- 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-grc2:6.124.1-6.124.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
The author refutes the idea that the Alcmaeonidae betrayed the city due to some grievance, citing their high status, and states that while a shield was indeed raised, the identity of the person remains unknown.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ1 ἴσως τι ἐπιμεμφόμενοι Ἀθηναίων τῷ δήμῳ προεδίδοσαν τὴν πατρίδα. οὐ μὲν ὦν ἦσαν σφέων ἄλλοι δοκιμώτεροι ἔν γε Ἀθηναίοισι ἄνδρες οὐδʼ οἳ μᾶλλον ἐτετιμέατο.2
But perhaps, finding some fault with the people of Athens, they were trying to betray their country. Yet indeed, there were no other men among the Athenians more esteemed than they, nor any who had been more honored.
οὕτω οὐδὲ λόγος αἱρέει3 ἀναδεχθῆναι ἔκ γε ἂν τούτων4 ἀσπίδα ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ λόγῳ. ἀνεδέχθη μὲν γὰρ ἀσπίς, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι ἄλλως εἰπεῖν· ἐγένετο γάρ· ὃς μέντοι ἦν ὁ ἀναδέξας, οὐκ ἔχω προσωτέρω εἰπεῖν τούτων.
Thus, reason does not even allow that a shield would have been raised by them at least for such a reason. For a shield was indeed raised, and this cannot be said otherwise, for it did happen; however, as to who it was that raised it, I cannot say anything further than this.
- 6.124.1ἀλλὰ γὰρ
An idiomatic formula introducing a potential counter-argument (but indeed / but perhaps). Here it introduces the hypothetical suspicion that they might have betrayed the city out of grievance.
- 6.124.1ἐτετιμέατο
The third-person plural pluperfect passive of τιμάω in the Ionic dialect, corresponding to Attic ἐτετίμηντο.
- 6.124.2λόγος αἱρέει
An idiom characteristic of Herodotus meaning 'reason captures' or 'logic allows', governing the following infinitive phrase ἀναδεχθῆναι, meaning 'it does not stand to reason that...'.
- 6.124.2ἔκ γε ἂν τούτων
The particle ἂν goes with the infinitive ἀναδεχθῆναι, adding a potential or hypothetical nuance to a past event ('that it would have been raised by them').