- 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-grc2:3.56.1-3.56.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
As the siege of Samos lasts for forty days without progress, the Lacedaemonians withdraw. A rumor that Polycrates bribed them with counterfeit money is mentioned, along with the fact that this was the first Dorian expedition to Asia.
Λακεδαιμόνιοι δέ, ὥς σφι τεσσεράκοντα ἐγεγόνεσαν ἡμέραι πολιορκέουσι1 Σάμον ἐς τὸ πρόσω τε οὐδὲν προεκόπτετο τῶν πρηγμάτων, ἀπαλλάσσοντο ἐς Πελοπόννησον.
But the Lacedaemonians, when forty days had passed for them besieging Samos and no progress was being made in their affairs, departed for the Peloponnese.
ὡς δὲ ὁ ματαιότερος λόγος ὅρμηται,2 λέγεται Πολυκράτεα ἐπιχώριον νόμισμα κόψαντα πολλὸν μολύβδου καταχρυσώσαντα3 δοῦναί σφι, τοὺς δὲ δεξαμένους οὕτω δὴ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι. ταύτην πρώτην στρατηίην ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην Λακεδαιμόνιοι Δωριέες ἐποιήσαντο.
But as the sillier story has been spread, it is said that Polycrates, having minted a large quantity of local coin made of lead and gilded it, gave it to them, and they, having received it, thus indeed departed. This was the first expedition into Asia made by the Lacedaemonian Dorians.
- 3.56.1σφι ... πολιορκέουσι
A construction indicating the lapse of time, where the present participle πολιορκέουσι agrees with the dative of person σφι, meaning 'when forty days had passed for them besieging...'.
- 3.56.2ὡς δὲ ὁ ματαιότερος λόγος ὅρμηται
A clause introduced by the conjunction ὡς ('as', 'according to'). The perfect form ὅρμηται (from ὁρμάω) describes the state of a rumor being 'set in motion' or 'currently circulating.'
- 3.56.2νόμισμα κόψαντα πολλὸν μολύβδου καταχρυσώσαντα
μολύβδου is a genitive of material (coin made of lead). The adjective πολλὸν (neuter singular accusative) modifies νόμισμα. The two participles κόψαντα and καταχρυσώσαντα both modify the subject Πολυκράτεα.