- 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-grc2:2.83.1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
The practice of divination in Egypt is explained: the art belongs to certain gods rather than humans, and among various oracles, the one of Leto in Buto is most highly honored, with each having different methods of delivering prophecies.
μαντικὴ δὲ αὐτοῖσι ὧδε διακέεται· ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδενὶ προσκέεται1 ἡ τέχνη, τῶν δὲ θεῶν μετεξετέροισι· καὶ γὰρ Ἡρακλέος μαντήιον αὐτόθι ἐστὶ καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ Ἀθηναίης καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Ἄρεος καὶ Διός, καὶ τό γε μάλιστα ἐν τιμῇ ἄγονται2 πάντων τῶν μαντηίων, Λητοῦς ἐν Βουτοῖ πόλι ἐστί. οὐ μέντοι αἵ γε μαντηίαι3 σφι κατὰ τὠυτὸ ἑστᾶσι, ἀλλὰ διάφοροι εἰσί.
Divination is established among them as follows: the art belongs to no human, but to certain of the gods; for indeed there is there an oracle of Heracles, of Apollo, of Athena, of Artemis, of Ares, and of Zeus, and the one which they hold in the highest honor of all oracles is that of Leto in the city of Buto. However, the methods of delivering oracles are not established in the same way among them, but are different.
- 2.83.1προσκέεται
Third-person singular present indicative of the verb πρόσκειμαι (Ionic form προσκέομαι), meaning 'to be attached to' or 'to belong to.' It takes the datives οὐδενὶ and μετεξετέροισι (modified by the genitives ἀνθρώπων and τῶν θεῶν respectively) as complements, indicating that the art (ἡ τέχνη) of divination is assigned not to any humans but to certain gods.
- 2.83.1τό γε μάλιστα ἐν τιμῇ ἄγονται
The pronoun τό is a relative pronoun (neuter singular accusative), anticipating the subsequent subject Λητοῦς [μαντήιον]. The verb ἄγονται is the middle-passive of ἄγω ἐν τιμῇ ('to hold in honor'). It can be interpreted either as middle with an indefinite plural subject ('the one which they hold in the highest honor') or as passive ('the one which is held in the highest honor'). Together with the superlative adverb μάλιστα, this relative clause emphasizes that the oracle of Leto receives the greatest respect.
- 2.83.1αἵ γε μαντηίαι
The nominative plural of the feminine noun μαντηίη (Attic μαντεία). Distinct from the previously mentioned μαντήιον (oracle, the place of consultation), this noun refers to the act or the 'method of delivering oracles.' Thus, it indicates that the procedures and rituals of consultation, rather than just the physical oracle sites, differ from one deity to another.