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Histories

§7.34.1

Construction and Destruction by Storm of the Bridges

The Phoenicians and Egyptians built bridges across the strait from Abydos using different materials, but a violent storm arose and completely destroyed them just after completion.

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§7.34.1

ἐς ταύτην ὦν τὴν ἀκτὴν ἐξ Ἀβύδου ὁρμώμενοι ἐγεφύρουν τοῖσι προσέκειτο,1 τὴν μὲν λευκολίνου2 Φοίνικες, τὴν δʼ ἑτέρην τὴν βυβλίνην Αἰγύπτιοι. ἔστι δὲ ἑπτὰ στάδιοι ἐξ Ἀβύδου ἐς τὴν ἀπαντίον. καὶ δὴ ἐζευγμένου τοῦ πόρου3 ἐπιγενόμενος χειμὼν μέγας συνέκοψέ τε ἐκεῖνα πάντα καὶ διέλυσε.

​So those to whom the task was assigned started from Abydos and made their bridges to this headland, the Phoenicians bridging the one of white flax, and the Egyptians the other of papyrus. It is a distance of seven stades from Abydos to the opposite shore. And when the strait had indeed been bridged, a great storm came on and shattered and destroyed all of those works.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 7.34.1τοῖσι προσέκειτο

    The dative plural relative pronoun τοῖσι (Ionic for οἷς) acts with its antecedent omitted ("those to whom the task had been assigned"). προσέκειτο (imperfect 3rd singular of πρόσκειμαι) means "to be imposed or assigned as a duty."

  2. 7.34.1τὴν μὲν λευκολίνου

    τὴν is the feminine accusative singular article, modifying the omitted noun γέφυραν ("bridge"). λευκολίνου is the genitive of material from the noun λευκόλινον ("white flax"), whereas the corresponding phrase τὴν βυβλίνην uses an adjective ("made of papyrus"), showing an asymmetrical phrasing in the contrast.

  3. 7.34.1ἐζευγμένου τοῦ πόρου

    Genitive absolute construction consisting of the perfect passive participle ἐζευγμένου (from ζεύγνυμι) and the noun in the genitive τοῦ πόρου ("the strait"), denoting time: "when the strait had been bridged."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.34.1