- 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-grc2:4.118.1-4.118.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Scythian messengers appeal to the kings of neighboring nations, reporting Darius's invasion of Europe and bridging of the Danube, and urge them to form a united front.
ἐπὶ τούτων ὦν τῶν καταλεχθέντων ἐθνέων τοὺς βασιλέας ἁλισμένους ἀπικόμενοι τῶν Σκυθέων οἱ ἄγγελοι ἔλεγον ἐκδιδάσκοντες ὡς ὁ Πέρσης, ἐπειδή οἱ τὰ ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ τῇ ἑτέρῃ πάντα κατέστραπται, γέφυραν ζεύξας ἐπὶ τῷ αὐχένι τοῦ Βοσπόρου διαβέβηκε ἐς τήνδε τὴν ἤπειρον, διαβὰς δὲ καὶ καταστρεψάμενος Θρήικας γεφυροῖ1 ποταμὸν Ἴστρον, βουλόμενος καὶ τάδε πάντα ὑπʼ ἑωυτῷ ποιήσασθαι.
Therefore, the messengers of the Scythians, having arrived at the place where the kings of these aforementioned nations were assembled, spoke and explained to them that the Persian, since all things on the other continent had already been subjugated by him, had crossed over to this continent after throwing a bridge over the neck of the Bosporus, and having crossed and subjugated the Thracians, was now bridging the river Ister, wishing to bring all these lands as well under his own dominion.
ὑμεῖς ὦν μηδενὶ τρόπῳ ἐκ τοῦ μέσου κατήμενοι περιίδητε2 ἡμέας διαφθαρέντας, ἀλλὰ τὠυτὸ νοήσαντες ἀντιάζωμεν τὸν ἐπιόντα. οὔκων ποιήσετε ταῦτα; ἡμεῖς μὲν πιεζόμενοι ἢ ἐκλείψομεν τὴν χώρην ἢ μένοντες ὁμολογίῃ χρησόμεθα.
”Therefore, do not by any means sit aside and allow us to be destroyed, but with one and the same mind let us advance to meet the invader. Will you not then do this? For if we are hard pressed, we shall either abandon our country or, remaining, come to an agreement with them.
τί γὰρ πάθωμεν3 μὴ βουλομένων ὑμέων τιμωρέειν; ὑμῖν δὲ οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἔσται ἐλαφρότερον. ἥκει γὰρ ὁ Πέρσης οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐπʼ ἡμέας ἢ οὐ καὶ4 ἐπʼ ὑμέας, οὐδέ οἱ καταχρήσει ἡμέας καταστρεψαμένῳ ὑμέων ἀπέχεσθαι.
For what would become of us if you are unwilling to help? Nor will it be any easier for you on this account. For the Persian has come no less against you than against us, nor will he be satisfied, after subjugating us, to hold aloof from you.
μέγα δὲ ὑμῖν λόγων τῶνδε μαρτύριον ἐρέομεν. εἰ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἡμέας μούνους ἐστρατηλάτεε ὁ Πέρσης τίσασθαι τῆς πρόσθε δουλοσύνης βουλόμενος, χρῆν5 αὐτὸν πάντων τῶν ἄλλων ἀπεχόμενον ἰέναι οὕτω ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμετέρην, καὶ ἂν ἐδήλου πᾶσι ὡς ἐπὶ Σκύθας ἐλαύνει καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄλλους.
We shall tell you a great proof of these words. For if the Persian were marching against us alone, wishing to take vengeance for his former servitude, he ought to have left all others alone and gone straight against our land; and he would thus have made it clear to all that he was marching against Scythians and not against the others.
νῦν δὲ ἐπείτε τάχιστα διέβη ἐς τήνδε τὴν ἤπειρον, τοὺς αἰεὶ ἐμποδὼν γινομένους ἡμεροῦται πάντας· τούς τε δὴ ἄλλους ἔχει ὑπʼ ἑωυτῷ Θρήικας καὶ δὴ καὶ τοὺς ἡμῖν ἐόντας πλησιοχώρους Γέτας.
But now, as soon as he crossed over to this continent, he is subjugating all who continually come in his way; and indeed, he already holds under himself the other Thracians, and especially the Getae, who are our neighbors.”
- 4.118.1γεφυροῖ
Contrasting with the Bosporus bridge expressed in the perfect/aorist (ζεύξας ... διαβέβηκε), the bridging of the Ister is described with the present tense γεφυροῖ, indicating an ongoing or attempted action ('is bridging' / 'is trying to bridge').
- 4.118.2περιίδητε
περιίδητε (aorist subjunctive of περιοράω, 'to overlook') takes the participle διαφθαρέντας ('being destroyed') and, accompanied by the negative μηδενὶ τρόπῳ, expresses a strong prohibition ('do not by any means overlook...').
- 4.118.3πάθωμεν
πάθωμεν (1st person plural aorist subjunctive of πάσχω) is a deliberative subjunctive expressing distress or hesitation, forming the urgent question 'what would become of us?'.
- 4.118.3ἢ οὐ καὶ
The phrase ἢ οὐ after the comparative μᾶλλον is an idiomatic Greek construction where the negative οὐ pleonastically reinforces the comparison, meaning 'no less against you than against us.'
- 4.118.4χρῆν
The imperfect χρῆν (or ἐχρῆν) of the impersonal verb χρή, without the particle ἂν, is used to express an unfulfilled past obligation (counterfactual: 'he ought to have').