- 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-grc2:7.85.1-7.85.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Describes the origin and equipment of the Sagartians, and details their unique method of fighting with lassos.
εἰσὶ δὲ τινὲς νομάδες ἄνθρωποι Σαγάρτιοι καλεόμενοι, ἔθνος μὲν Περσικὸν καὶ φωνῇ, σκευὴν δὲ μεταξὺ ἔχουσι πεποιημένην τῆς τε Περσικῆς καὶ τῆς Πακτυϊκῆς·1 οἳ παρείχοντο μὲν ἵππον2 ὀκτακισχιλίην, ὅπλα δὲ οὐ νομίζουσι ἔχειν οὔτε χάλκεα οὔτε σιδήρεα ἔξω ἐγχειριδίων, χρέωνται δὲ σειρῇσι πεπλεγμένῃσι ἐξ ἱμάντων·
There are certain nomadic people called Sagartians, who are a Persian nation also in language, but have equipment made midway between that of the Persians and that of the Pactyans; these provided eight thousand horse, but they are not accustomed to have weapons of either bronze or iron, except daggers, and they use lassos woven from leather thongs.
ταύτῃσι πίσυνοι ἔρχονται ἐς πόλεμον. ἡ δὲ μάχη τούτων τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἥδε· ἐπεὰν συμμίσγωσι τοῖσι πολεμίοισι, βάλλουσι τὰς σειρὰς ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ βρόχους ἐχούσας· ὅτευ δʼ ἂν τύχῃ,3 ἤν τε ἵππου ἤν τε ἀνθρώπου, ἐπʼ ἑωυτὸν ἕλκει· οἳ δὲ ἐν ἕρκεσι ἐμπαλασσόμενοι διαφθείρονται.
Trusting in these, they go into battle. And the manner of fighting of these men is this: when they engage with the enemy, they cast the lassos, which have nooses at the end; and whatever it hits, whether horse or man, they drag to themselves; and those who are entangled in the snares are destroyed.
- 7.85.1τῆς τε Περσικῆς καὶ τῆς Πακτυϊκῆς
Genitive case governed by the adverb μεταξὺ used prepositionally ('between'). The feminine genitive singular noun σκευῆς is omitted after Περσικῆς and Πακτυϊκῆς, understood from the preceding σκευήν.
- 7.85.1ἵππον
The feminine singular noun ἵππος (horse) is used here collectively to mean 'cavalry' or 'cavalry force.' The numeral ὀκτακισχιλίην (eight thousand) agrees with it in the feminine accusative singular.
- 7.85.2ὅτευ δʼ ἂν τύχῃ
ὅτευ is the Ionic genitive singular form of the general relative pronoun ὅστις (= οὗτινος). Combined with ἄν and the subjunctive τύχῃ, it forms a general conditional clause ('whatever it may hit'). The genitive case is required because the verb τυγχάνω (to hit, light upon) governs the genitive.