- 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-grc2:3.47.1-3.47.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Explains the conflicting motives behind the Spartan expedition against Samos (repaying a past favor according to the Samians, or avenging the theft of a bowl and an Egyptian corselet according to the Spartans) and describes the remarkable craftsmanship of the stolen corselet.
καὶ ἔπειτα παρασκευασάμενοι ἐστρατεύοντο Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἐπὶ Σάμον, ὡς μὲν Σάμιοι λέγουσι, εὐεργεσίας ἐκτίνοντες, ὅτι σφι πρότεροι αὐτοὶ νηυσὶ ἐβοήθησαν1 ἐπὶ Μεσσηνίους· ὡς δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι λέγουσι, οὐκ οὕτω τιμωρῆσαι δεομένοισι Σαμίοισι ἐστρατεύοντο ὡς τίσασθαι βουλόμενοι2 τοῦ κρητῆρος τῆς ἁρπαγῆς, τὸν ἦγον Κροίσῳ, καὶ τοῦ θώρηκος, τὸν αὐτοῖσι Ἄμασις ὁ Αἰγύπτου βασιλεὺς ἔπεμψε δῶρον.
Then, after making preparations, the Lacedaemonians marched against Samos. According to the Samians, they did this to repay a favor, because they themselves had previously helped the Lacedaemonians with ships against the Messenians. But according to the Lacedaemonians, they marched not so much to help the Samians who requested it, as because they wished to take vengeance for the robbery of the bowl which they were carrying to Croesus, and of the corselet which Amasis, the king of Egypt, had sent them as a gift.
καὶ γὰρ θώρηκα ἐληίσαντο τῷ προτέρῳ ἔτεϊ ἢ τὸν κρητῆρα οἱ Σάμιοι, ἐόντα μὲν λίνεον καὶ ζῴων ἐνυφασμένων συχνῶν, κεκοσμημένον δὲ χρυσῷ καὶ εἰρίοισι ἀπὸ ξύλου·
For the Samians had plundered the corselet in the year before they took the bowl; it was made of linen, with many woven figures of animals, and decorated with gold and with wool from trees.
τῶν δὲ εἵνεκα θωμάσαι ἄξιον, ἁρπεδόνη ἑκάστη τοῦ θώρηκος ποιέει·3 ἐοῦσα γὰρ λεπτὴ ἔχει ἁρπεδόνας ἐν ἑωυτῇ τριηκοσίας καὶ ἑξήκοντα, πάσας φανεράς. τοιοῦτος ἕτερος ἐστὶ καὶ τὸν ἐν Λίνδῳ ἀνέθηκε τῇ Ἀθηναίῃ Ἄμασις.
For this reason it is worthy of wonder: what each thread of the corselet does. For although it is fine, each thread contains within itself three hundred and sixty individual strands, all of them visible. There is another one just like it, which Amasis dedicated to Athena in Lindos.
- 3.47.1ὅτι σφι πρότεροι αὐτοὶ νηυσὶ ἐβοήθησαν
The dative pronoun σφι refers to the Lacedaemonians, while the nominative intensive pronoun αὐτοὶ refers to the Samians. πρότεροι is used adverbially ("previously" or "first"), emphasizing the fact that the Samians had been the first to assist the Lacedaemonians.
- 3.47.1οὐκ οὕτω τιμωρῆσαι δεομένοισι Σαμίοισι ἐστρατεύοντο ὡς τίσασθαι βουλόμενοι
The structure οὐκ οὕτω ... ὡς ... presents a contrast ("not so much ... as ..."). τιμωρῆσαι governs the dative δεομένοισι Σαμίοισι meaning "to help (by taking vengeance for) the requesting Samians," whereas τίσασθαι governs the genitives τοῦ κρητῆρος... and τοῦ θώρηκος... meaning "to take vengeance for (the theft of) the bowl and the corselet." The participle δεομένοισι is dative, while βουλόμενοι is nominative, agreeing with the main subject (Lacedaemonians).
- 3.47.3τῶν δὲ εἵνεκα θωμάσαι ἄξιον, ἁρπεδόνη ἑκάστη τοῦ θώρηκος ποιέει·
The neuter plural relative pronoun τῶν either refers to the luxurious decorations just mentioned or anticipates the following details about the thread. ποιέει is used intransitively here, meaning "creates (the wonder)" or "produces this effect," serving as the focal point of the admiration.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1