- 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-grc2:3.138.1-3.138.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The Persians are shipwrecked and enslaved but rescued by the Tarentine exile Gillus, who brings them to Darius. Gillus requests his repatriation through the mediation of the Cnidians, but the attempt to persuade the Tarentines fails.
ἀναχθέντες δὲ ἐκ τῆς Κρότωνος οἱ Πέρσαι ἐκπίπτουσι τῇσι νηυσὶ ἐς Ἰηπυγίην, καί σφεας δουλεύοντας1 ἐνθαῦτα Γίλλος ἀνὴρ Ταραντῖνος φυγὰς ῥυσάμενος ἀπήγαγε παρὰ βασιλέα Δαρεῖον. ὁ δὲ ἀντὶ τούτων ἕτοιμος ἦν διδόναι τοῦτο ὅ τι βούλοιτο αὐτός.
Having set sail from Croton, the Persians were driven ashore with their ships in Iapygia; and while they were in slavery there, Gillus, a Tarentine exile, rescued them and brought them to King Darius. In return for this, the King was ready to give him whatever he himself wished.
Γίλλος δὲ αἱρέεται κάτοδόν οἱ ἐς Τάραντα γενέσθαι, προαπηγησάμενος τὴν συμφορήν· ἵνα δὲ μὴ συνταράξῃ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ἢν διʼ αὐτὸν στόλος μέγας πλέῃ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰταλίην, Κνιδίους μούνους ἀποχρᾶν2 οἱ ἔφη τοὺς κατάγοντας γίνεσθαι, δοκέων ἀπὸ τούτων ἐόντων τοῖσι Ταραντίνοισι φίλων3 μάλιστα τὴν κάτοδόν οἱ ἔσεσθαι.
Gillus, having first explained his misfortune, chose that his return to Tarentum should be brought about; but lest he should throw Greece into confusion if a great fleet sailed to Italy on his account, he said that the Cnidians alone would be sufficient for him to be those who brought him back, thinking that his return would most easily be effected through them, since they were friends to the Tarentines.
Δαρεῖος δὲ ὑποδεξάμενος ἐπετέλεε· πέμψας γὰρ ἄγγελον ἐς Κνίδον κατάγειν σφέας ἐκέλευε Γίλλον ἐς Τάραντα. πειθόμενοι δὲ Δαρείῳ Κνίδιοι Ταραντίνους οὔκων ἔπειθον, βίην δὲ ἀδύνατοι ἦσαν προσφέρειν.
And Darius, having promised, fulfilled it; for he sent a messenger to Cnidus, ordering them to bring Gillus back to Tarentum. The Cnidians, obeying Darius, did not indeed persuade the Tarentines, and were unable to apply force.
ταῦτα μέν νυν οὕτω ἐπρήχθη· οὗτοι δὲ πρῶτοι ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίης ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἀπίκοντο Πέρσαι, καὶ οὗτοι διὰ τοιόνδε πρῆγμα κατάσκοποι ἐγένοντο.
Thus then these things were done; and these were the first Persians who came from Asia to Greece, and they became spies for such a reason.
- 3.138.1δουλεύοντας
The present participle δουλεύοντας (from δουλεύω, 'to be a slave') expresses a continuous state of 'being in slavery' or 'serving as slaves' after the Persians were driven ashore, describing their situation at the time of the action.
- 3.138.2ἀποχρᾶν
The present infinitive of the Ionic verb ἀποχράω ('to be sufficient'), depending on the verb of saying ἔφη in indirect discourse. Its subject is the accusative Κνιδίους μούνους, and the following infinitive phrase τοὺς κατάγοντας γίνεσθαι ('to be those who bring [him] back') specifies in what respect they would be sufficient.
- 3.138.2ἀπὸ τούτων ἐόντων τοῖσι Ταραντίνοισι φίλων
The preposition ἀπό governs the genitive phrase τούτων ... φίλων with the participle ἐόντων (Ionic present participle of εἰμί), expressing the cause or means ('by virtue of these being friends to the Tarentines').