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§4.156.1-4.156.3

Battus's Rejected Return and Settlement on Platea

As misfortunes continue for the Theraeans and Battus, they consult Delphi and are instructed to found Cyrene. After a failed voyage and being rejected upon trying to return, they colonize the island of Platea.

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§4.156.1

μετὰ δὲ αὐτῷ τε τούτῳ καὶ τοῖσι ἄλλοισι Θηραίοισι συνεφέρετο παλιγκότως. ἀγνοεῦντες δὲ τὰς συμφορὰς οἱ Θηραῖοι ἔπεμπον ἐς Δελφοὺς περὶ τῶν παρεόντων κακῶν.

​After this, things turned out adversely for both this man himself and the other Theraeans. The Theraeans, not knowing the cause of their misfortunes, sent messengers to Delphi to inquire about their present troubles.

§4.156.2

ἡ δὲ Πυθίη σφι ἔχρησε συγκτίζουσι1 Βάττῳ Κυρήνην τῆς Λιβύης ἄμεινον πρήξειν.2 ἀπέστελλον μετὰ ταῦτα τὸν Βάττον οἱ Θηραῖοι δύο πεντηκοντέροισι. πλώσαντες δὲ ἐς τὴν Λιβύην οὗτοι, οὐ γὰρ εἶχον ὅ τι ποιέωσι3 ἄλλο, ὀπίσω ἀπαλλάσσοντο ἐς τὴν Θήρην.

​And the Pythia declared to them that they would fare better if they joined Battus in founding Cyrene in Libya. After this, the Theraeans sent Battus away with two fifty-oared ships. These men sailed to Libya, but since they did not know what else to do, they departed back to Thera.

§4.156.3

οἱ δὲ Θηραῖοι καταγομένους4 ἔβαλλον καὶ οὐκ ἔων τῇ γῇ προσίσχειν, ἀλλʼ ὀπίσω πλώειν ἐκέλευον. οἳ δὲ ἀναγκαζόμενοι ὀπίσω ἀπέπλεον καὶ ἔκτισαν νῆσον ἐπὶ Λιβύῃ κειμένην, τῇ οὔνομα, ὡς καὶ πρότερον εἰρέθη, ἐστὶ Πλατέα. λέγεται δὲ ἴση εἶναι ἡ νῆσος τῇ νῦν Κυρηναίων πόλι.

​But the Theraeans pelted them as they were putting to shore, and would not allow them to touch land, but ordered them to sail back. And being forced, they sailed back and founded a settlement on an island lying off Libya, whose name, as was also said before, is Platea. And the island is said to be equal in size to the present city of the Cyrenaeans.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 4.156.2συγκτίζουσι

    Present participle in the dative plural masculine, agreeing with the dative pronoun σφι. It functions here conditionally ('if they should join in founding').

  2. 4.156.2ἄμεινον πρήξειν

    Accusative with infinitive clause depending on ἔχρησε. The verb πρήσσειν (Ionic for πράσσειν) is used intransitively with the adverb ἄμεινον to mean 'to fare better' or 'to be in a better state'.

  3. 4.156.2ὅ τι ποιέωσι

    The subjunctive ποιέωσι (Ionic for ποιῶσι) is a deliberative subjunctive. Although dependent on a past tense verb (εἶχον), the subjunctive is retained instead of being changed into the optative (ποιέοιεν) to maintain vividness.

  4. 4.156.3καταγομένους

    Present participle middle-passive of κατάγω. In nautical contexts, the middle-passive means 'to put into land' or 'to come to shore'. The present tense denotes an action in progress or attempted ('as they were trying to land').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.156.1-4.156.3