- 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-grc2:4.98.1-4.98.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Darius made sixty knots in a leather strap and gave it to the Ionian tyrants, instructing them to untie one knot each day starting from his departure, and to sail home if he did not return by the time all the knots were undone.
ταῦτα δὲ εἴπας καὶ ἀπάψας ἅμματα ἑξήκοντα ἐν ἱμάντι καλέσας ἐς λόγους τοὺς Ἰώνων τυράννους ἔλεγε τάδε.
Having said this and having tied sixty knots in a strap, he called the tyrants of the Ionians to a conference and spoke as follows:
ἄνδρες Ἴωνες, ἡ μὲν πρότερον γνώμη ἀποδεχθεῖσα ἐς τὴν γέφυραν μετείσθω1 μοι, ἔχοντες δὲ τὸν ἱμάντα τόνδε ποιέετε τάδε. ἐπεὰν ἐμὲ ἴδητε τάχιστα2 πορευόμενον ἐπὶ Σκύθας, ἀπὸ τούτου ἀρξάμενοι τοῦ χρόνου λύετε ἅμμα ἓν ἑκάστης ἡμέρης· ἢν δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ μὴ παρέω ἀλλὰ διεξέλθωσι ὑμῖν αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἁμμάτων,3 ἀποπλέετε ἐς τὴν ὑμετέρην αὐτῶν.
”Men of Ionia, let the former opinion expressed by me concerning the bridge be set aside; but take this strap and do as follows. As soon as you see me marching against the Scythians, beginning from that time, untie one knot each day. And if within this time I am not present, but the days of the knots have passed by for you, sail away to your own land.
μέχρι δὲ τούτου, ἐπείτε οὕτω μετέδοξε, φυλάσσετε τὴν σχεδίην, πᾶσαν προθυμίην σωτηρίης τε καὶ φυλακῆς4 παρεχόμενοι. ταῦτα δὲ ποιεῦντες ἐμοὶ μεγάλως χαριεῖσθε. Δαρεῖος μὲν ταῦτα εἴπας ἐς τὸ πρόσω ἐπείγετο.
Until then, since my mind has thus changed, guard the bridge, showing all enthusiasm for its safety and defense. By doing this, you will greatly oblige me.” Having said this, Darius hastened forward.
- 4.98.2μετείσθω
The third-person singular aorist passive imperative of the verb μεθίημι. The subject is ἡ μὲν πρότερον γνώμη ('the former opinion'), and the dative μοι functions as a dative of agent or interest, meaning 'let the former opinion be dismissed/withdrawn by me.'
- 4.98.2ἐπεὰν ... τάχιστα
The temporal conjunction ἐπεάν (ἐπεί + ἄν) combined with the superlative adverb τάχιστα expresses immediate temporal succession, meaning 'as soon as.' It introduces a future-more-vivid condition with the subjunctive verb ἴδητε.
- 4.98.2αἱ ἡμέραι τῶν ἁμμάτων
Literally 'the days of the knots,' which contextually means 'the period of days corresponding to the number of the knots (sixty days).' The genitive τῶν ἁμμάτων is a genitive of definition or relation, specifying what the days consist of or relate to.
- 4.98.3σωτηρίης τε καὶ φυλακῆς
An objective genitive modifying the noun προθυμίην ('enthusiasm/zeal'), meaning 'all enthusiasm for securing the safety and defense (of the bridge).'