- 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-grc2:5.30.1-5.30.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Exiled wealthy Naxians seek help from Aristagoras of Miletus to return home, and Aristagoras proposes a plan to control Naxos by enlisting the aid of the Persian satrap Artaphernes.
Πάριοι μέν νυν Μιλησίους οὕτω κατήρτισαν. τότε δὲ ἐκ τουτέων τῶν πολίων ὧδε ἤρχετο κακὰ γίνεσθαι τῇ Ἰωνίῃ. ἐκ Νάξου ἔφυγον ἄνδρες τῶν παχέων ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου, φυγόντες δὲ ἀπίκοντο ἐς Μίλητον.
In this way, then, the Parians reconciled the Milesians. But after this, trouble began to come upon Ionia from these cities in the following way. Wealthy men were banished from Naxos by the common people, and having fled, they came to Miletus.
τῆς δὲ Μιλήτου ἐτύγχανε ἐπίτροπος ἐὼν Ἀρισταγόρης ὁ Μολπαγόρεω, γαμβρός τε ἐὼν καὶ ἀνεψιὸς1 Ἱστιαίου τοῦ Λυσαγόρεω, τὸν ὁ Δαρεῖος ἐν Σούσοισι κατεῖχε· ὁ γὰρ Ἱστιαῖος τύραννος ἦν Μιλήτου καὶ ἐτύγχανε τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐὼν ἐν Σούσοισι, ὅτε οἱ Νάξιοι ἦλθον ξεῖνοι πρὶν ἐόντες τῷ Ἱστιαίῳ.
Now Aristagoras, son of Molpagoras, happened to be the regent of Miletus, being both the son-in-law and cousin of Histiaeus, son of Lysagoras, whom Darius was detaining at Susa. For Histiaeus was the tyrant of Miletus, and he happened to be at Susa at this time, when the Naxians arrived, who had previously been guest-friends to Histiaeus.
ἀπικόμενοι δὲ οἱ Νάξιοι ἐς τὴν Μίλητον ἐδέοντο τοῦ Ἀρισταγόρεω, εἴ κως αὐτοῖσι παράσχοι δύναμίν τινα καὶ κατέλθοιεν ἐς τὴν ἑωυτῶν. ὁ δὲ ἐπιλεξάμενος ὡς ἢν διʼ αὐτοῦ κατέλθωσι ἐς τὴν πόλιν, ἄρξει τῆς Νάξου, σκῆψιν δὲ ποιεύμενος τὴν ξεινίην τὴν Ἱστιαίου, τόνδε σφι λόγον προσέφερε.
Having arrived at Miletus, the Naxians entreated Aristagoras, asking if he could somehow provide them with some force and restore them to their own land. But he, having calculated that if they should return to their city through his help, he would rule over Naxos, and making a pretext of his guest-friendship with Histiaeus, addressed them with the following proposal.
αὐτὸς μὲν ὑμῖν οὐ φερέγγυός εἰμι δύναμιν παρασχεῖν τοσαύτην ὥστε κατάγειν ἀεκόντων τῶν τὴν πόλιν ἐχόντων Ναξίων· πυνθάνομαι γὰρ ὀκτακισχιλίην ἀσπίδα2 Ναξίοισι εἶναι καὶ πλοῖα μακρὰ πολλά· μηχανήσομαι δὲ πᾶσαν σπουδὴν ποιεύμενος.
”I myself am not sufficient to provide you with a force large enough to restore you against the will of the Naxians who hold the city; for I hear that the Naxians have eight thousand heavy infantry and many warships. However, I will devise a plan, using every effort.”
ἐπινοέω δὲ τῇδε. Ἀρταφρένης μοι τυγχάνει ἐὼν φίλος· ὁ δὲ Ἀρταφρένης ὑμῖν Ὑστάσπεος μὲν ἐστὶ παῖς, Δαρείου δὲ τοῦ βασιλέος ἀδελφεός, τῶν δʼ ἐπιθαλασσίων τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀσίῇ ἄρχει πάντων, ἔχων στρατιήν τε πολλὴν καὶ πολλὰς νέας. τοῦτον ὦν δοκέω τὸν ἄνδρα ποιήσειν τῶν ἂν χρηίζωμεν.
”My plan is as follows. Artaphernes happens to be my friend; and this Artaphernes is the son of Hystaspes and brother of King Darius, and he rules over all the coastal regions of Asia, having a large army and many ships. Therefore, I think this man will do whatever we may require.”
ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες οἱ Νάξιοι προσέθεσαν τῷ Ἀρισταγόρῃ πρήσσειν τῇ δύναιτο ἄριστα, καὶ ὑπίσχεσθαι δῶρα ἐκέλευον καὶ δαπάνην τῇ στρατιῇ ὡς αὐτοὶ διαλύσοντες,3 ἐλπίδας πολλὰς ἔχοντες, ὅταν ἐπιφανέωσι ἐς τὴν Νάξον, πάντα ποιήσειν τοὺς Ναξίους τὰ ἂν αὐτοὶ κελεύωσι, ὣς δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους νησιώτας. τῶν γὰρ νήσων τουτέων τῶν Κυκλάδων οὐδεμία κω ἦν ὑπὸ Δαρείῳ.
Having heard this, the Naxians entrusted the matter to Aristagoras to act as best he could, and they urged him to promise gifts and expenses for the army, as they would pay them back themselves; for they had great hopes that when they appeared at Naxos, the Naxians would do everything they commanded, and likewise the other islanders too. For none of these Cycladic islands was yet under Darius’ rule.
- 5.30.2γαμβρός τε ἐὼν καὶ ἀνεψιός
Indicates the double relationship between Aristagoras and Histiaeus. γαμβρός refers to a relative by marriage (such as a son-in-law or brother-in-law, here "son-in-law"), while ἀνεψιός means a consanguineous "cousin."
- 5.30.4ὀκτακισχιλίην ἀσπίδα
A metonymic use where the singular noun ἀσπίς ("shield") collectively represents "hoplites" (heavy infantry). The numeral ὀκτακισχιλίην ("eight thousand") directly modifies the singular noun.
- 5.30.6ὡς αὐτοὶ διαλύσοντες
The particle ὡς combined with the future participle διαλύσοντες (future active participle of διαλύω, masculine plural nominative). It expresses the subjective intention or promise of the Naxians, meaning "on the ground that they themselves would settle (pay) the expenses."