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§7.35.1-7.35.3

Xerxes Punishing the Hellespont and Executing the Overseers

Upon learning that the bridges were destroyed, Xerxes in a rage orders the Hellespont to be scourged and fettered, while commanding the execution of the bridging overseers.

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§7.35.1

ὡς δʼ ἐπύθετο Ξέρξης, δεινὰ ποιεύμενος1 τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ἐκέλευσε τριηκοσίας ἐπικέσθαι2 μάστιγι πληγὰς καὶ κατεῖναι ἐς τὸ πέλαγος πεδέων ζεῦγος. ἤδη δὲ ἤκουσα ὡς καὶ στιγέας ἅμα τούτοισι ἀπέπεμψε στίξοντας τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον.

​When Xerxes heard of this, he was full of wrath and ordered that the Hellespont be scourged with three hundred lashes, and that a pair of fetters be thrown into the sea. I have even heard that he sent branders along with them to brand the Hellespont.

§7.35.2

ἐνετέλλετο δὲ ὦν ῥαπίζοντας3 λέγειν βάρβαρά τε καὶ ἀτάσθαλα· ὦ πικρὸν ὕδωρ, δεσπότης τοι δίκην ἐπιτιθεῖ τήνδε, ὅτι μιν4 ἠδίκησας οὐδὲν πρὸς ἐκείνου ἄδικον παθόν.5 καὶ βασιλεὺς μὲν Ξέρξης διαβήσεταί σε, ἤν τε σύ γε βούλῃ ἤν τε μή· σοὶ δὲ κατὰ δίκην ἄρα οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων θύει ὡς ἐόντι καὶ θολερῷ καὶ ἁλμυρῷ ποταμῷ.

​And he charged those who were scourging it to utter barbarous and arrogant words: “O bitter water, our master lays this punishment upon you, because you have wronged him when you suffered no wrong from him. And King Xerxes will cross you, whether you will or no; it is with justice, after all, that no man offers sacrifice to you, since you are a turbid and briny river.”

§7.35.3

τήν τε δὴ θάλασσαν ἐνετέλλετο τούτοισι ζημιοῦν καὶ τῶν ἐπεστεώτων τῇ ζεύξι τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου6 ἀποταμεῖν τὰς κεφαλάς.

​So he commanded that the sea should be punished in this way, and that the overseers of the bridging of the Hellespont should have their heads cut off.

Syntax notes6 items
  1. 7.35.1δεινὰ ποιεύμενος

    Ionic form of δεινὸν ποιέομαι, meaning "to take it ill, to be highly incensed". Here used as a circumstantial participle expressing his emotional state.

  2. 7.35.1ἐπικέσθαι

    Second aorist infinitive of ἐπικνέομαι ("to reach, inflict blows"), dependent on ἐκέλευσε. It takes the accusative of target (τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον) and the cognate/result accusative of the blows (τριηκοσίας πληγάς), meaning "to inflict three hundred lashes upon the Hellespont".

  3. 7.35.2ῥαπίζοντας

    Present participle accusative plural of ῥαπίζω ("to lash, scourge"). It acts as the subject of the infinitive λέγειν within an accusative-and-infinitive construction dependent on ἐνετέλλετο ("he commanded those who were lashing [the sea] to say...").

  4. 7.35.2μιν

    Ionic form of the third-person singular pronoun in the accusative (= αὐτόν), referring to Xerxes, serving as the direct object of ἠδίκησας.

  5. 7.35.2παθόν

    Second aorist active participle (neuter singular nominative) of πάσχω ("to suffer, experience"). It agrees with the vocative address ὦ πικρὸν ὕδωρ (neuter) and expresses concession or attendant circumstance ("though having suffered no wrong").

  6. 7.35.3τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου

    Objective genitive dependent on the noun ζεύξις ("bridging, joining"), meaning "the bridging of the Hellespont".

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.35.1-7.35.3