- 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-grc2:7.158.1-7.158.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
In response to the Greek envoys, Gelon vehemently reproaches them for refusing his past requests for aid. He nevertheless offers massive military support, but on the condition that he be appointed the supreme commander of the Greek forces.
οἳ μὲν ταῦτα ἔλεγον, Γέλων δὲ πολλὸς ἐνέκειτο1 λέγων τοιάδε. ἄνδρες Ἕλληνες, λόγον ἔχοντες πλεονέκτην ἐτολμήσατε ἐμὲ σύμμαχον ἐπὶ τὸν βάρβαρον παρακαλέοντες ἐλθεῖν·
While they were speaking thus, Gelon pressed them vehemently, saying: “Men of Greece, with a self-seeking proposal you have dared to come, summoning me to go as an ally against the barbarian.
αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐμεῦ πρότερον δεηθέντος2 βαρβαρικοῦ στρατοῦ συνεπάψασθαι, ὅτε μοι πρὸς Καρχηδονίους νεῖκος συνῆπτο, ἐπισκήπτοντός τε τὸν Δωριέος τοῦ Ἀναξανδρίδεω πρὸς Ἐγεσταίων φόνον ἐκπρήξασθαι, ὑποτείνοντός τε τὰ ἐμπόρια συνελευθεροῦν ἀπʼ ὧν ὑμῖν μεγάλαι ὠφελίαι τε καὶ ἐπαυρέσιες γεγόνασι, οὔτε ἐμεῦ εἵνεκα ἤλθετε βοηθήσοντες οὔτε τὸν Δωριέος φόνον ἐκπρηξόμενοι, τό τε κατʼ ὑμέας τάδε ἅπαντα ὑπὸ βαρβάροισι νέμεται.
Yet when I myself previously requested you to join in taking hand against the barbarian army, when war was waged against me by the Carthaginians, and when I urged you to avenge the murder of Dorieus son of Anaxandrides by the Egestaeans, and offered to help free those trading-posts from which great benefits and advantages have accrued to you, you did not come to help for my sake, nor to avenge the murder of Dorieus; and, as far as you were concerned, all these places are now ruled by the barbarians.
ἀλλὰ εὖ γὰρ ἡμῖν3 καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄμεινον κατέστη. νῦν δὲ ἐπειδὴ περιελήλυθε ὁ πόλεμος καὶ ἀπῖκται ἐς ὑμέας, οὕτω δὴ Γέλωνος μνῆστις γέγονε.
But, for our affairs turned out well and for the better. Now, however, since the war has come round and reached you, only thus has there come to be a remembrance of Gelon!
ἀτιμίης δὲ πρὸς ὑμέων κυρήσας οὐκ ὁμοιώσομαι ὑμῖν, ἀλλʼ ἕτοιμος εἰμὶ βοηθέειν παρεχόμενος διηκοσίας τε τριήρεας καὶ δισμυρίους ὁπλίτας καὶ δισχιλίην ἵππον καὶ δισχιλίους τοξότας καὶ δισχιλίους σφενδονήτας καὶ δισχιλίους ἱπποδρόμους ψιλούς· σῖτόν τε ἁπάσῃ τῇ Ἑλλήνων στρατιῇ, ἔστʼ ἂν διαπολεμήσωμεν, ὑποδέκομαι παρέξειν.
Though I have met with dishonor at your hands, I will not imitate you; instead, I am ready to help, providing two hundred triremes, twenty thousand hoplites, two thousand horsemen, two thousand archers, two thousand slingers, and two thousand light-armed horse-runners. I also undertake to supply food for the entire Greek army until we have finished the war.
ἐπὶ δὲ λόγῳ τοιῷδε τάδε ὑπίσχομαι, ἐπʼ ᾧ4 στρατηγός τε καὶ ἡγεμὼν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔσομαι πρὸς τὸν βάρβαρον. ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγῳ οὔτʼ ἂν αὐτὸς ἔλθοιμι οὔτʼ ἂν ἄλλους πέμψαιμι.
But I promise this on the following condition: that I shall be the general and leader of the Greeks against the barbarian. On any other condition, I will neither come myself nor send others.”
- 7.158.1Γέλων δὲ πολλὸς ἐνέκειτο
The adjective πολλός is used adverbially in agreement with the subject Γέλων, modifying the verb ἐνέκειτο (imperfect of ἐγκείμαι, "to press hard" or "insist"). It means "Gelon pressed them vehemently" or "insisted urgently".
- 7.158.2ἐμεῦ πρότερον δεηθέντος
A genitive absolute construction consisting of the personal pronoun ἐμεῦ and the aorist participle δεηθέντος (from δέομαι, "to request"). The subsequent participles ἐπισκήπτοντός τε and ὑποτείνοντός τε are coordinated with it, together forming a temporal clause: "when I previously requested... and urged... and offered...".
- 7.158.3ἀλλὰ εὖ γὰρ ἡμῖν
An elliptical construction of ἀλλὰ ... γάρ, where the main clause of ἀλλά is omitted: "But (no more of this), for (our affairs turned out well...)". This idiom is frequently used to dismiss a topic of grievance and move forward.
- 7.158.5ἐπʼ ᾧ
A formulaic expression consisting of the preposition ἐπί and the dative relative pronoun ᾧ, expressing condition ("on condition that"). It is followed here by the future indicative ἔσομαι, meaning "on condition that I shall be...".