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§5.9.1-5.9.3

Customs and Horses of the Sigynnae North of the Ister

This chunk describes the Sigynnae, the only known people living north of the Ister, noting their Median customs, peculiar shaggy horses, territory adjacent to the Eneti, and the different meanings of the word "sigynnae" in other regions.

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§5.9.1

τὸ δὲ πρὸς βορέω1 τῆς χώρης ἔτι ταύτης οὐδεὶς ἔχει φράσαι τὸ ἀτρεκὲς οἵτινες εἰσὶ ἄνθρωποι οἰκέοντες αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ τὰ πέρην ἤδη τοῦ Ἴστρου ἔρημος χώρη φαίνεται ἐοῦσα καὶ ἄπειρος. μούνους δὲ δύναμαι πυθέσθαι οἰκέοντας πέρην τοῦ Ἴστρου ἀνθρώπους τοῖσι οὔνομα εἶναι Σιγύννας, ἐσθῆτι δὲ χρεωμένους Μηδικῇ·

​As for the region further to the north of this country, no one can tell for certain what kind of people dwell there; rather, the land already beyond the Ister appears to be a desert and boundless. But the only people I can learn of as dwelling beyond the Ister are those called Sigynnae, who use Median dress.

§5.9.2

τοὺς δὲ ἵππους αὐτῶν εἶναι λασίους ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα ἐπὶ πέντε δακτύλους τὸ βάθος τῶν τριχῶν,2 μικροὺς δὲ καὶ σιμοὺς καὶ ἀδυνάτους ἄνδρας φέρειν, ζευγνυμένους δὲ ὑπʼ ἅρματα εἶναι ὀξυτάτους· ἁρματηλατέειν δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους. κατήκειν δὲ τούτων τοὺς οὔρους ἀγχοῦ Ἐνετῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ Ἀδρίῃ.

​Their horses, they say, are shaggy all over their bodies to the depth of five fingers’ breadth; they are small, flat-nosed, and incapable of carrying men, but when yoked to chariots they are extremely swift, and for this reason the natives drive chariots. The boundaries of this people, it is said, reach almost to the Eneti on the Adriatic.

§5.9.3

εἶναι δὲ Μήδων σφέας ἀποίκους λέγουσι. ὅκως δὲ οὗτοι Μήδων ἄποικοι γεγόνασι, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἔχω ἐπιφράσασθαι, γένοιτο δʼ ἂν πᾶν ἐν τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ. Σιγύννας δʼ ὦν καλέουσι Λίγυες οἱ ἄνω ὑπὲρ Μασσαλίης οἰκέοντες τοὺς καπήλους, Κύπριοι δὲ τὰ δόρατα.3

​They say that they are colonists of the Medes. How they have become colonists of the Medes I cannot myself explain, but anything might happen in the course of long time. At any rate, the Ligyes who live in the country above Massalia call retail traders “sigynnae,” and the Cyprians call spears by this name.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 5.9.1τὸ δὲ πρὸς βορέω

    The accusative article τὸ at the beginning of the sentence, combined with the following prepositional phrase πρὸς βορέω τῆς χώρης ἔτι ταύτης, functions as an accusative of respect or thematic accusative introducing the topic ('as for...'). βορέω is the Ionic genitive singular (corresponding to Attic βορρᾶ), governed by the preposition πρὸς.

  2. 5.9.2τοὺς δὲ ἵππους αὐτῶν εἶναι λασίους ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα ἐπὶ πέντε δακτύλους τὸ βάθος τῶν τριχῶν

    This section is structured with accusative and infinitive constructions (εἶναι, ἁρματηλατέειν, κατήκειν) in indirect discourse, loosely dependent on the preceding verb of learning (πυθέσθαι) or the subsequent 'they say' (λέγουσι). Both ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα ('all over their bodies') and τὸ βάθος ('in depth') function as accusatives of respect (specifying the extent of the condition) modifying the adjective λασίους ('shaggy').

  3. 5.9.3Σιγύννας δʼ ὦν καλέουσι Δίγυες ... τοὺς καπήλους, Κύπριοι δὲ τὰ δόρατα

    A construction with the double accusative verb καλέουσι ('call'). Σιγύννας is the predicate accusative ('sigynnae'), while the direct object accusatives are τοὺς καπήλους ('retail traders') in the clause with Δίγυες (the Ligyes), and τὰ δόρατα ('spears') in the clause with Κύπριοι (the Cyprians). In the latter clause, καλέουσι Σιγύννας is ellipted.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — source 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.9.1-5.9.3