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Histories

§2.98.1-2.98.2

Anthylla as Queen's Footwear Estate and Archandropolis

The author explains that Anthylla is specially assigned to the Egyptian queen for her footwear, and that the other city named after Archandros derives its name from a Greek origin.

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§2.98.1

τουτέων1 δὲ ἡ μὲν Ἄνθυλλα ἐοῦσα λογίμη πόλις ἐς ὑποδήματα ἐξαίρετος δίδοται τοῦ αἰεὶ βασιλεύοντος2 Αἰγύπτου τῇ γυναικί (τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται ἐξ ὅσου ὑπὸ Πέρσῃσι ἐστὶ Αἴγυπτος), ἡ δὲ ἑτέρη πόλις δοκέει μοι τὸ οὔνομα ἔχειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Δαναοῦ γαμβροῦ Ἀρχάνδρου τοῦ Φθίου τοῦ Ἀχαιοῦ·3 καλέεται γὰρ δὴ Ἀρχάνδρου πόλις. εἴη δʼ ἂν4 καὶ ἄλλος τις Ἄρχανδρος, οὐ μέντοι γε Αἰγύπτιον τὸ οὔνομα.

​Of these, Anthylla, being an esteemed city, is specially assigned for footwear to the wife of whoever is king of Egypt at any given time (and this has been done ever since Egypt has been under the Persians). ​The other city seems to me to have its name from Archandros, son of Phthios, son of Achaios, who was the son-in-law of Danaus; for indeed it is called “the city of Archandros.” There might, to be sure, be some other Archandros, yet the name is certainly not Egyptian.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 2.98.1τουτέων

    Partitive genitive referring to the two cities mentioned in §2.97.2 (Anthylla and the city of Archandros), split into the contrastive subjects ἡ μὲν Ἄνθυλλα and ἡ δὲ ἑτέρη πόλις.

  2. 2.98.1τοῦ αἰεὶ βασιλεύοντος

    The adverb αἰεί ("always", "at any given time") is used attributively between the article and the participle βασιλεύοντος, meaning "the one who is king at any particular time".

  3. 2.98.2τοῦ Δαναοῦ γαμβροῦ Ἀρχάνδρου τοῦ Φθίου τοῦ Ἀχαιοῦ

    A chain of genitives expressing genealogy and apposition. Ἀρχάνδρου depends on ἀπό (or modifies τὸ οὔνομα), while τοῦ Φθίου τοῦ Ἀχαιοῦ designates his lineage ("son of Phthios, son of Achaios"), and τοῦ Δαναοῦ γαμβροῦ ("the son-in-law of Danaus") stands in apposition to it.

  4. 2.98.2εἴη δʼ ἂν

    Potential optative with ἂν expressing a concession or possibility regarding a past or general situation ("there might indeed be").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.98.1-2.98.2