- 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-grc2:2.138.1-2.138.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
The author describes in detail the physical layout of the temple of Bubastis (Artemis), explaining how it is situated below the level of the elevated city, and delineates the stone-paved approach road.
τὸ δʼ ἱρὸν αὐτῆς ὧδε ἔχει. πλὴν τῆς ἐσόδου τὸ ἄλλο νῆσος ἐστί· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ Νείλου διώρυχες ἐσέχουσι οὐ συμμίσγουσαι ἀλλήλῃσι, ἀλλʼ ἄχρι τῆς ἐσόδου τοῦ ἱροῦ ἑκατέρη ἐσέχει, ἣ μὲν τῇ περιρρέουσα ἣ δὲ τῇ,1 εὖρος ἐοῦσα ἑκατέρη ἑκατὸν ποδῶν, δένδρεσι κατάσκιος.
Her temple is situated in this way. Except for the entrance, the rest is an island; for two canals run in from the Nile, not mingling with each other, but each runs as far as the entrance of the temple, the one flowing around on this side and the other on that, each being a hundred feet in width and shaded with trees.
τὰ δὲ προπύλαια ὕψος μὲν δέκα ὀργυιέων ἐστί, τύποισι δὲ ἑξαπήχεσι ἐσκευάδαται ἀξίοισι λόγου. ἐὸν δʼ ἐν μέσῃ τῇ πόλι τὸ ἱρὸν κατορᾶται πάντοθεν περιιόντι·2 ἅτε γὰρ τῆς πόλιος μὲν ἐκκεχωσμένης ὑψοῦ, τοῦ δʼ ἱροῦ οὐ κεκινημένου3 ὡς ἀρχῆθεν ἐποιήθη, ἔσοπτον ἐστί.
The gateway is ten fathoms in height, and is adorned with relief-figures of six cubits worthy of mention. The temple, being in the middle of the city, is looked down upon from all sides by anyone walking around; for since the city has been raised up high, while the temple has not been moved from how it was originally built, it is visible from above.
περιθέει δὲ αὐτὸ αἱμασιὴ ἐγγεγλυμμένη τύποισι, ἔστι δὲ ἔσωθεν ἄλσος δενδρέων μεγίστων πεφυτευμένον περὶ νηὸν μέγαν, ἐν τῷ δὴ τὤγαλμα ἔνι· εὖρος δὲ καὶ μῆκος τοῦ ἱροῦ πάντῃ σταδίου ἐστί.
A stone wall engraved with figures runs around it, and inside there is a grove of very tall trees planted around a great shrine, in which indeed the image stands; and the width and length of the temple enclosure is a stade in every direction.
κατὰ μὲν δὴ τὴν ἔσοδον ἐστρωμένη ἐστὶ ὁδὸς λίθου ἐπὶ σταδίους τρεῖς μάλιστά κῃ, διὰ τῆς ἀγορῆς φέρουσα ἐς τὸ πρὸς ἠῶ, εὖρος δὲ ὡς τεσσέρων πλέθρων· τῇ δὲ καὶ τῇ τῆς ὁδοῦ δένδρεα οὐρανομήκεα πέφυκε· φέρει δὲ ἐς Ἑρμέω ἱρόν. τὸ μὲν δὴ ἱρὸν τοῦτο οὕτω ἔχει.
By the entrance, a road of stone is paved for about three stades, leading through the marketplace toward the east, and its width is about four plethra; on this side and on that of the road grow trees as high as heaven, and it leads to the temple of Hermes. This temple, then, is thus situated.
- 2.138.1ἣ μὲν τῇ περιρρέουσα ἣ δὲ τῇ
Distributive apposition in the nominative feminine singular, splitting the plural concept of the canals (διώρυχες, via ἑκατέρη) into two distinct directions ("the one... the other..."). The dative τῇ is used adverbially to indicate direction ("on this side... on that side").
- 2.138.2περιιόντι
Dative singular of the present participle of περίειμι ("to go around"). It functions as a dative of reference or dative of perspective (dativus iudicantis), meaning "to one walking around (the city)."
- 2.138.2ἅτε γὰρ τῆς πόλιος μὲν ἐκκεχωσμένης ... τοῦ δʼ ἱροῦ οὐ κεκινημένου
Genitive absolute construction accompanied by the causal particle ἅτε. The particle ἅτε indicates an objective or factual cause ("inasmuch as," "since"), emphasizing the physical and historical reality that the city was raised while the temple remained in its original place.