- 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-grc2:7.141.1-7.141.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
On the advice of Timon of Delphi, the Athenian envoys make a second supplication and receive a second oracle mentioning the 'wooden wall' and 'Salamis'.
ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες οἱ τῶν Ἀθηναίων θεοπρόποι συμφορῇ τῇ μεγίστῃ ἐχρέωντο. προβάλλουσι δὲ σφέας αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ1 τοῦ κεχρησμένου, Τίμων ὁ Ἀνδροβούλου, τῶν Δελφῶν ἀνὴρ δόκιμος ὅμοια τῷ μάλιστα, συνεβούλευέ σφι ἱκετηρίην λαβοῦσι δεύτερα αὖτις ἐλθόντας2 χρᾶσθαι τῷ χρηστηρίῳ ὡς ἱκέτας.
Hearing this, the Athenian messengers were cast into the deepest despair. While they were abandoning themselves to grief because of the foretold calamity, Timon the son of Androbulus, a citizen of Delphi of the highest standing, advised them to take branches of supplication and go a second time to consult the oracle as suppliants.
πειθομένοισι δὲ ταῦτα τοῖσι Ἀθηναίοισι καὶ λέγουσι ὦναξ, χρῆσον ἡμῖν ἄμεινόν τι περὶ τῆς πατρίδος, αἰδεσθεὶς τὰς ἱκετηρίας τάσδε τάς τοι ἥκομεν φέροντες, ἢ οὔ τοι ἄπιμεν ἐκ τοῦ ἀδύτου, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ τῇδε μενέομεν ἔστʼ ἂν καὶ τελευτήσωμεν, ταῦτα δὲ λέγουσι ἡ πρόμαντις χρᾷ δεύτερα τάδε.
The Athenians, following this advice, said: “O Lord, grant us a better oracle concerning our fatherland, showing regard for these suppliant branches which we have brought to you; otherwise, we will not depart from the sanctuary, but will remain here until we die.” As they said this, the prophetess uttered this second oracle:
" οὐ δύναται Παλλὰς Δίʼ Ὀλύμπιον ἐξιλάσασθαι λισσομένη πολλοῖσι λόγοις καὶ μήτιδι πυκνῇ. σοὶ δὲ τόδʼ αὖτις ἔπος ἐρέω ἀδάμαντι πελάσσας.3 τῶν ἄλλων γὰρ ἁλισκομένων ὅσα Κέκροπος οὖρος ἐντὸς ἔχει κευθμών τε Κιθαιρῶνος ζαθέοιο, τεῖχος Τριτογενεῖ ξύλινον διδοῖ εὐρύοπα Ζεύς μοῦνον ἀπόρθητον τελέθειν,4 τὸ σὲ τέκνα τʼ ὀνήσει."
” Pallas cannot appease Olympian Zeus, though she entreats him with many words and subtle wisdom. But to you I will speak this word again, making it firm as adamant: For though all else is taken, whatever the boundary of Cecrops holds within, and the recesses of sacred Cithaeron, wide-seeing Zeus grants to Tritogeneia a wooden wall, which alone shall remain unconquered, to help you and your children.”
" μηδὲ σύ γʼ ἱπποσύνην τε μένειν5 καὶ πεζὸν ἰόντα πολλὸν ἀπʼ ἠπείρου στρατὸν ἥσυχος, ἀλλʼ ὑποχωρεῖν νῶτον ἐπιστρέψας· ἔτι τοι ποτε κἀντίος ἔσσῃ. ὦ θείη Σαλαμίς, ἀπολεῖς δὲ σὺ τέκνα γυναικῶν ἤ που σκιδναμένης Δημήτερος ἢ συνιούσης.6"
” Do not wait quietly for the cavalry and the great host of infantry advancing from the continent, but turn your back and withdraw; yet a day will come when you shall stand against them. O divine Salamis, you shall destroy the children of women, either when Demeter is scattered or when she is gathered in.”
- 7.141.1προβάλλουσι δὲ σφέας αὐτοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ
The verb προβάλλω accompanied by the reflexive pronoun in the accusative (σφέας αὐτούς) functions idiomatically to mean 'to abandon oneself' or 'to cast oneself down' in grief. The preposition ὑπό with the genitive indicates the 'cause' of this state.
- 7.141.1λαβοῦσι δεύτερα αὖτις ἐλθόντας
The first participle λαβοῦσι (dative plural) agrees with the indirect object σφι, but the subsequent participle ἐλθόντας (accusative plural) shifts to the accusative to act as the subject of the infinitive χρᾶσθαι. This transition of case commonly occurs when emphasis shifts to the action of the infinitive phrase.
- 7.141.3ἀδάμαντι πελάσσας
The aorist active participle πελάσσας (from πελάζω, 'to bring near, to make touch') is used here with the dative ἀδάμαντι. It is a metaphorical and poetic expression meaning 'to make the word as firm and unyielding as adamant'.
- 7.141.3διδοῖ ... μοῦνον ἀπόρθητον τελέθειν
The form διδοῖ is the 3rd person singular present indicative of δίδωμι (Ionic/poetic form). The infinitive τελέθειν is a poetic equivalent of εἶναι, functioning here as an infinitive of result or purpose, meaning 'grants the wooden wall to be (or so that it remains) alone unconquered'.
- 7.141.4μηδὲ σύ γʼ ... μένειν
The infinitives μένειν and the subsequent ὑποχωρεῖν are used as imperatives (Infinitive of Command). The subject pronoun σύ remains in the nominative case, which is standard when the subject is explicitly expressed with an imperative infinitive.
- 7.141.4ἤ που σκιδναμένης Δημήτερος ἢ συνιούσης
A genitive absolute construction where the proper name Demeter is used metonymically for 'grain'. It refers either to the time when the grain is scattered (autumn sowing) or when it is gathered in (spring/summer harvest), meaning during one of these busy agricultural seasons, or throughout the agricultural year.