Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Theodor Braun (Translator), 3.21

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Die Mauer der Peloponnesier aber war auf folgende
Weise gebaut. Sie bestand aus zwei Ringmauern, von denen
die eine gegen Platää, die andere, äußere, gegen einen etwaigen
Angriff von Athen her gerichtet war. Der Abstand zwischen
beiden betrug ungefähr sechzehn Fuß. Dieser Zwishcenraum
von sechzehn Fuß war zu Wohnungen für die Besatzung ein
geteilt und ausgebaut, alle so dicht beieinander, daß das Ganze
wie eine einzige dicke Mauer aussah, die auf beiden Seiten
mit Zinnen versehen war. Bei jeder zehnten Zinne befand
sich ein hoher Turm von derselben Breite wie die Mauer, der
von der inneren bis zur äußeren Seite reichte, so daß man
an den Türmen nicht vorbeigehen konnte, sondern mitten durch
sie hindurch mußte. Bei Sturm und Regenwetter aber blieb
die Mannschaft nachts nicht an den Zinnen, sondern versah
den Wachdienst von den Türmen, die ziemlich nah aneinander
standen und oben ein Dach hatten. So war die Mauer be
schaffen, mit der die Platäer eingeschlossen waren.

History of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides. Theodor Braun (Translator). Leipzig. 1917.

Current edition First1KGreek

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs (German) (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Braun, Theodor, translator. Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, 1917.)

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Thucydides. Historiae, Vol 1-2. Jones, Henry Stuart, editor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910. (1942 printing).) — 3.21.1 focus

[1] τὸ δὲ τεῖχος ἦν τῶν Πελοποννησίων τοιόνδε τῇ οἰκοδομήσει. εἶχε μὲν δύο τοὺς περιβόλους, πρός τε Πλαταιῶν καὶ εἴ τις ἔξωθεν ἀπ’ Ἀθηνῶν ἐπίοι, διεῖχον δὲ οἱ περίβολοι ἑκκαίδεκα πόδας μάλιστα ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων.

[2] τὸ οὖν μεταξὺ τοῦτο [οἱ ἑκκαίδεκα πόδες ] τοῖς φύλαξιν οἰκήματα διανενεμημένα ᾠκοδόμητο, καὶ ἦν ξυνεχῆ ὥστε ἓν φαίνεσθαι τεῖχος παχὺ ἐπάλξεις ἔχον ἀμφοτέρωθεν.

[3] διὰ δέκα δὲ ἐπάλξεων πύργοι ἦσαν μεγάλοι καὶ ἰσοπλατεῖς τῷ τείχει, διήκοντες ἔς τε τὸ ἔσω μέτωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὸ ἔξω, ὥστε πάροδον μὴ εἶναι παρὰ πύργον, ἀλλὰ δι’ αὐτῶν μέσων διῇσαν.

[4] τὰς οὖν νύκτας, ὁπότε χειμὼν εἴη νοτερός, τὰς μὲν ἐπάλξεις ἀπέλειπον, ἐκ δὲ τῶν πύργων ὄντων δι’ ὀλίγου καὶ ἄνωθεν στεγανῶν τὴν φυλακὴν ἐποιοῦντο. τὸ μὲν οὖν τεῖχος ᾧ περιεφρουροῦντο οἱ Πλαταιῆς τοιοῦτον ἦν.

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.) — 3.21.1 focus

[1] As for the wall of the Peloponnesians, it was thus built. It consisted of a double circle, one towards Plataea and another outward in case of an assault from Athens. These two walls were distant one from the other about sixteen foot;

[2] and that sixteen foot of space which was betwixt them was disposed and built into cabins for the watchmen, which was so joined and continued one to another that the whole appeared to be one thick wall with battlements on either side.

[3] At every ten battlements stood a great tower of a just breadth to comprehend both walls and reach from the outmost to the inmost front of the whole, so that there was no passage by the side of a tower but through the midst of it.

[4] And such nights as there happened any storm of rain, they used to quit the battlements of the wall and to watch under the towers, as being not far asunder and covered beside overhead. Such was the form of the wall wherein the Peloponnesians kept their watch.

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.) — 3.21.1 focus

[1] Now the wall of the Peloponnesians was constructed as follows. It consisted of two lines drawn round the place, one against the Plataeans, the other against any attack on the outside from Athens , about sixteen feet apart.

[2] The intermediate space of sixteen feet was occupied by huts portioned out among the soldiers on guard, and built in one block, so as to give the appearance of a single thick wall with battlements on either side.

[3] At intervals of every ten battlements were towers of considerable size, and the same breadth as the wall, reaching right across from its inner to its outer face, with no means of passing except through the middle.

[4] Accordingly on stormy and wet nights the battlements were deserted, and guard kept from the towers, which were not far apart and roofed in above.
Such being the structure of the wall by which the Plataeans were blockaded,

Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs First1KGreek (Thucydides. Geschichte des Peloponnesischen Kriegs. Wahrmund, Adolf, translator. Stuttgart: Krais and Hoffmann, 1864.) — 3.21 focus

Die Mauer der Peloponnesier war aber auf folgende
Weise gebaut. Sie bestand aus zwei Ringmauern, deren eine gegen
Platäa gerichtet und die andere für den Fall berechnet war, wenn
allenfalls von Athen aus aus die äußere Seite ein Angriff geschähe.
Diese beiden Ringmauern waren ungefähr sechszehn Fuß von einander
entfernt. Der Zwishcenraum war zu Hütten für die Besatzung
vertheilt und ganz ausgebaut. Das ganze Werk war nirgends
unterbrochen , so daß es wie eine einzige dicke Mauer ershcien, die nach
beiden Seiten Brustwehren hatte. Jedesmal nach der zehnten
Brustwehr kam ein großer Thurm, von gleicher Breite wie das Werk, so
daß dieselben auf der einen Seite bis an die innere, und auf der
ander« Seite bis an die äußere Ringmauer reichten und man nicht an
ihnen vorüberkommen konnte, sondern durch sie hindurch gehen mußte.
Ju Nächten nun, wenn das Wetter stürmisch und feucht war, ließeu
sie die Brustwehren unbesetzt und versahen die Wache von den
Thürmen herab, die nicht weit von einander abstanden und oben überdacht
waren. So war die Mauer eingerichtet, mit der sie die Platäer
umschlossen hielten.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponèse First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése, Vol. 1-2. Zévort, Marie Charles, translator. Paris: Charpentier, 1852.) — 3.21 focus

XXI. Voici comment était construit le mur des Péloponnésiens : il se composait de deux enceintes¹ l’une du côté de Platée, l’autre ayant ses fronts vers la campagne, dans la prévision d’une attaque de la part des Athéniens. Un espace de seize pieds séparait les deux enceintes, et dans cet intervalle étaient construits des logements pour les gardes, reliés entre eux de telle sorte que le tout ne paraissait former qu’une seule muraille épaisse, avec des créneaux des deux côtés. De dix en dix créneaux s’élevaient de grandes tours occupant toute la largeur entre les deux enceintes, et s’étendant de la face intérieure à la face extérieure des ouvrages². De cette manière, il n’y avait point de passage le long des tours, et il fallait les traverser par le milieu. La nuit, lorsque le temps était mauvais et pluvieux, les soldats abandonnaient les créneaux, et la garde se faisait dans les tours, qui étaient couvertes et peu distantes les unes des autres. Tel était le mur de siège élevé autour de Platée.

Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése First1KGreek (Thucydides. Histoire de la Guerre du Péloponnése. Bétant, Élie-Ami, translator. Paris: Librairie de L. Hachette, 1863.) — 3.21 focus

La circonvallation consistait en une double enceinte. L’une de ses faces regardait Platée, l’autre était tournée vers l’extérieur, pour s’opposer aux secours qui pouvaient venir d’Athènes. Entre les deux revers s’étendait un espace de seize pieds, distribué en logements pour l’armée de siège. Ces logements étaient contigus, de telle sorte que le tout ensemble présentait l’apparence d’un gros mur unique, crénelé des deux côtés. De dix en dix créneaux s’élevaient de grandes tours, d’une largeur égale à celle du mur et occupant tout l’intervalle compris entre les deux faces. On n’avait point réservé de chemin de ronde en dehors des tours ¹ ; celles-ci communiquaient par des ouvertures pratiquées dans leur centre. La nuit, parles temps pluvieux, les sentinelles abandonnaient la garde des créneaux et se retiraient dans les tours, qui étaient couvertes et peu distantes Tune de l’autre. Telle était la circonvallation de Platée.

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.) — 3.21.1 focus

[1] The wall of the Peloponnesians was built in the following fashion. It had two encircling lines, the inner looking towards Plataea, the outer to guard against attack from the direction of Athens, and the two circuits were distant about sixteen feet from one another.

[2] This interval of sixteen feet had in building been divided up into rooms assigned to the guards; and the whole structure was continuous¹, so as to appear to be a single thick wall furnished with battlements on both sides.

[3] And at every tenth battlement there were high towers of the same width as the wall, extending both to the inner and outer faces of it, so that there was no passage left at the sides of the towers, but the guards had to go through the middle of them.

[4] Now at night when the weather was rainy the guards left the battlements and kept watch from the towers, which were not far apart and were roofed overhead. Such, then, was the wall by which the Plataeans were beleaguered.

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.) — 3.21.1 focus

[1] Now the wall of the Peloponnesians was of the following construction. It consisted of two lines round the place, one against the Plataeans, and another in case any one should attack them on the outside from Athens; and the lines were about sixteen feet apart.

[2] In this interval then of the sixteen feet there were quarters built, and partitioned out amongst the soldiers that were on guard; and these were continuous, so that it appeared but one thick wall, with battlements on each side.

[3] At the distance of every ten battlements there were towers, of considerable size, and of the same breadth as the wall, reaching both to its inner and its outer front, so that there was no passage by the side of a tower, but they passed through the middle of them.

[4] During the nights therefore, whenever it was stormy and wet weather, they used to leave the battlements, and to keep watch from the towers, as they were only at a short distance one from another, and were covered in above. Such then was the nature of the wall by which the Plataeans were enclosed.

Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci First1KGreek (Historia Belli Peloponnesiaci. Haase, Friedrich, translator. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1869.) — 3.21.1 focus

[1] Murus autem Peloponnesiorum hac erat structura. Duplicem ambitum habebat, alteram quidem Plataeas versus, alterum vero exteriorem, si quis forte ab Athenis invaderet ; hi autem ambitus alter ab altero sexdecim ferme pedum intervallo distabant.

[2] Hoc vero sexdecim pedum spatium tabernaculis inter custodes distributis erat occupatum eaque erant continua, ita ut unicus murus latus esse videretur, utrinque pinnas habens.

[3] Ad decimam qualhque pinnam autem turres erant ingentes, et ejusdem, qua muras, crassi- tudinis, et eaedem ad interiorem et exteriorem ejus frontem pertingebant, ita ut transitus propter turrim non esset, sed per eas medias transibant.

[4] Noctu vero, quoties tempestas humida esset, pinnas quidem relinquebant, e turribus Tero, quae parvo distabant ac superne tectae erant, excubias agebant Murus igitur, quo Plataeenses ab bostium praesidiis cingebantur, hujusmodi erat.

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.) — 3.21 focus

Ed ecco la struttura della fortificazione fatta dai Peloponnesi. Essa aveva due cerchi di muro : l’uno guardava i Plateesi, l’altro era per opporsi al di fuori se mai alcuno da Atene venisse ad attaccarli : questi due cerchi poi erano distanti fra loro circa sedici piedi. Neirintervallò dei sedici piedi erano ripartitamentc costruite per le sentinelle delle casematte , contigue l'una alPaltra in modo da parere un muro tutto sodo avente merli sulle due facce. Ad ogni dieci merli eranvi grandi torri , eguali di larghezza alla muraglia, ed arrivavano ognuna alla faccia sì internai che esterna di lei ; talché lungo le torri non rimaneva davanzale, ma si traversava passando pel mezzo di esse. Le notti, se faceva temporale umido, abbandonavano i merli, e facevano guardia dalle torri fra loro a piccola distanza, e coperte di sopra. Tale era la fortificazione onde erano cinti attorno i Plateesi.

Commentary

Commentary on Thucydides: Book 3 (Thucydides, Book III. Marchant, Edgar C., editor. London: Macmillan and Company, 1909.) focus

οἰκοδομήσει —Thue. is partial to nouns in ‐σις· ὀλόφυρσις, ξυμμέτρησις, κατάφευξις etc.

πρός —‘on the side towards,’ an idiomatic use common with localities, πρὸς τοῦ λιμένος, τοῦ ποταμοῦ and so on.

τὸ οὖν μεταξὺ τοῦτο —‘this intervening space was oceupied with buildings assigned as quarters to the sentries.’ So Stahl, who views τὸ μεταξύ as subjeet, and οἰκήματα as internal accus., as in τὸ ἐναντίον ὄνομα μετωνόμασται I. 122. Steup agrees with this rendering, but he is inelined to retain οἱ ἑκκαίδεκα πόδες and he regards οἰκήματα as pred. nom. Another view, which is to be rejected, is that τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦτο is adverbial accus., ‘in this space,’ and οἰκήματα subject of ᾠκοδόμητο: the constr. is then very strained, and the perf. partic. διανενεμημένα unnatural, implying that the quarters were distributed before they were built.

ἦν ξυνεχῆ —I agree with Steup in rendering ‘it was (all) continuous,’ without any definite subject, as in I. 8 πλωιμώτερα ἐγένετο, and cf. II. 3 ἁμάξας . . ἐς τοὺς ὁδοὺς καθίστασαν, ἵν’ ἀντὶ τείχους ᾖ, for it was not only the guards' quarters, but the two parallel walls as well that ‘looked like one thick wall.’

διὰ δέκα δὲ ἐπάλξεων —‘at an interval of ten,’ i.e. with the plur., ‘at intervals of ten,’ as in Isoer. IV. 46 αἱ πανηγύρεις διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου συλλεγεῖσαι .

ἰσοπλατεῖς —cf. ἰσομηκής, ἰσοπαχής, ἰσοπληθής.

καὶ τὸ ἔξω —for καὶ ἐς τὸ ἔξω, cf. c. 44 περἱ τοῦ μέλλοντος μᾶλλον . . ἢ τοῦ παρόντος. The first καί, ‘and,’ is deleted by Herbst, but the predicative οἱ αὐτοί can eome in the second clause.

παρὰ πύργον —Thuc. might have written παρὰ τοὺς πύργους, but the art. is omitted and the sing used collectively as in II. 13 παρ’ ἔπαλξιν, for which we might have παρὰ τὰς ἐπάλξεις. (This is better than ‘past a tower,’ because of δῑ αὐτῶν .)

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War 3.21

Theodor Braun (Translator)

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