- 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-grc2:2.71.1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
The physical characteristics of the river-horse (hippopotamus), which is sacred only in the district of Papremis, are described, along with the use of its thick hide for making javelins once dried.
οἱ δὲ ἵπποι οἱ ποτάμιοι νομῷ μὲν τῷ Παπρημίτῃ ἱροί εἰσι, τοῖσι δὲ ἄλλοισι Αἰγυπτίοισι οὐκ ἱροί. φύσιν δὲ παρέχονται ἰδέης τοιήνδε·1 τετράπουν ἐστί, δίχηλον, ὁπλαὶ βοός, σιμόν, λοφιὴν ἔχον ἵππου, χαυλιόδοντας φαῖνον, οὐρὴν ἵππου καὶ φωνήν, μέγαθος ὅσον τε βοῦς ὁ μέγιστος· τὸ δέρμα δʼ αὐτοῦ οὕτω δή τι παχύ ἐστι ὥστε αὔου γενομένου2 ξυστὰ ποιέεσθαι ἀκόντια ἐξ αὐτοῦ.
The river-horses (hippopotamuses) are sacred in the district of Papremis, but to the other Egyptians they are not sacred. They present the following character in their appearance: they are four-footed, cloven-hoofed, with the hoofs of an ox, flat-nosed, having the mane of a horse, showing prominent tusks, having the tail and voice of a horse, and in size as large as the largest ox. Their hide is so very thick that, when it is dried, javelins are made from it by scraping.
- 2.71.1φύσιν δὲ παρέχονται ἰδέης τοιήνδε
φύσιν (nature, character) is the direct object of the verb παρέχονται (to present, exhibit), and ἰδέης (appearance, form) is a genitive modifying it, meaning "they present the following character in their appearance." Alternatively, φύσιν can be interpreted as an accusative of respect ("with respect to their nature").
- 2.71.1αὔου γενομένου
A genitive absolute construction in the neuter singular with the pronoun omitted. The implied subject is the preceding τὸ δέρμα (hide/skin), meaning "when it has become dry."