- 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-grc2:9.14.1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
On his way, Mardonius received news that a Lacedaemonian vanguard had arrived at Megara, and he turned his army back to Megara, hoping to defeat them first. His cavalry overran the Megarian territory, marking the furthest western point the Persian army reached in Europe during this expedition.
Μαρδόνιος μὲν δὴ ὑπεξεχώρεε, ἤδη δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐόντι αὐτῷ1 ἦλθε ἀγγελίη πρόδρομον ἄλλην στρατιὴν ἥκειν2 ἐς Μέγαρα, Λακεδαιμονίων χιλίους· πυθόμενος δὲ ταῦτα ἐβουλεύετο θέλων εἴ κως τούτους πρῶτον ἕλοι.3 ὑποστρέψας δὲ τὴν στρατιὴν ἦγε ἐπὶ τὰ Μέγαρα· ἡ δὲ ἵππος προελθοῦσα κατιππάσατο χώρην τὴν Μεγαρίδα. ἐς ταύτην δὴ ἑκαστάτω τῆς Εὐρώπης τὸ πρὸς ἡλίου δύνοντος4 ἡ Περσικὴ αὕτη στρατιὴ ἀπίκετο.
Thus Mardonius was withdrawing, and while he was already on his way, news came to him that another army, a vanguard of a thousand Lacedaemonians, had arrived at Megara. Learning this, he took counsel, wishing if by any means he might first capture them. Turning his army back, he led it toward Megara. And the cavalry, having gone ahead, overran the Megarian territory. Indeed, this was the furthest point in Europe toward the setting sun that this Persian army reached.
- 9.14.1ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐόντι αὐτῷ
The dative αὐτῷ is the indirect object of the verb ἦλθε. The present participle ἐόντι agrees with it in gender, number, and case, referring to the same person as the initial Μαρδόνιος.
- 9.14.1ἀγγελίη πρόδρομον ἄλλην στρατιὴν ἥκειν
An accusative-with-infinitival clause explaining the content of the noun ἀγγελίη. The subject of the infinitive ἥκειν is the accusative ἄλλην στρατιὴν, which is modified by the adjective πρόδρομον meaning 'vanguard' or 'precursor'.
- 9.14.1εἴ κως τούτους πρῶτον ἕλοι
An indirect question or a clause of purpose/expectation introduced by the historical tense verb ἐβουλεύετο. The optative ἕλοι (aorist active of αἱρέω) is used to express Mardonius's subjective intention or hope: 'whether by any means he might first capture them'.
- 9.14.1ἑκαστάτω τῆς Εὐρώπης τὸ πρὸς ἡλίου δύνοντος
The superlative adverb ἑκαστάτω (furthest) governs the partitive genitive τῆς Εὐρώπης. The phrase τὸ πρὸς ἡλίου δύνοντος (toward the setting of the sun, i.e., the west) is an accusative of direction or specification, collectively meaning 'the furthest point in Europe toward the west'.