- 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-grc2:7.228.1-7.228.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
This section introduces three famous inscriptions erected at Thermopylae for the fallen soldiers (all soldiers, the Spartans, and the seer Megistias) and explains who set up these monuments and inscriptions.
θαφθεῖσι δέ σφι αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ τῇ περ ἔπεσον, καὶ τοῖσι πρότερον τελευτήσασι ἢ ὑπὸ Λεωνίδεω ἀποπεμφθέντας οἴχεσθαι,1 ἐπιγέγραπται γράμματα λέγοντα τάδε. "μυριάσιν ποτὲ τῇδε τριηκοσίαις ἐμάχοντο ἐκ Πελοποννάσου χιλιάδες τέτορες."
And for those who were buried there on the very spot where they fell, as well as for those who died before the ones sent away by Leonidas had departed, there is written an inscription which says this: “Here once four thousand from Peloponnese fought against three million.”
ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τοῖσι πᾶσι ἐπιγέγραπται, τοῖσι δὲ Σπαρτιήτῃσι ἰδίῃ. "ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἀγγέλλειν2 Λακεδαιμονίοις ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι."
This indeed is inscribed for them all, but for the Spartans privately: “Stranger, go tell the Lacedaemonians that here we lie, obeying their words.”
Λακεδαιμονίοισι μὲν δὴ τοῦτο, τῷ δὲ μάντι τόδε. "μνῆμα τόδε κλεινοῖο Μεγιστία, ὅν ποτε Μῆδοι Σπερχειὸν ποταμὸν κτεῖναν ἀμειψάμενοι, μάντιος,3 ὃς τότε κῆρας ἐπερχομένας σάφα εἰδώς οὐκ ἔτλη Σπάρτης ἡγεμόνα προλιπεῖν."
For the Lacedaemonians indeed is this, but for the seer this: “This is the monument of the famous Megistias, whom once the Medes slew when they had crossed the river Spercheius; a seer who, though he then well knew the coming fates, could not bring himself to desert the leader of Sparta.”
ἐπιγράμμασι μέν νυν καὶ στήλῃσι, ἔξω ἢ4 τὸ τοῦ μάντιος ἐπίγραμμα, Ἀμφικτύονες εἰσὶ σφέας οἱ ἐπικοσμήσαντες· τὸ δὲ τοῦ μάντιος Μεγιστίεω Σιμωνίδης ὁ Λεωπρέπεος ἐστὶ κατὰ ξεινίην ὁ ἐπιγράψας.
Now, it was the Amphictyons who honored them with these inscriptions and pillars, except for the inscription of the seer; but that of the seer Megistias was inscribed by Simonides, the son of Leoprepes, on account of their guest-friendship.
- 7.228.1ἢ ὑπὸ Λεωνίδεω ἀποπεμφθέντας οἴχεσθαι
An accusative with infinitive construction introduced by ἤ following the comparative πρότερον ("before..."). The accusative ἀποπεμφθέντας functions as the subject of the infinitive οἴχεσθαι ("to depart"), meaning "before those sent away by Leonidas departed."
- 7.228.2ἀγγέλλειν
An infinitive used with the force of an imperative (imperative infinitive), addressing the stranger (ὦ ξεῖνʼ) to "go tell."
- 7.228.3μάντιος
A genitive in apposition with κλεινοῖο Μεγιστία ("of famous Megistias" [genitive]) from two lines above. Separated by the mention of his death by the Medes, it highlights Megistias's identity as a seer.
- 7.228.4ἔξω ἢ
A prepositional phrase meaning "except" or "other than," taking τό (accusative) to mark the inscription of the seer as the sole exception.