Earthquake at Delos as an Omen of Greece's Tribulations — Herodotus, Histories Book 6 (6.98.1–6.98.3), Greek & English

§6.98.1

Δᾶτις μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ποιήσας ἔπλεε ἅμα τῷ στρατῷ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἐρέτριαν πρῶτα, ἅμα ἀγόμενος καὶ Ἴωνας καὶ Αἰολέας. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἐνθεῦτεν ἐξαναχθέντα¹ Δῆλος ἐκινήθη, ὡς ἔλεγον Δήλιοι, καὶ πρῶτα καὶ ὕστατα μέχρι ἐμεῦ σεισθεῖσα. καὶ τοῦτο μέν κου τέρας ἀνθρώποισι τῶν μελλόντων ἔσεσθαι κακῶν ἔφαινε ὁ θεός.

Datis, indeed, having done these things, sailed with the army first against Eretria, bringing along with him both Ionians and Aeolians. After his departure from there, Delos was shaken—as the Delians said—this being both the first and the last time it was shaken up to my day. And this, I suppose, the god showed to men as a portent of the evils that were to come.

§6.98.2

ἐπὶ γὰρ Δαρείου τοῦ Ὑστάσπεος καὶ Ξέρξεω τοῦ Δαρείου καὶ Ἀρτοξέρξεω τοῦ Ξέρξεω, τριῶν τουτέων ἐπεξῆς γενεέων, ἐγένετο πλέω κακὰ τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἢ ἐπὶ εἴκοσι ἄλλας γενεὰς τὰς πρὸ Δαρείου γενομένας, τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν Περσέων αὐτῇ² γενόμενα, τὰ δὲ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν κορυφαίων περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς πολεμεόντων.

For during the reigns of Darius son of Hystaspes, Xerxes son of Darius, and Artaxerxes son of Xerxes—these three successive generations—more evils befell Greece than during the twenty other generations preceding Darius; some of these befell her from the Persians, and others from the leading states themselves fighting for supremacy.

§6.98.3

οὕτω οὐδὲν ἦν ἀεικὲς κινηθῆναι Δῆλον τὸ πρὶν ἐοῦσαν ἀκίνητον. καὶ ἐν χρησμῷ ἦν γεγραμμένον περὶ αὐτῆς ὧδε. "κινήσω καὶ Δῆλον ἀκίνητόν περ ἐοῦσαν." δύναται³ δὲ κατὰ Ἑλλάδα γλῶσσαν ταῦτα τὰ οὐνόματα, Δαρεῖος ἐρξίης, Ξέρξης ἀρήιος, Ἀρτοξέρξης μέγας ἀρήιος. τούτους μὲν δὴ τοὺς βασιλέας ὧδε ἂν ὀρθῶς κατὰ γλῶσσαν τὴν σφετέρην Ἕλληνες καλέοιεν.

Thus, there was nothing unfitting in Delos being shaken, which before had been unshaken. Indeed, it had been written in an oracle concerning her as follows: “I shall move even Delos, though it is unshaken.” In the Greek language, these names mean: Darius, “doer”; Xerxes, “warrior”; Artaxerxes, “great warrior.” These kings, therefore, the Greeks would rightly call thus in their own tongue.

Syntax notes3 items

6.98.1μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἐνθεῦτεν ἐξαναχθέντα
A construction similar to the Latin "ab urbe condita" construction, where the preposition μετά is followed by an accusative noun (or pronoun) and a participle, meaning "after his departure from there" (literally, "after him having been set out from there").
6.98.2αὐτῇ
Dative feminine singular of the personal pronoun, referring back to the feminine noun "τῇ Ἑλλάδι" (to Greece) in the preceding clause.
6.98.3δύναται
The verb δύναμαι is used here in the sense of "to mean" or "to signify." Its subject is the neuter plural "ταῦτα τὰ οὐνόματα," following the rule that a neuter plural subject takes a singular verb.

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-grc2:6.98.1-6.98.3