- 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-grc2:7.160.1-7.160.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-05
In response to Syagros's rejection, Gelon remains calm and offers a modified compromise, proposing that they divide the command by taking charge of either the land army or the fleet.
πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Γέλων, ἐπειδὴ ὥρα ἀπεστραμμένους1 τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Συάγρου, τὸν τελευταῖόν σφι τόνδε ἐξέφαινε λόγον. ὦ ξεῖνε Σπαρτιῆτα, ὀνείδεα κατιόντα ἀνθρώπῳ φιλέει ἐπανάγειν τὸν θυμόν· σὺ μέντοι ἀποδεξάμενος2 ὑβρίσματα ἐν τῷ λόγῳ οὔ με πείσεις ἀσχήμονα ἐν τῇ ἀμοιβῇ γενέσθαι.
To this Gelon, seeing that the words of Syagros turned away, declared this last word to them: “Spartan guest, insults heaped upon a man tend to arouse his anger; you, however, although showing insolence in your speech, will not persuade me to become unseemly in my reply.
ὅκου δὲ ὑμεῖς οὕτω περιέχεσθε τῆς ἡγεμονίης, οἰκὸς3 καὶ ἐμὲ μᾶλλον ὑμέων περιέχεσθαι, στρατιῆς τε ἐόντα πολλαπλησίης ἡγεμόνα καὶ νεῶν πολλὸν πλεύνων. ἀλλʼ ἐπείτε ὑμῖν ὁ λόγος οὕτω προσάντης κατίσταται, ἡμεῖς τι ὑπείξομεν τοῦ ἀρχαίου λόγου· εἰ τοῦ μὲν πεζοῦ ὑμεῖς ἡγέοισθε, τοῦ δὲ ναυτικοῦ ἐγώ. εἰ δὲ ὑμῖν ἡδονὴ τοῦ κατὰ θάλασσαν ἡγεμονεύειν,4 τοῦ πεζοῦ ἐγὼ θέλω. καὶ ἢ τούτοισι ὑμέας χρεόν ἐστι ἀρέσκεσθαι ἢ ἀπιέναι συμμάχων τοιῶνδε ἐρήμους.
Since you are so clinging to the leadership, it is reasonable that I should cling to it even more than you, being the leader of a many times larger army and of far more ships. But since this proposal stands so steep to you, we will yield somewhat from our original proposal: if you should lead the land army, I will lead the fleet; but if it is your pleasure to command by sea, I am willing to take the land army. And it is necessary for you either to be satisfied with these terms or to depart destitute of such allies.”
- 7.160.1ἀπεστραμμένους
Perfect passive participle of ἀποστρέφω (to turn away, reject). Here used attributively to mean 'averse,' 'hostile,' or 'rebellious,' indicating that Syagros' speech was entirely rejective of Gelon's proposal.
- 7.160.1ἀποδεξάμενος
In Herodotus' Ionic dialect, this participle often represents the first aorist middle participle of ἀποδείκνυμι (to display, exhibit), equivalent to Attic ἀποδειξάμενος, rather than from ἀποδέχομαι (to receive). Thus, 'having displayed insolence' fits the context better than 'having received.'
- 7.160.2οἰκὸς
The Ionic form of the Attic εἰκός (reasonable, natural). Used in an impersonal construction with an accusative and infinitive (ἐμὲ ... περιέχεσθαι), meaning 'it is reasonable/natural that I...'
- 7.160.2τοῦ κατὰ θάλασσαν ἡγεμονεύειν
Genitive of the articular infinitive. It functions either as a genitive of apposition explaining the noun ἡδονή (pleasure, desire) or as an objective genitive representing the object of the desire ('pleasure of commanding by sea').