- 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-grc2:8.65.1-8.65.6
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Dicaeus, an Athenian exile, recounts witnessing a mysterious cloud of dust and the sacred chant of Iacchus from Eleusis while in the Thriasian plain with Demaratus, signifying the destruction of Xerxes' fleet. Demaratus warns him to keep silent, as the ominous cloud drifts toward the Greek fleet at Salamis.
ἔφη δὲ Δίκαιος ὁ Θεοκύδεος, ἀνὴρ Ἀθηναῖος φυγάς τε καὶ παρὰ Μήδοισι λόγιμος γενόμενος τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον, ἐπείτε ἐκείρετο ἡ Ἀττικὴ χώρη ὑπὸ τοῦ πεζοῦ στρατοῦ τοῦ Ξέρξεω ἐοῦσα ἔρημος Ἀθηναίων, τυχεῖν τότε ἐὼν1 ἅμα Δημαρήτῳ τῷ Λακεδαιμονίῳ ἐν τῷ Θριασίῳ πεδίῳ, ἰδεῖν δὲ κονιορτὸν χωρέοντα ἀπʼ Ἐλευσῖνος ὡς ἀνδρῶν μάλιστά κῃ τρισμυρίων, ἀποθωμάζειν τε σφέας τὸν κονιορτὸν ὅτεων κοτὲ εἴη ἀνθρώπων, καὶ πρόκατε φωνῆς ἀκούειν, καί οἱ φαίνεσθαι τὴν φωνὴν εἶναι τὸν μυστικὸν ἴακχον.
Dicaeus, the son of Theocydes, an Athenian exile who had become influential among the Medes at that time, said that when the Attic territory was being ravaged by Xerxes’ land army and was deserted of Athenians, he happened to be at that time with Demaratus the Lacedaemonian in the Thriasian plain, and he saw a cloud of dust advancing from Eleusis as if of about thirty thousand men, and they wondered whose men the dust could possibly belong to, when suddenly they heard a voice, and it seemed to him that the voice was the mystic Iacchus.
εἶναι δʼ ἀδαήμονα τῶν ἱρῶν τῶν ἐν Ἐλευσῖνι γινομένων τὸν Δημάρητον, εἰρέσθαί τε αὐτὸν ὅ τι τὸ φθεγγόμενον εἴη τοῦτο. αὐτὸς δὲ εἰπεῖν Δημάρητε, οὐκ ἔστι ὅκως οὐ2 μέγα τι σίνος ἔσται τῇ βασιλέος στρατιῇ· τάδε γὰρ ἀρίδηλα, ἐρήμου ἐούσης τῆς Ἀττικῆς, ὅτι θεῖον τὸ φθεγγόμενον, ἀπʼ Ἐλευσῖνος ἰὸν ἐς τιμωρίην Ἀθηναίοισί τε καὶ τοῖσι συμμάχοισι.
Now Demaratus was ignorant of the sacred rites performed at Eleusis, and asked him what this sound might be. And he replied: “Demaratus, there is no way that some great disaster will not befall the king’s army; for these things are manifest, since Attica is deserted, that the voice is divine, coming from Eleusis to avenge the Athenians and their allies.
καὶ ἢν μέν γε κατασκήψῃ ἐς τὴν Πελοπόννησον, κίνδυνος αὐτῷ τε βασιλέι καὶ τῇ στρατιῇ τῇ ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ ἔσται, ἢν δὲ ἐπὶ τὰς νέας τράπηται τὰς ἐν Σαλαμῖνι, τὸν ναυτικὸν στρατὸν κινδυνεύσει βασιλεὺς ἀποβαλεῖν.
And if it should descend upon the Peloponnese, there will be danger for the king himself and for the army on the mainland; but if it should turn toward the ships at Salamis, the king will run the risk of losing his fleet.
τὴν δὲ ὁρτὴν ταύτην ἄγουσι Ἀθηναῖοι ἀνὰ πάντα ἔτεα τῇ Μητρὶ καὶ τῇ Κούρῃ, καὶ αὐτῶν τε ὁ βουλόμενος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων μυεῖται· καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τῆς ἀκούεις ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὁρτῇ ἰακχάζουσι. πρὸς ταῦτα εἰπεῖν Δημάρητον σίγα τε καὶ μηδενὶ ἄλλῳ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον εἴπῃς·
For the Athenians celebrate this feast every year to the Mother and the Maiden, and whoever of them or of the other Greeks wishes to be initiated is initiated; and the voice which you hear is the one they cry ‘Iacchus’ with in this festival.” To this Demaratus said: “Keep silent, and tell this story to no one else;
ἢν γάρ τοι ἐς βασιλέα ἀνενειχθῇ τὰ ἔπεα ταῦτα, ἀποβαλέεις τὴν κεφαλήν, καὶ σε οὔτε ἐγὼ δυνήσομαι ῥύσασθαι οὔτʼ ἄλλος ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ εἶς. ἀλλʼ ἔχʼ ἥσυχος, περὶ δὲ στρατιῆς τῆσδε θεοῖσι μελήσει.
for if these words should be reported to the king, you will lose your head, and neither I nor any other human being will be able to save you. But keep quiet, and as for this army, the gods will take care of it.”
τὸν μὲν δὴ ταῦτα παραινέειν, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ κονιορτοῦ καὶ τῆς φωνῆς γενέσθαι νέφος καὶ μεταρσιωθὲν φέρεσθαι ἐπὶ Σαλαμῖνος ἐπὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον τὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων. οὕτω δὴ αὐτοὺς μαθεῖν ὅτι τὸ ναυτικὸν τὸ Ξέρξεω ἀπολέεσθαι μέλλοι. ταῦτα μὲν Δίκαιος ὁ Θεοκύδεος ἔλεγε, Δημαρήτου τε καὶ ἄλλων μαρτύρων καταπτόμενος.3
Thus he advised, and from the dust and the voice there arose a cloud, which, being lifted high, was carried toward Salamis to the camp of the Greeks. In this way they learned that Xerxes’ fleet was destined to be destroyed. This was what Dicaeus the son of Theocydes used to say, appealing to Demaratus and others as witnesses.
- 8.65.1τυχεῖν τότε ἐὼν
The combination of the verb τυγχάνω with the present participle ἐών (Ionic form of ὤν) expresses the meaning "happened to be" or "was just then." Since the entire sentence is in indirect speech introduced by the main verb ἔφη, the finite verb is replaced by the infinitive τυχεῖν.
- 8.65.2οὐκ ἔστι ὅκως οὐ
A strong affirmative expression created by double negation (οὐκ ... οὐ), meaning "it cannot be but that..." or "it is impossible that ... not," which functions as "it will certainly..." Here ὅκως is the Ionic form of the relative adverb ὅπως.
- 8.65.6καταπτόμενος
Present participle of the verb καθάπτομαι (Ionic καταπτομαι), used here in the sense of "appealing to" or "calling upon as a witness." It indicates that Dicaeus adduced Demaratus and others to witness and attest to the truth of the extraordinary event he recounted.