- 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-grc2:4.30.1-4.30.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The discussion shifts from Scythian cold to the curious fact that mules cannot be bred in Elis, describing the Eleans' practice of driving their mares to neighbouring lands for mating.
ἐνθαῦτα μέν νυν διὰ τὰ ψύχεα γίνεται ταῦτα. θωμάζω δέ (προσθήκας1 γὰρ δή μοι ὁ λόγος ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐδίζητο) ὅτι ἐν τῇ Ἠλείῃ πάσῃ χώρῃ οὐ δυνέαται γίνεσθαι ἡμίονοι, οὔτε ψυχροῦ τοῦ χώρου ἐόντος2 οὔτε ἄλλου φανεροῦ αἰτίου οὐδενός. φασὶ δὲ αὐτοὶ Ἠλεῖοι ἐκ κατάρης τευ οὐ γίνεσθαι σφίσι ἡμιόνους, ἀλλʼ ἐπεὰν προσίῃ ἡ ὥρη κυΐσκεσθαι τὰς ἵππους, ἐξελαύνουσι ἐς τοὺς πλησιοχώρους αὐτάς, καὶ ἔπειτά σφι ἐν τῇ τῶν πέλας ἐπιεῖσι τοὺς ὄνους, ἐς οὗ ἂν σχῶσι3 αἱ ἵπποι ἐν γαστρί· ἔπειτα δὲ ἀπελαύνουσι.
In those parts, then, these things happen because of the cold. But I wonder (for indeed my narrative has sought additions from the very beginning) that in the whole land of Elis mules cannot be bred, though the country is not cold, nor is there any other obvious cause. The Eleans themselves say that it is because of a certain curse that mules are not bred among them; but when the season comes for the mares to conceive, they drive them out into the neighbouring territories, and then, in the land of their neighbours, they let the asses loose upon them, until the mares have conceived; and then they drive them back.
- 4.30.1προσθήκας
Meaning "additions, digressions, or insertions." This is a famous self-referential statement by Herodotus, indicating that his historical narrative (ὁ λόγος) naturally seeks and welcomes digressions.
- 4.30.1οὔτε ψυχροῦ τοῦ χώρου ἐόντος
A genitive absolute construction (subject: τοῦ χώρου, participle: ἐόντος). The subsequent phrase οὔτε ἄλλου φανεροῦ αἰτίου οὐδενός also functions as a genitive absolute with the participle [ἐόντος] being understood, coordinating two negative circumstantial clauses of cause or concession.
- 4.30.2ἐς οὗ ἂν σχῶσι
The phrase ἐς οὗ (derived from ἐς ὃ χρόνον) functions as a conjunction meaning "until." It is followed by ἄν and the aorist subjunctive (σχῶσι), indicating a future event of indefinite time. The idiom σχῶσι ἐν γαστρί means "to conceive."