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Histories

§4.89.1-4.89.3

Bridging of the Ister and Darius's March to the Tearus

Darius crosses into Europe and orders the allied fleet to build a bridge over the Ister. The fleet sails up the river to construct it, while Darius marches through Thrace to the Tearus river.

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§4.89.1

ταῦτα μέν νυν τοῦ ζεύξαντος τὴν γέφυραν μνημόσυνα ἐγένετο. Δαρεῖος δὲ δωρησάμενος Μανδροκλέα διέβαινε ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην, τοῖσι Ἴωσι παραγγείλας πλέειν ἐς τὸν Πόντον μέχρι Ἴστρου ποταμοῦ, ἐπεὰν δὲ ἀπίκωνται ἐς τὸν Ἴστρον, ἐνθαῦτα αὐτὸν περιμένειν1 ζευγνύντας τὸν ποταμόν. τὸ γὰρ δὴ ναυτικὸν ἦγον Ἴωνές τε καὶ Αἰολέες καὶ Ἑλλησπόντιοι.

​These, then, became the memorials of the man who bridged the bridge. Darius, after rewarding Mandrokles, crossed over into Europe, having ordered the Ionians to sail into the Pontus as far as the river Ister, and when they should arrive at the Ister, to wait there for him, bridging the river. For the fleet was led by the Ionians, Aeolians, and Hellespontians.

§4.89.2

ὁ μὲν δὴ ναυτικὸς στρατὸς Κυανέας διεκπλώσας ἔπλεε ἰθὺ τοῦ Ἴστρου, ἀναπλώσας δὲ ἀνὰ ποταμὸν δυῶν ἡμερέων πλόον2 ἀπὸ θαλάσσης, τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸν αὐχένα, ἔκ τοῦ3 σχίζεται τὰ στόματα τοῦ Ἴστρου, ἐζεύγνυε.

​So the naval force, having sailed through the Cyanean rocks, sailed straight for the Ister, and having sailed up the river a two days’ voyage from the sea, they bridged the neck of the river, from where the mouths of the Ister branch off.

§4.89.3

Δαρεῖος δὲ ὡς διέβη τὸν Βόσπορον κατὰ τὴν σχεδίην, ἐπορεύετο διὰ τῆς Θρηίκης, ἀπικόμενος δὲ ἐπὶ Τεάρου ποταμοῦ τὰς πηγὰς ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο ἡμέρας τρεῖς.

​Darius, when he had crossed the Bosporus by the bridge of boats, marched through Thrace, and having arrived at the sources of the river Tearus, he encamped for three days.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 4.89.1παραγγείλας... περιμένειν

    The participle παραγγείλας modifies the main verb διέβαινε, expressing a circumstantial action (command). The infinitives πλέειν and περιμένειν depend on this participle, with their logical subject implied in the dative τοῖσι Ἴωσι.

  2. 4.89.2δυῶν ἡμερέων πλόον

    πλόον is an accusative of extent of space (functioning cognately with the participle ἀναπλώσας) indicating the distance sailed up the river. δυῶν ἡμερέων is a genitive of time or measure qualifying πλόον.

  3. 4.89.2ἔκ τοῦ

    This is an Ionic dialectal form of the preposition and relative pronoun ἐξ οὗ, where τοῦ functions as the genitive of the relative pronoun ὅς. Its antecedent is the preceding phrase τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸν αὐχένα.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.89.1-4.89.3