Harpagus' Expedition and the Origin of the Carians — Herodotus, Histories Book 1 (1.171.1–1.171.6), Greek & English

§1.171.1

Ἅρπαγος δὲ καταστρεψάμενος Ἰωνίην ἐποιέετο στρατηίην ἐπὶ Κᾶρας καὶ Καυνίους καὶ Λυκίους, ἅμα ἀγόμενος καὶ Ἴωνας καὶ Αἰολέας.

Harpagus, having subjugated Ionia, made an expedition against the Carians, Caunians, and Lycians, taking along with him both the Ionians and Aeolians.

§1.171.2

εἰσὶ δὲ τούτων Κᾶρες μὲν ἀπιγμένοι ἐς τὴν ἤπειρον ἐκ τῶν νήσων. τὸ γὰρ παλαιὸν ἐόντες Μίνω κατήκοοι καὶ καλεόμενοι Λέλεγες εἶχον τὰς νήσους, φόρον μὲν οὐδένα ὑποτελέοντες, ὅσον καὶ ἐγὼ δυνατός εἰμι ἐπὶ μακρότατον ἐξικέσθαι ἀκοῇ·¹ οἳ δέ, ὅκως Μίνως δέοιτο, ἐπλήρουν οἱ τὰς νέας.

Of these, the Carians are those who came to the mainland from the islands. For in ancient times, being subjects of Minos and called Leleges, they held the islands, paying no tribute, as far as I am able to trace back by hearsay; but whenever Minos had need, they manned his ships for him.

§1.171.3

ἅτε δὴ Μίνω τε κατεστραμμένου γῆν πολλὴν καὶ εὐτυχέοντος τῷ πολέμῳ, τὸ Καρικὸν ἦν ἔθνος λογιμώτατον τῶν ἐθνέων ἁπάντων κατὰ τοῦτον ἅμα τὸν χρόνον μακρῷ μάλιστα.

Since Minos had subjugated much land and was successful in war, the Carian nation was by far the most famous of all nations at this same time.

§1.171.4

καί σφι τριξὰ ἐξευρήματα ἐγένετο, τοῖσι οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐχρήσαντο· καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ κράνεα λόφους ἐπιδέεσθαι Κᾶρες εἰσὶ οἱ καταδέξαντες καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀσπίδας τὰ σημήια ποιέεσθαι, καὶ ὄχανα ἀσπίσι οὗτοι εἰσὶ οἱ ποιησάμενοι πρῶτοι· τέως δὲ ἄνευ ὀχάνων ἐφόρεον τὰς ἀσπίδας πάντες οἳ περ ἐώθεσαν ἀσπίσι χρᾶσθαι, τελαμῶσι σκυτίνοισι οἰηκίζοντες, περὶ τοῖσι αὐχέσι τε καὶ τοῖσι ἀριστεροῖσι ὤμοισι περικείμενοι.

And they made three inventions which the Greeks adopted; for the Carians are those who introduced the wearing of crests on helmets, and the putting of devices on shields, and they were the first to make handles for shields. Until then, all who were accustomed to use shields carried them without handles, guiding them by leather straps slung around their necks and left shoulders.

§1.171.5

μετὰ δὲ τοὺς Κᾶρας χρόνῳ ὕστερον πολλῷ Δωριέες τε καὶ Ἴωνες ἐξανέστησαν² ἐκ τῶν νήσων, καὶ οὕτω ἐς τὴν ἤπειρον ἀπίκοντο. κατὰ μὲν δὴ Κᾶρας οὕτω Κρῆτες λέγουσι γενέσθαι· οὐ μέντοι αὐτοί γε ὁμολογέουσι τούτοισι οἱ Κᾶρες, ἀλλὰ νομίζουσι αὐτοὶ ἑωυτοὺς εἶναι αὐτόχθονας ἠπειρώτας, καὶ τῷ οὐνόματι τῷ αὐτῷ αἰεὶ διαχρεωμένους τῷ περ νῦν.

After the Carians, a long time later, the Dorians and Ionians drove them out from the islands, and thus they came to the mainland. Concerning the Carians, the Cretans speak thus; however, the Carians themselves do not agree with them, but consider themselves to be autochthonous mainlanders, always using the same name that they do now.

§1.171.6

ἀποδείκνῦσι δὲ ἐν Μυλάσοισι Διὸς Καρίου ἱρὸν ἀρχαῖον, τοῦ Μυσοῖσι μὲν καὶ Λυδοῖσι μέτεστι³ ὡς κασιγνήτοισι ἐοῦσι τοῖσι Καρσί· τὸν γὰρ Λυδὸν καὶ τὸν Μυσὸν λέγουσι εἶναι Καρὸς ἀδελφεούς. τούτοισι μὲν δὴ μέτεστι, ὅσοι δὲ ἐόντες ἄλλου ἔθνεος ὁμόγλωσσοι τοῖσι Καρσὶ ἐγένοντο, τούτοισι δὲ οὐ μέτα.

And they point out in Mylasa an ancient temple of Carian Zeus, in which the Mysians and Lydians have a share as being brothers to the Carians; for they say that Lydus and Mysus were brothers of Car. These indeed have a share, but those who, though being of another nation, came to speak the same language as the Carians, do not have a share.

Syntax notes3 items

1.171.2ὅσον καὶ ἐγὼ δυνατός εἰμι ἐπὶ μακρότατον ἐξικέσθαι ἀκοῇ
A restrictive expression introduced by the relative pronoun ὅσον. The infinitive ἐξικέσθαι means 'to reach (back)' and is accompanied by the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ μακρότατον ('to the furthest extent'). ἀκοῇ is a dative of means meaning 'by hearsay'.
1.171.5ἐξανέστησαν
The third-person plural aorist of the verb ἐξανίστημι. This form can represent both the active transitive 1st aorist ('drove out, displaced') and the active intransitive 2nd aorist ('departed, emigrated'). In this context, the transitive interpretation ('drove [the Carians] out') is preferred, with the direct object (αὐτούς) being omitted.
1.171.6τοῦ Μυσοῖσι μὲν καὶ Λυδοῖσι μέτεστι
The construction of the impersonal verb μέτεστι ('there is a share for someone in something'), which takes the genitive of the thing shared (the relative pronoun τοῦ, referring back to ἱρόν) and the dative of the possessor (Μυσοῖσι καὶ Λυδοῖσι). It means 'in which the Mysians and Lydians have a share'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.171.1-1.171.6