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Histories

§4.96.1-4.96.2

Verdict on Salmoxis and the Getae Joining the Host

Herotus expresses his view that Salmoxis lived long before Pythagoras, and, setting aside the question of his true nature, notes that the Getae joined the Persian army after being conquered.

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§4.96.1

ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ μὲν τούτου καὶ τοῦ καταγαίου οἰκήματος οὔτε ἀπιστέω οὔτε ὦν1 πιστεύω τι λίην, δοκέω δὲ πολλοῖσι ἔτεσι πρότερον τὸν Σάλμοξιν τοῦτον γενέσθαι Πυθαγόρεω.2

​As for this man and the underground chamber, I neither disbelieve nor do I believe too much, but I think that this Salmoxis lived many years before Pythagoras.

§4.96.2

εἴτε δὲ ἐγένετό τις Σάλμοξις ἄνθρωπος, εἴτʼ ἐστὶ δαίμων τις Γέτῃσι οὗτος ἐπιχώριος, χαιρέτω.3 οὗτοι μὲν δὴ τρόπῳ τοιούτῳ χρεώμενοι ὡς ἐχειρώθησαν ὑπὸ Περσέων, εἵποντο τῷ ἄλλῳ στρατῷ.

​Whether there was a certain man named Salmoxis, or whether he is some local deity of the Getae, let him be dismissed. At any rate, these people, practicing such a custom, when they were subdued by the Persians, followed the rest of the army.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 4.96.1ὦν

    The Ionic dialectal form of οὖν. In the correlative negative structure οὔτε... οὔτε ὦν, it serves to reinforce the second negative.

  2. 4.96.1Πυθαγόρεω

    Genitive of comparison (with the Ionic genitive singular ending -εω), acting as the standard of comparison depending on the adverb πρότερον ('before').

  3. 4.96.2χαιρέτω

    Third-person singular present active imperative of χαίρω ('rejoice', 'farewell'). It is used idiomatically here to dismiss a topic ('let him be dismissed' or 'farewell to him') to return to the main historical narrative.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.96.1-4.96.2