← Herodotus

Histories

§5.53.1

Calculation of Total Distance and Travel Days of the Royal Road

The author states that the total number of stations from Sardis to Susa is 111, calculates the total distance in parasangs and stades, and estimates that the journey takes exactly 90 days at a rate of 150 stades per day.

View ▾
View
Translation
Typeface
AI ↗
← PrevNext →
§5.53.1

οὗτοι οἱ πάντες σταθμοί εἰσι ἕνδεκα καὶ ἑκατόν. καταγωγαὶ μέν νυν σταθμῶν τοσαῦται εἰσὶ ἐκ Σαρδίων ἐς Σοῦσα ἀναβαίνοντι.1 εἰ δὲ ὀρθῶς μεμέτρηται ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ βασιληίη τοῖσι παρασάγγῃσι καὶ ὁ παρασάγγης δύναται2 τριήκοντα στάδια, ὥσπερ οὗτός γε δύναται ταῦτα, ἐκ Σαρδίων στάδια ἐστὶ ἐς τὰ βασιλήια τὰ Μεμνόνια καλεόμενα πεντακόσια καὶ τρισχίλια καὶ μύρια, παρασαγγέων ἐόντων πεντήκοντα καὶ τετρακοσίων. πεντήκοντα δὲ καὶ ἑκατὸν στάδια ἐπʼ ἡμέρῃ ἑκάστῃ διεξιοῦσι3 ἀναισιμοῦνται ἡμέραι ἀπαρτὶ ἐνενήκοντα.

​All these stations together are one hundred and eleven. Now, there are this many lodging-places at the stations for one who goes up from Sardis to Susa. And if the royal road has been measured correctly in parasangs, and if a parasang is equivalent to thirty stades—as indeed it is equivalent to this number—the distance from Sardis to the royal palace called Memnonia is thirteen thousand five hundred stades, the parasangs being four hundred and fifty. And for those who travel one hundred and fifty stades each day, exactly ninety days are spent on the journey.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 5.53.1ἀναβαίνοντι

    Present participle in the dative singular, functioning as a dative of reference or relation. It means 'for one who goes up (inland) from Sardis to Susa'.

  2. 5.53.1δύναται

    Third-person singular present of the verb δύναμαι (to be able, to have power), used here in the sense of equivalence in weights and measures: 'to be equivalent to' or 'to equal'.

  3. 5.53.1διεξιοῦσι

    Dative plural of the present participle of διέξειμι (to pass through, travel). Like ἀναβαίνοντι, it is a dative of reference, indicating the condition: 'for those who travel one hundred and fifty stades each day'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.53.1