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Histories

§6.114.1

The Heroic Deaths of Callimachus and Cynegirus

The heroic deaths of notable Greeks in the Battle of Marathon are described, including the polemarch Callimachus and Cynegirus, who was struck down after his hand was severed while grasping a ship's stern.

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§6.114.1

καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πόνῳ ὁ πολέμαρχος διαφθείρεται, ἀνὴρ γενόμενος ἀγαθός, ἀπὸ δʼ ἔθανε1 τῶν στρατηγῶν Στησίλεως ὁ Θρασύλεω· τοῦτο δὲ2 Κυνέγειρος ὁ Εὐφορίωνος ἐνθαῦτα ἐπιλαμβανόμενος τῶν ἀφλάστων νεός, τὴν χεῖρα ἀποκοπεὶς3 πελέκεϊ πίπτει, τοῦτο δὲ ἄλλοι Ἀθηναίων πολλοί τε καὶ ὀνομαστοί.

​And on one hand, in this struggle, the polemarch was slain, having proved himself a brave man, and of the generals, Stesilaus the son of Thrasylaos died; on the other hand, Cynegirus the son of Euphorion, laying hold there of the stern-ornament of a ship, fell, having his hand cut off with an axe; and on the other hand, many other well-known men of the Athenians fell likewise.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 6.114.1ἀπὸ δʼ ἔθανε

    An instance of tmesis (separation), where the preposition ἀπό and the verb part ἔθανε of the aorist ἀπέθανε (from ἀποθνῄσκω, 'to die') are separated. The particle δʼ is inserted between them.

  2. 6.114.1τοῦτο μὲν ... τοῦτο δὲ ... τοῦτο δὲ

    Adverbial accusative of the neuter singular demonstrative pronoun, correlating with μὲν ... δὲ ... to list items ('on the one hand ... on the other hand ...'). Here it contrasts three events: the deaths of the polemarch and Stesilaus, the death of Cynegirus, and the deaths of other notable Athenians.

  3. 6.114.1τὴν χεῖρα ἀποκοπεὶς

    τὴν χεῖρα is an accusative of respect (or specification) modifying the passive aorist participle ἀποκοπεὶς ('having been cut off'), meaning 'having his hand cut off' or 'cut off with respect to his hand.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.114.1