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Histories

§7.76.1

Equipment and Oracle of Ares of an Unnamed Tribe

This section describes the equipment of a certain tribe, including small shields of raw ox-hide, Lycian javelins, bronze helmets decorated with ox ears and horns, and scarlet shin-wraps, noting that they possess an oracle of Ares.

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§7.76.1

ἀσπίδας δὲ ὠμοβοΐνας εἶχον σμικράς, καὶ προβόλους δύο λυκιοεργέας ἕκαστος εἶχε, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇσι κεφαλῇσι κράνεα χάλκεα· πρὸς δὲ τοῖσι κράνεσι ὦτά τε καὶ κέρεα προσῆν βοὸς χάλκεα,1 ἐπῆσαν δὲ καὶ λόφοι· τὰς δὲ κνήμας ῥάκεσι φοινικέοισι κατειλίχατο.2 ἐν τούτοισι τοῖσι ἀνδράσι Ἄρεος ἐστὶ χρηστήριον.

​They had small shields of raw ox-hide, and each man had two javelins of Lycian workmanship, and on their heads bronze helmets; and on these helmets were attached the ears and horns of an ox in bronze, and there were also crests upon them; and their shins were wrapped with strips of scarlet cloth. Among these men there is an oracle of Ares.

Syntax notes2 items
  1. 7.76.1ὦτά τε καὶ κέρεα... βοὸς χάλκεα

    The neuter plural adjective χάλκεα (bronze) modifies both of the coordinated neuter plural nouns ὦτα (ears) and κέρεα (horns), while the genitive singular βοός (of an ox) restricts them, meaning 'bronze ears and horns of an ox'.

  2. 7.76.1κατειλίχατο

    The third-person plural pluperfect middle/passive of the verb κατειλίσσω (to wrap round). The ending -ατο is an Ionic feature corresponding to the Attic -ντο, typically used for consonant-stem verbs in the perfect and pluperfect passive. The accusative τὰς δὲ κνήμας functions as an accusative of specification ('with respect to their shins'), with the dative ῥάκεσι φοινικέοισι expressing the instrument ('with scarlet rags').

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)
  • 2026-09-22 AI review — source 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.76.1