- 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-grc2:8.8.1-8.8.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
The famous diver Scyllias defects from the Persian camp and reports to the Greek generals at Artemisium about the shipwreck and the Persian detachment sent around Euboea.
ἐν δὲ τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐν ᾧ οὗτοι ἀριθμὸν ἐποιεῦντο τῶν νεῶν, ἦν γὰρ ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ τούτῳ Σκυλλίης Σκιωναῖος δύτης τῶν τότε ἀνθρώπων ἄριστος, ὃς καὶ ἐν τῇ ναυηγίῃ τῇ κατὰ Πήλιον γενομένῃ πολλὰ μὲν ἔσωσε τῶν χρημάτων τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς περιεβάλετο· οὗτος ὁ Σκυλλίης ἐν νόῳ μὲν εἶχε ἄρα καὶ πρότερον αὐτομολήσειν ἐς τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ οἱ παρέσχε ὡς τότε.1
During this time in which they were making a muster of the ships—for there was in this camp Scyllias of Scione, a diver, the best of the men of that time, who in the shipwreck that occurred near Pelion had saved much of the property for the Persians, and had also acquired much for himself; this Scyllias had indeed previously intended to desert to the Greeks, but no opportunity had presented itself to him until then.
ὅτεῳ μὲν δὴ τρόπῳ τὸ ἐνθεῦτεν ἔτι ἀπίκετο ἐς τοὺς Ἕλληνας, οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν ἀτρεκέως, θωμάζω δὲ εἰ τὰ λεγόμενα ἐστὶ ἀληθέα· λέγεται γὰρ ὡς ἐξ Ἀφετέων δὺς ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν οὐ πρότερον ἀνέσχε πρὶν ἢ ἀπίκετο ἐπὶ τὸ Ἀρτεμίσιον, σταδίους μάλιστά κῃ τούτους ἐς ὀγδώκοντα2 διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης διεξελθών.
In what manner indeed he did after this arrive among the Greeks, I cannot say for certain, and I wonder if the things said are true; for it is said that, having dived into the sea from Aphetae, he did not rise to the surface until he arrived at Artemisium, having traversed some eighty stades through the sea.
λέγεται μέν νυν καὶ ἄλλα ψευδέσι εἴκελα περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου, τὰ δὲ μετεξέτερα ἀληθέα· περὶ μέντοι τούτου γνώμη μοι ἀποδεδέχθω3 πλοίῳ μιν ἀπικέσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ Ἀρτεμίσιον. ὡς δὲ ἀπίκετο, αὐτίκα ἐσήμηνε τοῖσι στρατηγοῖσι τήν τε ναυηγίην ὡς γένοιτο,4 καὶ τὰς περιπεμφθείσας τῶν νεῶν περὶ Εὔβοιαν.
Now other things resembling falsehoods are also told about this man, but some are true; however, concerning this matter, let my opinion be declared that he arrived at Artemisium in a boat. And when he arrived, he immediately reported to the generals both how the shipwreck had occurred and about the ships that had been sent around Euboea.
- 8.8.1ἀλλʼ οὐ γάρ οἱ παρέσχε ὡς τότε
A condensed expression meaning 'but (he did not do so), for (opportunity) did not present itself to him.' The verb παρέσχε is used impersonally with the subject (such as 'opportunity') understood. ὡς τότε means 'until that time.'
- 8.8.2σταδίους μάλιστά κῃ τούτους ἐς ὀγδώκοντα
The demonstrative pronoun τούτους is used with a numerical expression (ἐς ὀγδώκοντα) to emphasize 'these some eighty (stades).' σταδίους is an accusative of extent of space.
- 8.8.3γνώμη μοι ἀποδεδέχθω
The third-person singular perfect passive imperative ἀποδεδέχθω of the verb ἀποδείκνυμι is used. Literally meaning 'let my opinion (γνώμη μοι) be declared,' it is a somewhat formal third-person imperative expression used to state the author's strong view.
- 8.8.3τήν τε ναυηγίην ὡς γένοιτο
An instance of prolepsis (anticipation). The noun 'shipwreck' (ναυηγίη), which would logically be the subject of the dependent ὡς-clause (indirect question), is anticipated in the accusative case (τήν τε ναυηγίην) as the direct object of the main verb ἐσήμηνε.