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§2.163.1-2.163.2

Apries Confronts Amasis at Momemphis

Apries learns of the rebellion and the events, and marches with thirty thousand mercenaries to confront Amasis and his Egyptian forces at Momemphis.

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§2.163.1

πυθόμενος δὲ καὶ ταῦτα1 ὁ Ἀπρίης ὥπλιζε τοὺς ἐπικούρους καὶ ἤλαυνε ἐπὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους· εἶχε δὲ περὶ ἑωυτὸν Κᾶράς τε καὶ Ἴωνας ἄνδρας ἐπικούρους τρισμυρίους· ἦν δέ οἱ τὰ βασιλήια2 ἐν Σάι πόλι, μεγάλα ἐόντα καὶ ἀξιοθέητα.

​And when Apries heard these things also, he armed his auxiliaries and marched against the Egyptians; and he had about him thirty thousand Carian and Ionian mercenary men; and his palace was in the city of Sais, which was large and well worth seeing.

§2.163.2

καὶ οἵ τε περὶ τὸν Ἀπρίην ἐπὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἤισαν καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἄμασιν3 ἐπὶ τοὺς ξείνους· ἔν τε δὴ Μωμέμφι πόλι ἐγένοντο ἀμφότεροι καὶ πειρήσεσθαι ἔμελλον ἀλλήλων.4

​So those about Apries went against the Egyptians, and those about Amasis against the foreigners; and both sides arrived at the city of Momemphis and were about to make trial of one another.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 2.163.1καὶ ταῦτα

    Meaning 'these things also', referring to the cruel treatment of the messenger Patarbemis by Apries and the subsequent further defection of the Egyptians described in the previous chapter.

  2. 2.163.1ἦν δέ οἱ τὰ βασιλήια

    οἱ is a dative of possession. The neuter plural noun τὰ βασιλήια means 'the palace'.

  3. 2.163.2οἵ τε περὶ τὸν Ἀπρίην... οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἄμασιν

    The construction 'οἱ περί + accusative' here denotes the leader and his 'forces' or 'faction'.

  4. 2.163.2πειρήσεσθαι ἔμελλον ἀλλήλων

    ἔμελλον with the future infinitive πειρήσεσθαι means 'were about to'. The verb πειράομαι takes the genitive (ἀλλήλων) meaning 'to make trial of' or 'to fight with'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.163.1-2.163.2