- 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-grc2:7.40.1-7.40.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Following the execution of Pythius' son, the army's march begins, with the mixed multitude in the lead, followed after a gap by the elite Persian units, the sacred chariot of Zeus, and Xerxes himself in his chariot.
ποιησάντων δὲ τούτων τοῦτο,1 μετὰ ταῦτα διεξήιε ὁ στρατός. ἡγέοντο δὲ πρῶτοι μὲν οἱ σκευοφόροι τε καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια, μετὰ δὲ τούτους σύμμικτος στρατὸς παντοίων ἐθνέων ἀναμίξ, οὐ διακεκριμένοι· τῇ δὲ ὑπερημίσεες ἦσαν, ἐνθαῦτα διελέλειπτο,2 καὶ οὐ συνέμισγον οὗτοι βασιλέι.
When these men had done this, after this the army marched through. Leading the way first were the baggage-bearers and the beasts of burden, and after these came a mixed army of all kinds of nations, mingled together without distinction; and where they were more than half, there a gap had been left, and these did not mingle with the king’s division.
προηγεῦντο μὲν δὴ ἱππόται χίλιοι, ἐκ Περσέων πάντων ἀπολελεγμένοι· μετὰ δὲ αἰχμοφόροι χίλιοι καὶ οὗτοι ἐκ πάντων ἀπολελεγμένοι, τὰς λόγχας κάτω ἐς τὴν γῆν τρέψαντες· μετὰ δὲ ἱροὶ Νησαῖοι καλεόμενοι ἵπποι δέκα κεκοσμημένοι ὡς κάλλιστα.
Now leading the way of the king’s division were a thousand cavalrymen, chosen from all the Persians; and after them a thousand spear-bearers, these also chosen from all the Persians, holding their spears pointing down to the earth; and after them ten sacred horses, called Nisaean, adorned as beautifully as possible.
Νησαῖοι δὲ καλέονται ἵπποι ἐπὶ τοῦδε· ἔστι πεδίον μέγα τῆς Μηδικῆς τῷ οὔνομα ἐστὶ Νήσαιον· τοὺς ὦν δὴ ἵππους τοὺς μεγάλους φέρει τὸ πεδίον τοῦτο.
These horses are called Nisaean for this reason: there is a great plain of Media whose name is Nisaeon; now this plain produces these large horses.
ὄπισθε δὲ τούτων τῶν δέκα ἵππων ἅρμα Διὸς ἱρὸν ἐπετέτακτο, τὸ ἵπποι μὲν εἷλκον λευκοὶ ὀκτώ,3 ὄπισθε δὲ αὖ τῶν ἵππων εἵπετο πεζῇ ἡνίοχος ἐχόμενος τῶν χαλινῶν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δὴ ἐπὶ τοῦτον τὸν θρόνον ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβαίνει. τούτου δὲ ὄπισθε αὐτὸς Ξέρξης ἐπʼ ἅρματος ἵππων Νησαίων· παραβεβήκεε δέ οἱ ἡνίοχος4 τῷ οὔνομα ἦν Πατιράμφης, Ὀτάνεω ἀνδρὸς Πέρσεω παῖς.
Behind these ten horses the sacred chariot of Zeus was stationed, which eight white horses drew, and behind the horses again followed on foot a charioteer holding the reins; for no man indeed mounts upon this seat. And behind this came Xerxes himself upon a chariot of Nisaean horses; and at his side stood a charioteer whose name was Patiramphes, son of Otanes, a Persian man.
- 7.40.1ποιησάντων δὲ τούτων τοῦτο
Genitive absolute construction. The pronoun τούτων serving as the subject refers back to "those who had been ordered to do these things" mentioned in the previous section (39.3).
- 7.40.1τῇ δὲ ὑπερημίσεες ἦσαν, ἐνθαῦτα διελέλειπτο
The relative adverb τῇ corresponds with the demonstrative adverb ἐνθαῦτα, meaning "where they (the army) were more than half, there a gap had been left."
- 7.40.4τὸ ἵπποι μὲν εἷλκον λευκοὶ ὀκτώ
The relative pronoun τὸ is neuter singular accusative, referring back to the antecedent ἅρμα (chariot), and functions as the direct object of the transitive verb εἷλκον.
- 7.40.4παραβεβήκεε δέ οἱ ἡνίοχος
The pluperfect verb παραβεβήκεε expresses the state of "standing beside (in the chariot)." The dative personal pronoun οἱ refers to Xerxes, indicating possession or accompaniment.