- Source
- Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.204.1-1.204.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Introducing the vast plain east of the Caspian Sea and the Massagetae who inhabit it, explaining Cyrus's desire to campaign against them.
τὰ μὲν δὴ πρὸς ἑσπέρην τῆς θαλάσσης ταύτης τῆς Κασπίης καλεομένης ὁ Καύκασος ἀπέργει, τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἠῶ τε καὶ ἥλιον ἀνατέλλοντα πεδίον ἐκδέκεται πλῆθος ἄπειρον ἐς ἄποψιν.1 τοῦ ὦν δὴ πεδίου τούτου τοῦ μεγάλου οὐκ ἐλαχίστην μοῖραν μετέχουσι οἱ Μασσαγέται, ἐπʼ οὓς ὁ Κῦρος ἔσχε προθυμίην στρατεύσασθαι.
The Caucasus blocks the western side of this sea called the Caspian, but on the east, toward the rising sun, there succeeds a plain of boundless extent as far as the eye can see. Now of this great plain, no small share is held by the Massagetae, against whom Cyrus conceived a strong desire to lead an army.
πολλά τε γάρ μιν καὶ μεγάλα τὰ ἐπαείροντα καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα ἦν,2 πρῶτον μὲν ἡ γένεσις, τὸ δοκέειν πλέον τι εἶναι ἀνθρώπου, δευτέρα δὲ ἡ εὐτυχίη ἡ κατὰ τοὺς πολέμους γενομένη· ὅκῃ γὰρ ἰθύσειε3 στρατεύεσθαι Κῦρος, ἀμήχανον ἦν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἔθνος διαφυγεῖν.
For there were many and great things that incited and urged him on: first, his birth, namely the belief that he was something more than a human; and second, the good fortune that had attended him in his wars; for wherever Cyrus directed his march to campaign, it was impossible for that nation to escape.
- 1.204.1πλῆθος ἄπειρον ἐς ἄποψιν
ἐς ἄποψιν is an adverbial expression meaning 'in respect to sight' or 'as far as the eye can see'. πλῆθος is an accusative of specification or appositive to πεδίον, describing the limitless extent of the plain.
- 1.204.2πολλά τε γάρ μιν καὶ μεγάλα τὰ ἐπαείροντα καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα ἦν
Hyperbaton. The articular participle phrase τὰ ἐπαείροντα καὶ ἐποτρύνοντα ('the things inciting and urging') is the subject, while the initial πολλά ... καὶ μεγάλα serves as the predicate adjectives. μιν ('him') is the direct object of the participles.
- 1.204.2ὅκῃ γὰρ ἰθύσειε
The optative ἰθύσειε with the general relative adverb ὅκῃ ('wherever') expresses a general repetition in past time ('wherever he might direct his course').