- 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-grc2:2.167.1-2.167.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The author discusses whether the Greek disregard for crafts and high regard for warfare originated from Egypt, noting that many barbarians share this attitude. Among the Greeks, the Lacedaemonians hold this view most strongly, while the Corinthians despise craftsmen the least.
εἰ μέν νυν καὶ τοῦτο παρʼ Αἰγυπτίων μεμαθήκασι οἱ Ἕλληνες, οὐκ ἔχω1 ἀτρεκέως κρῖναι, ὁρέων2 καὶ Θρήικας καὶ Σκύθας καὶ Πέρσας καὶ Λυδοὺς καὶ σχεδὸν πάντας τοὺς βαρβάρους ἀποτιμοτέρους τῶν ἄλλων ἡγημένους πολιητέων τοὺς τὰς τέχνας μανθάνοντας καὶ τοὺς ἐκγόνους τούτων, τοὺς δὲ ἀπαλλαγμένους τῶν χειρωναξιέων γενναίους νομιζομένους εἶναι, καὶ μάλιστα τοὺς ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἀνειμένους·
Now, whether the Greeks have learned this also from the Egyptians, I cannot judge with certainty, seeing that both Thracians, Scythians, Persians, Lydians, and almost all the barbarians hold those who learn crafts and their descendants to be less honored than the other citizens, while those who are released from manual labor are considered noble, and especially those who are dedicated to war.
μεμαθήκασι δʼ ὦν τοῦτο πάντες οἱ Ἕλληνες καὶ μάλιστα Λακεδαιμόνιοι. ἥκιστα δὲ Κορίνθιοι ὄνονται3 τοὺς χειροτέχνας.
At any rate, all the Greeks have learned this, and most of all the Lacedaemonians. But the Corinthians despise craftsmen the least.
- 2.167.1οὐκ ἔχω
The verb ἔχω followed by an infinitive (κρῖναι) expresses ability, meaning 'to be able to.' Thus, with οὐκ, it means 'I cannot judge.'
- 2.167.1ὁρέων
The present participle ὁρέων (expressing cause) takes an accusative subject (Θρήικας, Σκύθας, etc.) with a predicative participle (ἡγημένους) in a construction meaning 'seeing that they hold...'. Furthermore, νομιζομένους is also a predicative participle dependent on ὁρέων, in parallel with ἡγημένους, meaning 'seeing that those... are considered to be noble.'
- 2.167.2ἥκιστα δὲ Κορίνθιοι ὄνονται
The combination of ἥκιστα (least / not at all) and ὄνομαι (to look down upon, despise) functions as a litotes, meaning 'the Corinthians despise craftsmen the least' (i.e., they respect them the most among the Greeks).