Critique of the Ionian View and the Antiquity of Egyptians — Herodotus, Histories Book 2 (2.15.1–2.15.3), Greek & English

§2.15.1

εἰ ὦν βουλόμεθα γνώμῃσι τῇσι Ἰώνων χρᾶσθαι τὰ περὶ Αἴγυπτον, οἳ φασὶ τὸ Δέλτα μοῦνον εἶναι Αἴγυπτον, ἀπὸ Περσέος καλεομένης σκοπιῆς λέγοντες τὸ παρὰ θάλασσαν εἶναι αὐτῆς μέχρι Ταριχηίων τῶν Πηλουσιακῶν, τῇ δὴ τεσσεράκοντα εἰσὶ σχοῖνοι, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ θαλάσσης λεγόντων¹ ἐς μεσόγαιαν τείνειν αὐτὴν μέχρι Κερκασώρου πόλιος, κατʼ ἣν σχίζεται ὁ Νεῖλος ἔς τε Πηλούσιον ῥέων καὶ ἐς Κάνωβον, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα λεγόντων τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὰ μὲν Λιβύης τὰ δὲ Ἀραβίης εἶναι, ἀποδεικνύοιμεν ἂν τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ χρεώμενοι Αἰγυπτίοισι οὐκ ἐοῦσαν πρότερον χώρην.²

If then we choose to follow the opinion of the Ionians concerning Egypt, who say that the Delta alone is Egypt, stating that its seaboard extends from the so-called Watchtower of Perseus to the Pelusian Taricheae, where indeed the distance is forty schoinoi, and saying that from the sea it extends inland as far as the city of Kerkasoros, at which point the Nile divides and flows to Pelusion and to Kanobos, and saying that the other parts of Egypt belong partly to Libya and partly to Arabia—if we were to follow this argument, we should demonstrate that the Egyptians formerly had no land at all.

§2.15.2

ἤδη γάρ σφι τό γε Δέλτα, ὡς αὐτοὶ λέγουσι Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ ἐμοὶ δοκέει, ἐστὶ κατάρρυτόν τε καὶ νεωστὶ ὡς λόγῳ εἰπεῖν³ ἀναπεφηνός. εἰ τοίνυν σφι χώρη γε μηδεμία ὑπῆρχε, τί περιεργάζοντο δοκέοντες πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων γεγονέναι; οὐδὲ ἔδει⁴ σφέας ἐς διάπειραν τῶν παιδίων ἰέναι, τίνα γλῶσσαν πρώτην ἀπήσουσι.

For indeed their Delta, as the Egyptians themselves say and as it seems to me also, is an alluvial land and has appeared, so to speak, only recently. If then they had no land at all to begin with, why did they trouble themselves with the belief that they were the first of men to have come into being? Nor was there any need for them to make trial of the children, to see what tongue they would first utter.

§2.15.3

ἀλλʼ οὔτε Αἰγυπτίους δοκέω ἅμα τῷ Δέλτα τῷ ὑπὸ Ἰώνων καλεομένῳ γενέσθαι αἰεί τε εἶναι⁵ ἐξ οὗ ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐγένετο, προϊούσης δὲ τῆς χώρης πολλοὺς μὲν τοὺς ὑπολειπομένους αὐτῶν γενέσθαι πολλοὺς δὲ τοὺς ὑποκαταβαίνοντας. τὸ δʼ ὦν πάλαι αἱ Θῆβαι Αἴγυπτος ἐκαλέετο, τῆς τὸ περίμετρον στάδιοι εἰσὶ εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξακισχίλιοι.

But I do not think that the Egyptians came into being at the same time as the Delta, which is so called by the Ionians, but rather that they have always existed ever since the human race came into being; and as the land advanced, many of them remained behind, while many others went down into the new land. At all events, in ancient times Thebes was called Egypt, the circumference of which is six thousand one hundred and twenty stadia.

Syntax notes5 items

2.15.1λεγόντων
Genitive absolute construction (appearing twice as λεγόντων) with the Ionians (οἳ) as the logical subject, shifting from the preceding nominative participle λέγοντες.
2.15.1οὐκ ἐοῦσαν πρότερον χώρην
Supplementary participle depending on the verb ἀποδεικνύοιμεν, meaning 'that there was formerly no land.'
2.15.2ὡς λόγῳ εἰπεῖν
Absolute infinitive used in a limiting sense, an idiomatic expression meaning 'so to speak' or 'as it were.'
2.15.2οὐδὲ ἔδει
Imperfect of the impersonal verb δεῖ, indicating a past necessity that was not met, or here, a counterfactual lack of necessity: 'there would have been no need (though they actually did it).'
2.15.3ἀλλʼ οὔτε Αἰγυπτίους δοκέω ... γενέσθαι αἰεί τε εἶναι
The correlation οὔτε ... τε expresses a strong contrast and correction ('not..., but rather...'). The accusative and infinitive construction (Αἰγυπτίους ... γενέσθαι ... εἶναι) is governed by the verb δοκέω.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.15.1-2.15.3