- 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-grc2:5.86.1-5.86.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
The Aeginetans' counter-argument to the Athenian narrative is presented. They claim that the Athenians attacked with a large fleet, that they were repulsed by a surprise flank attack from Argive reinforcements, and that the statues miraculously fell on their knees.
Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν οὕτω γενέσθαι λέγουσι, Αἰγινῆται δὲ οὐ μιῇ νηὶ ἀπικέσθαι Ἀθηναίους· μίαν μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὀλίγῳ πλεῦνας μιῆς, καὶ εἰ σφίσι μὴ ἔτυχον ἐοῦσαι νέες, ἀπαμύνεσθαι ἂν1 εὐπετέως· ἀλλὰ πολλῇσι νηυσὶ ἐπιπλέειν σφίσι ἐπὶ τὴν χώρην, αὐτοὶ δέ σφι εἶξαι καὶ οὐ ναυμαχῆσαι.
The Athenians indeed say that it happened thus, but the Aeginetans say that the Athenians did not arrive with only one ship; for if there had been only one, or only a few more than one, even if they themselves had happened to have no ships, they would have easily warded them off. But they say that the Athenians sailed against their land with many ships, and they themselves yielded to them and did not fight a sea-battle.
οὐκ ἔχουσι δὲ τοῦτο διασημῆναι ἀτρεκέως, οὔτε εἰ ἥσσονες συγγινωσκόμενοι εἶναι τῇ ναυμαχίῃ κατὰ τοῦτο εἶξαν, οὔτε εἰ βουλόμενοι ποιῆσαι οἷόν τι καὶ ἐποίησαν.
However, they are not able to declare this with certainty, whether they yielded in this way because they acknowledged that they were inferior in the sea-battle, or because they wished to do just what they actually did.
Ἀθηναίους μέν νυν, ἐπείτε σφι οὐδεὶς ἐς μάχην κατίστατο, ἀποβάντας ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν τραπέσθαι πρὸς τὰ ἀγάλματα, οὐ δυναμένους δὲ ἀνασπάσαι ἐκ τῶν βάθρων αὐτὰ οὕτω δὴ περιβαλομένους σχοινία ἕλκειν, ἐς οὗ ἑλκόμενα τὰ ἀγάλματα ἀμφότερα τὠυτὸ ποιῆσαι, ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πιστὰ λέγοντες,2 ἄλλῳ δὲ τεῷ· ἐς γούνατα γάρ σφι αὐτὰ πεσεῖν, καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τούτου χρόνον διατελέειν οὕτω ἔχοντα.
Now, the Athenians, since no one stood against them in battle, landed from their ships and turned toward the statues; and being unable to pull them up from their pedestals, they then threw ropes around them and dragged them, until both statues, as they were being dragged, did the same thing—saying what is incredible to me, though perhaps credible to someone else—for they say that the statues fell upon their knees, and from that time on have continued to be in this position.
Ἀθηναίους μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ποιέειν· σφέας δὲ Αἰγινῆται λέγουσι πυθομένους τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ὡς μέλλοιεν ἐπὶ σφέας στρατεύεσθαι, ἑτοίμους Ἀργείους ποιέεσθαι. τούς τε δὴ Ἀθηναίους ἀποβεβάναι ἐς τὴν Αἰγιναίην, καὶ ἥκειν βοηθέοντας σφίσι τοὺς Ἀργείους καὶ λαθεῖν τε ἐξ Ἐπιδαύρου διαβάντας ἐς τὴν νῆσον καὶ οὐ προακηκοόσι τοῖσι Ἀθηναίοισι ἐπιπεσεῖν ὑποταμομένους τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν,3 ἅμα τε ἐν τούτῳ τὴν βροντήν τε γενέσθαι καὶ τὸν σεισμὸν αὐτοῖσι.
The Athenians indeed did these things; but the Aeginetans say that when they heard that the Athenians were about to campaign against them, they made the Argives ready to help them. And so, while the Athenians had landed on Aeginetan territory, the Argives came to their aid and, having crossed over from Epidaurus to the island without being noticed, fell upon the Athenians, who had not heard of it beforehand, cutting off their retreat from the ships; and at this very moment, the thunder and the earthquake occurred for them.
- 5.86.1ἀπαμύνεσθαι ἂν
Infinitive with ἄν in indirect discourse, representing an indicative past with ἄν (ἀπημύναντο ἄν) in direct discourse, expressing a past counterfactual result. It corresponds to the protasis 'εἰ σφίσι μὴ ἔτυχον ἐοῦσαι νέες' (even if they had happened to have no ships), meaning 'they would have easily warded them off.'
- 5.86.3ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐ πιστὰ λέγοντες
The present participle λέγοντες (nominative plural) refers to the speakers (the Aeginetans). Although they are not the subject of the main finite verb, this nominative participle functions as a parenthetical comment by Herodotus, expressing his own disbelief in their story.
- 5.86.4ὑποταμομένους τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν
The aorist middle participle ὑποταμομένους derives from ὑποτάμνω ('to cut off, intercept'). Its accusative object τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν refers to 'the retreat from the ships,' describing the tactical move of cutting off the Athenians' escape route back to their fleet.