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Histories

§7.105.1

Appointment of Mascames and the Advance Through Thrace

Xerxes laughs off Demaratus's warning and, after replacing the governor of Doriscus with Mascames, resumes his army's march through Thrace toward Greece.

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§7.105.1

ὃ μὲν1 δὴ ταῦτα ἀμείψατο, Ξέρξης δὲ ἐς γέλωτά τε ἔτρεψε2 καὶ οὐκ ἐποιήσατο ὀργὴν οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλʼ ἠπίως αὐτὸν ἀπεπέμψατο. τούτῳ3 δὲ ἐς λόγους ἐλθὼν Ξέρξης, καὶ ὕπαρχον ἐν τῷ Δορίσκῳ τούτῳ καταστήσας Μασκάμην τὸν Μεγαδόστεω, τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ Δαρείου σταθέντα καταπαύσας, ἐξήλαυνε τὸν στρατὸν διὰ τῆς Θρηίκης ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα.

​He indeed answered thus, but Xerxes turned it into laughter and showed no anger at all, but dismissed him kindly. He indeed answered thus, but Xerxes turned it into laughter and showed no anger at all, but dismissed him kindly. Having entered into conversation with him, Xerxes, after appointing Mascames, son of Megadostes, as governor in this Doriscus, and dismissing the one who had been established by Darius, marched his army through Thrace against Greece.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 7.105.1ὃ μὲν

    This ὃ is not a relative pronoun but is used as a third-person demonstrative pronoun representing the subject (referring to Demaratus), standing in contrast with the subsequent Ξέρξης δὲ.

  2. 7.105.1ἐς γέλωτά τε ἔτρεψε

    The direct object of the active transitive verb ἔτρεψε (aorist), referring to Demaratus's words or the situation, is omitted. The literal meaning is 'turned [it] into laughter,' indicating that Xerxes did not take it seriously.

  3. 7.105.1τούτῳ

    A dative pronoun connected with the participle phrase ἐς λόγους ἐλθὼν ('entering into conversation'), referring here to Demaratus.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.105.1