Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator), 6.74

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

← Previous Next →

L’armée athénienne, qui était à Catane, partit précipitamment pour Messine, dont elle espérait s’emparer par trahison ; mais les menées qui s’y tramaient avortèrent. Lorsque Alcibiade avait quitté la Sicile, rappelé de son commandement et sûr d’être exilé, il avait dévoilé le complot, dont il avait le secret, aux Messéniens partisans de Syracuse. Ceux-ci, prenant les devants, avaient fait périr les auteurs du projet, mis la ville en pleine insurrection, et fait adopter l’avis de ne pas recevoir les Athéniens. Après treize jours d’attente, les Athéniens, incommodés par le mauvais temps et le manque de vivres, n’entrevoyant d’ailleurs aucune solution, retournèrent àNaxos, et s’établirent, pour le reste de la saison, dans un camp retranché. De là ils dépêchèrent une trirème à Athènes pour que, dès le printemps, on leur envoyât de l’argent et des cavaliers.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

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).) — 6.74.1 focus

[1] τὸ δ’ ἐν τῇ Κατάνῃ στράτευμα τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἔπλευσεν εὐθὺς ἐπὶ Μεσσήνην ὡς προδοθησομένην. καὶ ἃ μὲν ἐπράσσετο οὐκ ἐγένετο· Ἀλκιβιάδης γὰρ ὅτ’ ἀπῄει ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἤδη μετάπεμπτος, ἐπιστάμενος ὅτι φεύξοιτο, μηνύει τοῖς τῶν Συρακοσίων φίλοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ Μεσσήνῃ ξυνειδὼς τὸ μέλλον· οἱ δὲ τούς τε ἄνδρας διέφθειραν πρότερον καὶ τότε στασιάζοντες καὶ ἐν ὅπλοις ὄντες ἐπεκράτουν μὴ δέχεσθαι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους οἱ ταῦτα βουλόμενοι.

[2] ἡμέρας δὲ μείναντες περὶ τρεῖς καὶ δέκα οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ὡς ἐχειμάζοντο καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια οὐκ εἶχον καὶ προυχώρει οὐδέν, ἀπελθόντες ἐς Νάξον καὶ ὅρια καὶ σταυρώματα περὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ποιησάμενοι αὐτοῦ διεχείμαζον· καὶ τριήρη ἀπέστειλαν ἐς τὰς Ἀθήνας ἐπί τε χρήματα καὶ ἱππέας, ὅπως ἅμα τῷ ἦρι παραγένωνται.

Translations (9)

The History of the Grecian War Perseus (Thucydides. The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury. Hobbes, Thomas. translator. London: John Bohn, 1843.) — 6.74.1 focus

[1] The Athenian army at Catana sailed presently to Messana to receive it by treason of some within; but the plot came not to effect. For Alcibiades, when he was sent for from his charge, being resolved to fly and knowing what was to be done, discovered the same to the friends of the Syracusians in Messana, who with those of their faction slew such as were accused, and being armed upon occasion of the sedition, obtained to have the Athenians kept out.

[2] And the Athenians, after thirteen days' stay, troubled with tempestuous weather, provision also failing and nothing succeeding, returned again to Naxos; and having fortified their camp with a pallisado, they wintered there, and dispatched a galley to Athens for money and horsemen to be with them early in the spring.

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.) — 6.74.1 focus

[1] The Athenian forces at Catana now at once sailed against Messina , in the expectation of its being betrayed to them. The intrigue, however, after all came to nothing: Alcibiades, who was in the secret, when he left his command upon the summons from home, foreseeing that he would be outlawed, gave information of the plot to the friends of the Syracusans in Messina , who had at once put to death its authors, and now rose in arms against the opposite faction with those of their way of thinking, and succeeded in preventing the admission of the Athenians.

[2] The latter waited for thirteen days, and then, as they were exposed to the weather and without provisions, and met with no success, went back to Naxos , where they made places for their ships to lie in, erected a palisade round their camp, and retired into winter quarters; meanwhile they sent a galley to Athens for money and cavalry to join them in the spring.

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 6.74 focus

Das Athenische Heer in Katana aber schiffte sogleich nach
Messana, in der Hoffnung, diese Stadt werde ihnen durch Verrath
übergeben werden. Die deßhalb angeknüpften Unterhandlungen
führten jedoch den gewünschten Ausgang-nicht herbei. Alkibiades
nämlich, als er, von seinem Kommando abberufen, in See ging und schon
recht gut wußte, daß er werde in die Verbannung gehen müssen, hatte ¹
der Syrakusanisch gesinnten Partei in Messana den Plan mitgetheilt,
um den er wußte. Die Bürger von dieser Partei nun tödteten zuerst
die Schuldigen, erregten einen Aufstand und setzten mit den Waffen
in der Hand den Beschluß durch, daß die Athener nicht aufgenommen
werden dürften. Diese blieben ungefähr dreizehn Tage vor der Stadt,
und da sie vom stürmischen Wetter litten und keine Lebensmittel
hatten, auch die Sache nicht von der Hand ging, so zogen sie wieder ab
gen Naxoö, errichteten ein Pfahlwerk rings um ihr Lager und
überwinterten daselbst. Nach Athen, schickten sie einen Dreiruderer wegen
des Geldes'und'der Reiter; damit diese mit Frühlingsanfang ihnen
zugeschickt würden... s ^

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.) — 6.74 focus

Die Athener aber gingen von Katana mit ihrem Heere
sogleich nach Messene unter Segel, in der Hoffnung, eS
würde ihnen durch Verrat in die Hände fallen. Die Sache
war allerdings verabredet, allein es wurde nichts daraus.
Alkibiades nämlich, der darum wußte, hatte es, als er nach
seiner Abberufung bereits auf dem Rückwege war und einsah,
daß in Athen seines Bleibens nicht sein würde, den Freunden
der Syrakuser in Messene gesteckt. Diese ließen erst die Ver
räter ermorden, rotteten sich dann mit ihren Gesinnungs
genossen unter Waffen zusammen und setzten es durch, daß
die Athener nicht eingelassen wurden. Die Athener blieben
etwa vierzehn Tage vor Messene, da sie aber unter der
Witterung litten und nichts zu leben hatten, auch keinerlei
Fortschritte machten, zogen sie nach Naxos ab, wo sie sich
in ihrem Lager verschanzten, um dort zu überwintern. Auch
schickten sie eine Triere nach Athen, um sich zum Frühjahr
Geld und Reiter auszubitten.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 6.74 focus

LXXIV. L’armée athénienne qui était à Catane se hâta de faire voile pour Messène, dans l’espoir que cette ville lui serait livrée; mais l’entreprise échoua. Lorsque Alcibiade avait quitté la Sicile, déjà déposé de son commandement et décidé à fuir, il avait révélé le projet dont il avait connaissance aux partisans des Syracusains dans Messène. Ceux-ci, prenant les devants, avaient tué les auteurs du complot; ils étaient en insurrection et avaient les armes à la main quand les Athéniens arrivèrent; aussi obtinrent-ils de vive force que ceux-ci ne seraient pas reçus. Après être restés environ treize jours, les Athéniens, incommodés par le mauvais temps, manquant de vivres et n’avançant à rien, retournèrent à Naxos¹ (et à Thraces), palissadèrent leur camp et ² prirent leurs quartiers d’hiver. Une trirème fut envoyée à Athènes pour demander de l’argent et de la cavalerie, de manière à avoir le tout à l’entrée du printemps.

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.) — 6.74.1 focus

[1] The Athenian army at Catana, directly after its return,¹ sailed to Messene, in the hope that it would be betrayed to them. But the negotiations were not successful. For as soon as Alcibiades left his command under summons from home, knowing that he would be an exile, he gave information of the plot, of which he was cognizant, to the friends of the Syracusans at Messene; these had previously put the conspirators to death, and at this time, when the Athenians arrived, those who were of this faction, being already in revolt and under arms, were strong enough to prevent their admission.

[2] So the Athenians stayed there about thirteen days, and as they were vexed by storms and without provisions and were making no progress at all, they retired to Naxos, and constructing dock-yards and building stockades round their camp, went into winterquarters there. They also sent a trireme to Athens for money and cavalry, that these might be on hand at the opening of spring.

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.) — 6.74.1 focus

[1] As for the Athenian forces at Catana, they sailed immediately to Messana, in expectation of its being betrayed to them. But the intrigues that were being carried on did not come to any thing. For Alcibiades, when he was now summoned home, and had left his command, knowing that he would be outlawed, gave information of the intended movement, to which he was privy, to the friends of the Syracusans in Messana; and they had both previously put to death the men implicated in it, and at that time such as were on the same side, breaking out into sedition, and taking up arms, prevailed so far as to prevent their admitting the Athenians.

[2] When they, therefore, after staying ten days, were suffering from the severe weather, had no provisions, and found none of their plans succeed, they retired to Naxos, and having made a palisade round their encampment, took up their winter quarters there. They also sent a trireme to Athens for both money and cavalry, to join them in the spring.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 6.74.1 focus

[1] Classis autem Atheniensium, quae ad Catanam erat, Messanam versus continuo navigavit, quod eam per proditionem captum iri sperarent. Et quae struebantur, non successerunt; Alcibiades enim quum jam abiret imperio revocatus, sciens se exsulem fore, Syracusanorum amicis, qui Messanae erant, futuram urbis proditionem, cujus erat conscius, indicavit; illi vero et liomines interfecerunt prius, et tunc, quum ob seditionem ortam in armis essent, ii qui hoc volebant, obtinebant, ne Athenienses reciperentur.

[2] Athenienses vero castris illic tredecim circiter dies habitis quum tempestate jactarentur neque commeatum haberent neque quicquam succederet, Naxum reversi classe vallo munita illic hibernarunt; et triremem Athenas miserunt pecuniarum et equitatus gratia, ut ha* primo vere statioi adessent.

La storia di Tucidide First1KGreek (Thucydides. Della storia di Tucidide volgarizzata libri otto. Anonymous translator. Florence: Tipografia Galileiana, 1835.) — 6.74 focus

E l’armata ateniese che era a Catana navigò subito a Messina sperando d’averla proditoriamente ; ma le pratiche svanirono. Conciossiaché Alcibiade consapevole di quelle, allorché richiamato ad Atene depose il comando, essendo certo che verrebbe sbandito, le palesa agli amici dei Siracusani in Messina. Onde essi uccisero i colpevoli prima che arrivasse la flotta nemica ; e tutti quelli che tenean con loro levato il romore, prese le armi vinsero che non si dovessero ricevere gli Ateniesi. I quali fermativisi da trenta giorni, poiché erano molestati dalla fredda stagione e mancavano di vettovaglia, tornarono a Nasso ove circondarono di un vallo l’alloggiamento, e vi svernarono. Spedirono inoltre una trireme ad Atene per avere a primavera denari e cavalli.

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides: Book 6 (Thucydides, Book VI. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1909.) focus

ἃ μὲν ἐπράσσετο —‘the design failed, because Alc. . . knowing that he would be banished, gave information about the plot, of which he had knowledge.’

τούς τε ἄνδρας — i.e. τοὺς μηνυθέντας .

πρότερον —before the Athentans arrived.

ἐπεκράτουν —the subject is suddenly narrowed down from the Messenians at large ( οἱ δέ) to the party favourable to Syr. ( οἱ ταῦτα βουλόμενοι).

περί —as in I. 117 ἡμέρας περὶ τεσσάρας καὶ δέκα. But this use of περί to denote the appioximate period is not common. It does not occur in the orators, nor in Aristoph.

προυχώρει —a favourite word with Thue. for ‘to succeed.’

ὅρια καί —on the MSS. Θρᾳκας see crit. note. ὅρια are, according to Stahl, protected places for the storage of arms and baggage. Hesych. explains ὅρια as τείχισμα, φραγμός. Others understand ὅρια as ‘docks,’ νεώρια.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 6.74

Élie-Ami Bétant (Translator)

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition First1KGreek

Commentary

Stable identifiers