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Histories

§6.7.1

Ionian council at the Panionium and naval assembly at Lade

In response to the Persian advance, the Ionians assemble their deputies at the Panionium and decide not to raise a land army, but to leave the defense of Miletus to its citizens while quickly assembling their entire fleet at the island of Lade for a naval battle.

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§6.7.1

οἳ μὲν δὴ ἐπὶ τὴν Μίλητον καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Ἰωνίην ἐστρατεύοντο, Ἴωνες δὲ πυνθανόμενοι ταῦτα ἔπεμπον προβούλους σφέων αὐτῶν ἐς Πανιώνιον. ἀπικομένοισι δὲ τούτοισι ἐς τοῦτον τὸν χῶρον καὶ βουλευομένοισι1 ἔδοξε πεζὸν μὲν στρατὸν μηδένα συλλέγειν ἀντίξοον Πέρσῃσι, ἀλλὰ τὰ τείχεα ῥύεσθαι αὐτοὺς Μιλησίους,2 τὸ δὲ ναυτικὸν πληροῦν ὑπολιπομένους μηδεμίαν τῶν νεῶν πληρώσαντας3 δὲ συλλέγεσθαι τὴν ταχίστην ἐς Λάδην προναυμαχήσοντας4 τῆς Μιλήτου. ἡ δὲ Λάδη ἐστὶ νῆσος μικρὴ ἐπὶ τῇ πόλι τῇ Μιλησίων κειμένη.

​They, then, were marching against Miletus and the rest of Ionia, but the Ionians, on learning of this, sent deputies from among themselves to the Panionium. When these had arrived at this place and held a council, it was decided not to assemble any land army to oppose the Persians, but that the Milesians themselves should defend their own walls, and that they should man the fleet, leaving behind not a single one of the ships, and once they had manned them, they should assemble as quickly as possible at Lade to fight a sea battle in defense of Miletus. Now Lade is a small island lying off the city of the Milesians.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 6.7.1ἀπικομένοισι δὲ τούτοισι ἐς τοῦτον τὸν χῶρον καὶ βουλευομένοισι

    Dative complement of the impersonal verb ἔδοξε ("it was decided"), representing the deputies (τούτοισι) who had arrived and were deliberating.

  2. 6.7.1αὐτοὺς Μιλησίους

    Accusative functioning as the subject of the infinitive ῥύεσθαι.

  3. 6.7.1ὑπολιπομένους ... πληρώσαντας

    Both are accusative plural participles, agreeing with the unexpressed subject (the Ionians) of the infinitives (πληροῦν, συλλέγεσθαι) governed by ἔδοξε.

  4. 6.7.1προναυμαχήσοντας

    Future participle in the accusative plural, expressing purpose ("to fight a sea battle"). The genitive τῆς Μιλήτου is governed by the verb προναυμαχέω, meaning "in front of" or "in defense of Miletus".

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.7.1