- 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-grc2:3.112.1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The text explains the wondrous collection method of ledanum, a fragrant substance found sticking to the beards of goats.
τὸ δὲ δὴ λήδανον, τὸ καλέουσι Ἀράβιοι λάδανον, ἔτι τούτου θωμασιώτερον γίνεται· ἐν γὰρ δυσοδμοτάτῳ γινόμενον εὐωδέστατον ἐστί· τῶν γὰρ αἰγῶν τῶν τράγων1 ἐν τοῖσι πώγωσι εὑρίσκεται ἐγγινόμενον2 οἷον γλοιὸς ἀπὸ τῆς ὕλης.3 χρήσιμον δʼ ἐς πολλὰ τῶν μύρων ἐστί, θυμιῶσί τε μάλιστα τοῦτο Ἀράβιοι.
Ledanum, which the Arabians call ladanum, is produced in a way still more wonderful than this. For, arising in the most foul-smelling of things, it is most sweet-smelling; it is found sticking to the beards of she-goats and he-goats like gum from the bushes. It is useful for many of the ointments, and the Arabians burn this especially as incense.
- 3.112.1τῶν γὰρ αἰγῶν τῶν τράγων
Two genitives placed side by side without a conjunction. They are the genitive plurals of αἴξ (she-goat) and τράγος (he-goat), expressing a disjunctive or collective meaning, 'of she-goats and he-goats,' both depending on πώγωσι ('beards').
- 3.112.1εὑρίσκεται ἐγγινόμενον
The passive verb εὑρίσκεται ('is found') is construed with the supplementary participle ἐγγινόμενον ('arising in / sticking to'), meaning 'it is found sticking (in the beards).' The participle agrees with the subject λήδανον in gender, number, and case (neuter singular nominative).
- 3.112.1ἀπὸ τῆς ὕλης
The preposition ἀπό ('from') with the genitive of ὕλη (wood, brushwood, or plants). Here it refers to the plants or bushes through which the goats graze, from which the resin adheres to their beards, meaning 'from the bushes/plants.'