- 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-grc2:4.97.1-4.97.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
After arriving at the Ister and crossing over, Darius ordered the Ionians to dismantle the bridge. However, Coes, a general from Mytilene, advised keeping the bridge intact with guards to ensure a safe retreat, a suggestion which the king gladly accepted.
Δαρεῖος δὲ ὡς ἀπίκετο καὶ ὁ πεζὸς ἅμʼ αὐτῷ στρατὸς ἐπὶ τὸν Ἴστρον, ἐνθαῦτα διαβάντων πάντων1 Δαρεῖος ἐκέλευσε τούς τε Ἴωνας τὴν σχεδίην λύσαντας ἕπεσθαι κατʼ ἤπειρον ἑωυτῷ καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῶν νεῶν στρατόν.
When Darius and the infantry army with him arrived at the Ister, after everyone had crossed over there, Darius ordered the Ionians to dismantle the bridge and follow him by land, along with the army from the ships.
μελλόντων δὲ τῶν Ἰώνων λύειν καὶ ποιέειν τὰ κελευόμενα, Κώης ὁ Ἐρξάνδρου στρατηγὸς ἐὼν Μυτιληναίων ἔλεξε Δαρείῳ τάδε, πυθόμενος πρότερον εἰ οἱ φίλον εἴη γνώμην ἀποδέκεσθαι2 παρὰ τοῦ βουλομένου ἀποδείκνυσθαι.
And as the Ionians were about to dismantle it and do what was ordered, Coes, the son of Erxandros, who was the general of the Mytileneans, spoke to Darius as follows, having first inquired whether it would be pleasing to him to receive an opinion from anyone who wished to express one.
ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐπὶ γῆν γὰρ μέλλεις στρατεύεσθαι τῆς οὔτε ἀρηρομένον φανήσεται οὐδὲν οὔτε πόλις οἰκεομένη· σύ νυν γέφυραν ταύτὴν ἔα κατὰ χώρην ἑστάναι, φυλάκους αὐτῆς λιπὼν τούτους οἵπερ μιν ἔζευξαν.
”O King, since you are about to march against a land where nothing cultivated will be seen, nor any inhabited city; do you now let this bridge stand in its place, leaving as its guards those very men who built it.
καὶ ἤν τε κατὰ νόον πρήξωμεν εὑρόντες Σκύθας, ἔστι ἄποδος ἡμῖν, ἤν τε καὶ μή σφεας εὑρεῖν δυνώμεθα, ἥ γε ἄποδος ἡμῖν ἀσφαλής· οὐ γὰρ ἔδεισά κω μὴ ἑσσωθέωμεν ὑπὸ Σκυθέων μάχῃ, ἁλλὰ μᾶλλον μὴ οὐ δυνάμενοι3 σφέας εὑρεῖν πάθωμεν τι ἀλώμενοι.
And if we succeed according to our mind by finding the Scythians, we have a return, and even if we cannot find them, our return at least is safe; for I have never yet feared lest we be defeated by the Scythians in battle, but rather lest, being unable to find them, we should suffer some harm while wandering.
καὶ τάδε λέγειν φαίη τις ἄν με ἐμεωυτοῦ εἵνεκεν, ὡς καταμένω·4 ἐγὼ δὲ γνώμην μὲν τὴν εὕρισκον ἀρίστην σοί, βασιλεῦ, ἐς μέσον φέρω, αὐτὸς μέντοι ἕψομαί τοι καὶ οὐκ ἂν λειφθείην.
And someone might say that I say this for my own sake, so that I may remain behind; but I, O King, am bringing forward into the open the opinion which I found to be the best for you, and I myself will follow you and will not be left behind.”
κάρτα τε ἥσθη τῇ γνώμῃ Δαρεῖος καὶ μιν ἀμείψατο τοῖσιδε. ξεῖνε Λέσβιε, σωθέντος ἐμεῦ ὀπίσω ἐς οἶκον τὸν ἐμὸν ἐπιφάνηθί μοι πάντως, ἵνα σε ἀντὶ χρηστῆς συμβουλίης χρηστοῖσι ἔργοισι ἀμείψωμαι.
Darius was greatly pleased with this opinion and answered him with these words: “My Lesbian guest-friend, when I have returned safely back to my home, do show yourself to me by all means, so that I may requite you for your good advice with good deeds.”
- 4.97.1διαβάντων πάντων
A genitive absolute construction expressing that "everyone" (different from the main subject Darius) had crossed over. The aorist participle διαβάντων indicates that the crossing was completed before the action of the main verb ἐκέλευσε (ordered).
- 4.97.2εἰ οἱ φίλον εἴη γνώμην ἀποδέκεσθαι
An indirect question clause introduced by εἰ with an optative (εἴη) due to the secondary sequence after the historical main verb ἔλεξε. The third-person singular dative pronoun οἱ refers to Darius himself.
- 4.97.4μὴ οὐ δυνάμενοι
A negative participle within a clause of fearing introduced by μὴ. While μὴ governs the subjunctive mood (πάθωμεν), the participle δυνάμενοι is negated by οὐ because it forms a single negative concept ("being unable"), rather than creating a double negation with μὴ.
- 4.97.5ὡς καταμένω
The conjunction ὡς here introduces a subjective motive or purpose: "on the ground that I am to remain behind." The present indicative καταμένω is used to vividly depict his alleged personal interest.