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Histories

§7.7.1

Xerxes' Subjugation of the Egyptian Revolt

Xerxes, persuaded to march against Greece, first subdues the Egyptian revolt in the second year after Darius' death. He then entrusts the government of Egypt to his brother Achaimenes, who is later killed by the Libyan Inaros.

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§7.7.1

ὡς δὲ ἀνεγνώσθη1 Ξέρξης στρατεύεσθαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ἐνθαῦτα δευτέρῳ μὲν ἔτεϊ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον τὸν Δαρείου πρῶτα στρατηίην ποιέεται ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀπεστεῶτας. τούτους μέν νυν καταστρεψάμενος καὶ Αἴγυπτον πᾶσαν πολλὸν δουλοτέρην ποιήσας ἢ ἐπὶ Δαρείου ἦν, ἐπιτράπει2 Ἀχαιμένεϊ ἀδελφεῷ μὲν ἑωυτοῦ, Δαρείου δὲ παιδί. Ἀχαιμένεα μέν νυν ἐπιτροπεύοντα Αἰγύπτου χρόνῳ μετέπειτα ἐφόνευσε Ἰνάρως ὁ Ψαμμητίχου ἀνὴρ Λίβυς.

​When Xerxes had been persuaded to make an expedition against Greece, thereupon, in the second year after the death of Darius, he first made an expedition against the rebels. Having subdued them and made all Egypt much more enslaved than it had been under Darius, he entrusted it to Achaimenes, his own brother and a son of Darius. This Achaimenes, while governing Egypt, was at a later time slain by Inaros, a Libyan, the son of Psammetichus.

Syntax notes2 items
  1. 7.7.1ἀνεγνώσθη

    The verb ἀναγιγνώσκω (Ionic ἀναγινώσκω), which commonly means 'to read' in Attic Greek, is frequently used by Herodotus in the sense of 'to persuade' (passive, 'to be persuaded'). Here it is used in a personal construction with the subject Ξέρξης ('Xerxes was persuaded...'), taking the infinitive στρατεύεσθαι.

  2. 7.7.1ἐπιτράπει

    Historical present. The direct object of this verb ('to entrust', i.e., Egypt or its government) is omitted in the Greek text as it is easily supplied from the preceding Αἴγυπτον πᾶσαν. The dative Ἀχαιμένεϊ serves as the indirect object.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.7.1