα —for the policy of this, see Intr. p. Ixxii. Megara had a hard fate, gross time-server as she was. In 455 she revolted from Sparta to Athens; then in 445, when Athens was in a bad plight, revolted from her and rejoined Sparta. In 427 Nicias seized Minoa, an island off Megara. In 425 Aristophanes, in the Acharnians, gibed at her sufferings in a spirit worthy of Lauderdale. In 424 the Athenians became masters of Nisaea and the Long Walls that connected Megara with that port. Then the walls were pulled down. In the truce of 423 the line between the Athenians and Megara was carefully defined. Athens lost her influence there by the peace of 421, when Minoa and Nisaea were restored to Megara.

Μεγάροις — i.e. the district of Megara, as with Eleusis c. 19.

Ἐγένετο —of a sum total, as c. 13, 3.

μυρίων — with the 3000 hoplites at Potidaea, the total becomes 13,000, as mentioned in c. 13. Phormio, who had been sent with 1600 more to Potidaea, must have returned already to Athens, though, as often in Thuc., this fact is only referred to incidentally and later See c. 58, 2.

ὅμιλος —so c. 34, 8, 36, 4, 65, 4. Outside Thuc. it is found only in Herod., Tragedy and late authors, as Dion. Hal., Plutarch, Lucian.

Καὶ ἄλλαι —the result was a sore famine in Megara.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 2.31

Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator)

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