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Histories

§6.3.1

Histiaeus's false pretext of relocation to terrify Ionians

When questioned by the Ionians about his reasons for inciting the revolt, Histiaeus terrifies them with a false claim that Darius planned a mutual relocation of the Ionians and Phoenicians.

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§6.3.1

ἐνθαῦτα δὴ εἰρωτώμενος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰώνων ὁ Ἱστιαῖος κατʼ ὅ τι προθύμως οὕτω ἐπέστειλε τῷ Ἀρισταγόρῃ ἀπίστασθαι ἀπὸ βασιλέος καὶ κακὸν τοσοῦτον εἴη Ἴωνας ἐξεργασμένος, τὴν μὲν γενομένην αὐτοῖσι αἰτίην1 οὐ μάλα ἐξέφαινε, ὁ δὲ ἔλεγέ σφι ὡς βασιλεὺς Δαρεῖος ἐβουλεύσατο Φοίνικας μὲν ἐξαναστήσας ἐν τῇ Ἰωνίῃ κατοικίσαι, Ἴωνας δὲ ἐν τῇ Φοινίκῃ, καὶ τούτων εἵνεκα ἐπιστείλειε. οὐδέν τι πάντως ταῦτα βασιλέος βουλευσαμένου2 ἐδειμάτου τοὺς Ἴωνας.

​There, when asked by the Ionians for what reason he had so eagerly sent word to Aristagoras to revolt from the King, and had brought so great an evil upon the Ionians, Histiaeus did not at all reveal to them the real cause that had arisen. Instead, he told them that King Darius had planned to remove the Phoenicians and settle them in Ionia, and the Ionians in Phoenicia, and that it was for this reason he had sent the message. He terrified the Ionians with this, although the King had planned nothing of the sort.

Syntax notes2 items
  1. 6.3.1γενομένην αὐτοῖσι αἰτίην

    αὐτοῖσι is a dative pronoun referring to the Ionians, modifying or accompanying γενομένην αἰτίην (the actual cause that had arisen), meaning "the real cause [revealed] to them" or "the cause that had arisen in relation to them."

  2. 6.3.1βασιλέος βουλευσαμένου

    A genitive absolute construction expressing concession ("although..."). The noun βασιλέος acts as the subject of the participle βουλευσαμένου, and the entire phrase is negated by οὐδέν τι πάντως ("not at all").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.3.1