Investigation of Heracles in Tyre and Thasos — Herodotus, Histories Book 2 (2.44.1–2.44.5), Greek & English

§2.44.1

καὶ θέλων δὲ τούτων πέρι σαφές τι εἰδέναι ἐξ ὧν οἷόν τε ἦν, ἔπλευσα καὶ ἐς Τύρον τῆς Φοινίκης, πυνθανόμενος αὐτόθι εἶναι ἱρὸν Ἡρακλέος ἅγιον.

And wishing to obtain some clear knowledge about these matters from whatever sources were possible, I sailed even to Tyre in Phoenicia, inquiring there because I heard there was a holy temple of Heracles.

§2.44.2

καὶ εἶδον πλουσίως κατεσκευασμένον ἄλλοισί τε πολλοῖσι ἀναθήμασι, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἦσαν στῆλαι δύο, ἣ μὲν χρυσοῦ ἀπέφθου, ἣ δὲ σμαράγδου λίθου λάμποντος τὰς νύκτας μέγαθος.¹ ἐς λόγους δὲ ἐλθὼν τοῖσι ἱρεῦσι τοῦ θεοῦ εἰρόμην ὁκόσος χρόνος εἴη ἐξ οὗ σφι τὸ ἱρὸν ἵδρυται.

And I saw it richly adorned with many other votive offerings, and in it there were two pillars, one of refined gold, and the other of emerald stone, which shone greatly at night. And having entered into conversation with the priests of the god, I asked them how much time had passed since their temple was founded.

§2.44.3

εὗρον δὲ οὐδὲ τούτους τοῖσι Ἕλλησι συμφερομένους· ἔφασαν γὰρ ἅμα Τύρῳ οἰκιζομένῃ² καὶ τὸ ἱρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἱδρυθῆναι, εἶναι δὲ ἔτεα ἀπʼ οὗ Τύρον οἰκέουσι τριηκόσια καὶ δισχίλια. εἶδον δὲ ἐν τῇ Τύρῳ καὶ ἄλλο ἱρὸν Ἡρακλέος ἐπωνυμίην ἔχοντος Θασίου εἶναι·

But I found that not even these men agreed with the Greeks; for they said that the temple of the god was founded at the same time that Tyre was settled, and that it was two thousand three hundred years since they had inhabited Tyre. I also saw in Tyre another temple of Heracles, who had the surname of being the Thasian.

§2.44.4

ἀπικόμην δὲ καὶ ἐς Θάσον, ἐν τῇ εὗρον ἱρὸν Ἡρακλέος ὑπὸ Φοινίκων ἱδρυμένον, οἳ κατʼ Εὐρώπης ζήτησιν ἐκπλώσαντες Θάσον ἔκτισαν· καὶ ταῦτα καὶ πέντε γενεῇσι ἀνδρῶν πρότερα ἐστὶ ἢ τὸν Ἀμφιτρύωνος Ἡρακλέα ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι γενέσθαι.³

And I went also to Thasos, where I found a temple of Heracles founded by the Phoenicians, who had sailed out in search of Europa and founded Thasos; and these things occurred even five generations of men before the Heracles of Amphitryon was born in Greece.

§2.44.5

τὰ μέν νυν ἱστορημένα δηλοῖ σαφέως παλαιὸν θεὸν Ἡρακλέα ἐόντα, καὶ δοκέουσι δέ μοι οὗτοι ὀρθότατα Ἑλλήνων ποιέειν, οἳ διξὰ Ἡράκλεια ἱδρυσάμενοι ἔκτηνται, καὶ τῷ μὲν ὡς ἀθανάτῳ Ὀλυμπίῳ δὲ ἐπωνυμίην θύουσι, τῷ δὲ ἑτέρῳ ὡς ἥρωι ἐναγίζουσι.

Now these inquiries show clearly that Heracles is an ancient god; and those of the Greeks seem to me to act most correctly who, having established twofold temples of Heracles, possess them, and to the one they offer sacrifice as to an immortal, with the surname Olympian, while to the other they make offerings as to a hero.

Syntax notes3 items

2.44.2λάμποντος τὰς νύκτας μέγαθος
μέγαθος ('size/magnitude') is an accusative of respect (or adverbial accusative) meaning 'greatly' or 'magnificently', modifying the participle λάμποντος ('shining'), or modifying the description as 'of a great size.' The participle λάμποντος (genitive singular masculine/neuter) agrees with the preceding noun phrase σμαράγδου λίθου ('emerald stone').
2.44.3ἅμα Τύρῳ οἰκιζομένῃ
The preposition ἅμα followed by the dative noun Τύρῳ ('Tyre') and the present passive dative participle οἰκιζομένῃ ('being founded/settled') expresses simultaneity, meaning 'at the same time as Tyre was being founded.'
2.44.4πέντε γενεῇσι ἀνδρῶν πρότερα ἐστὶ ἢ τὸν Ἀμφιτρύωνος Ἡρακλέα ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι γενέσθαι
πέντε γενεῇσι ('by five generations') is a dative of measure of difference. The comparative adjective πρότερα ('earlier') is followed by the conjunction ἤ ('than') and an accusative-with-infinitve construction (τὸν ... Ἡρακλέα ... γενέσθαι, 'that the Heracles of Amphitryon was born'), expressing temporal priority: 'earlier by five generations than the birth of the Heracles of Amphitryon.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.44.1-2.44.5