Mountains North of the Argippaeans and the Unknown North — Herodotus, Histories Book 4 (4.25.1–4.25.2), Greek & English

§4.25.1

μέχρι μὲν δὴ τούτων γινώσκεται, τὸ δὲ τῶν φαλακρῶν κατύπερθε οὐδεὶς ἀτρεκέως οἶδε φράσαι. ὄρεα γὰρ ὑψηλὰ ἀποτάμνει ἄβατα καὶ οὐδείς σφεα ὑπερβαίνει. οἱ δὲ φαλακροὶ οὗτοι λέγουσι, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πιστὰ λέγοντες, οἰκέειν τὰ ὄρεα αἰγίποδας ἄνδρας, ὑπερβάντι¹ δὲ τούτους ἀνθρώπους ἄλλους οἳ τὴν ἑξάμηνον κατεύδουσι. τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι τὴν ἀρχήν,² ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν πρὸς ἠῶ τῶν φαλακρῶν γινώσκεται ἀτρεκέως ὑπὸ Ἰσσηδόνων οἰκεόμενον, τὸ μέντοι κατύπερθε πρὸς βορέην ἄνεμον οὐ γινώσκεται οὔτε τῶν φαλακρῶν οὔτε τῶν Ἰσσηδόνων, εἰ μὴ ὅσα αὐτῶν τούτων λεγόντων.³

Now as far as these people, indeed, knowledge extends, but as for the region above the bald men, no one can speak with certainty. For high and impassable mountains cut off the way, and no one crosses them. But these bald men say—telling what is incredible to me—that men with goats’ feet inhabit the mountains, and that when one has crossed over these, there are other men who sleep for six months of the year. This, however, I do not accept at all. But the region to the east of the bald men is known with certainty to be inhabited by the Issedones; yet the region above them to the north wind is known neither of the bald men nor of the Issedones, except for what these very people themselves say.

Syntax notes3 items

4.25.1ὑπερβάντι
Dative singular of the aorist active participle, functioning as a dative of reference or direction in a geographical description ("for one who has crossed them").
4.25.1τὴν ἀρχήν
Adverbial accusative of the noun ἀρχή ("beginning"), which, when accompanied by a negative (οὐκ), means "at all" or "in the first place."
4.25.2αὐτῶν τούτων λεγόντων
Genitive absolute construction following εἰ μή ("except"), meaning "except for what these very people themselves say" (literally, "except these very people saying").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.25.1-4.25.2