← Herodotus

Histories

§7.59.1-7.59.3

Numbering of the Army and Beaching of Ships at Doriscus

Xerxes decided to draw up and number his army on the plain of Doriscus, where the navy hauled up and dried their ships on the adjacent beach, while Xerxes began the numbering.

View ▾
View
Translation
Typeface
AI ↗
← PrevNext →
§7.59.1

ὁ δὲ Δορίσκος ἐστὶ τῆς Θρηίκης αἰγιαλός τε καὶ πεδίον μέγα, διὰ δὲ αὐτοῦ ῥέει ποταμὸς μέγας Ἕβρος· ἐν τῷ1 τεῖχός τε ἐδέδμητο βασιλήιον τοῦτο τὸ δὴ Δορίσκος κέκληται, καὶ Περσέων φρουρὴ ἐν αὐτῷ κατεστήκεε ὑπὸ Δαρείου ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου ἐπείτε ἐπὶ Σκύθας ἐστρατεύετο.

​Doriscus is a beach and a great plain of Thrace, through which flows a great river, the Hebrus; on it had been built this royal fortress which is indeed called Doriscus, and a Persian garrison had been established in it by Darius from that time when he marched against the Scythians.

§7.59.2

ἔδοξε ὦν τῷ Ξέρξῃ ὁ χῶρος εἶναι ἐπιτήδεος ἐνδιατάξαι τε καὶ ἐξαριθμῆσαι2 τὸν στρατόν, καὶ ἐποίεε ταῦτα. τὰς μὲν δὴ νέας τὰς πάσας ἀπικομένας ἐς Δορίσκον οἱ ναύαρχοι κελεύσαντος Ξέρξεω ἐς τὸν αἰγιαλὸν τὸν προσεχέα Δορίσκῳ ἐκόμισαν, ἐν τῷ Σάλη τε Σαμοθρηικίη πεπόλισται πόλις καὶ Ζώνη, τελευτᾷ δὲ αὐτοῦ Σέρρειον ἄκρη ὀνομαστή. ὁ δὲ χῶρος οὗτος τὸ παλαιὸν ἦν Κικόνων.

​It seemed, therefore, to Xerxes that the place was suitable for drawing up and numbering the army, and he did so. As for all the ships that had arrived at Doriscus, the admirals, at the command of Xerxes, brought them to the beach adjacent to Doriscus, where the Samothracian cities of Sale and Zone are built, and its extremity is the famous Cape Serreum. This region in ancient times belonged to the Cicones.

§7.59.3

ἐς τοῦτον τὸν αἰγιαλὸν κατασχόντες τὰς νέας ἀνέψυχον ἀνελκύσαντες.3 ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ Δορίσκῳ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον τῆς στρατιῆς ἀριθμὸν ἐποιέετο.

​Having brought their ships to this beach, they hauled them up and let them dry. Meanwhile, he was making the numbering of the army at Doriscus.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 7.59.1ἐν τῷ

    Relative pronoun used as a demonstrative with the preposition ἐν, referring back to the preceding πεδίον (plain).

  2. 7.59.2ἐνδιατάξαι τε καὶ ἐξαριθμῆσαι

    Infinitives depending on the adjective ἐπιτήδεος (suitable), expressing purpose or specification ("suitable for drawing up and numbering").

  3. 7.59.3ἀνέψυχον ἀνελκύσαντες

    The aorist participle ἀνελκύσαντες denotes an action prior to the imperfect verb ἀνέψυχον ("having hauled them up, they let them dry").

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.59.1-7.59.3