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Histories

§9.24.1

Persian Mourning for the Death of Masistius

Upon the cavalry's return to the camp, Mardonius and the entire army deeply mourned the death of Masistius, cutting their own hair as well as that of their animals, and their lamentations resounded throughout Boeotia.

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§9.24.1

ἀπικομένης δὲ τῆς ἵππου ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον πένθος ἐποιήσαντο Μασιστίου1 πᾶσά τε ἡ στρατιὴ καὶ Μαρδόνιος μέγιστον, σφέας τε αὐτοὺς κείροντες καὶ τοὺς ἵππους καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια2 οἰμωγῇ τε χρεώμενοι ἀπλέτῳ· ἅπασαν γὰρ τὴν Βοιωτίην κατεῖχε ἠχὼ ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἀπολομένου3 μετά γε Μαρδόνιον λογιμωτάτου παρά τε Πέρσῃσι καὶ βασιλέι.

​When the cavalry arrived at the camp, the whole army and Mardonius lamented Masistius with the greatest mourning, cutting their own hair and that of their horses and baggage animals, and uttering boundless lamentations; for a crying filled the whole of Boeotia, inasmuch as a man had perished who, next to Mardonius, was held in the highest esteem both among the Persians and by the King.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 9.24.1πένθος ἐποιήσαντο Μασιστίου

    The genitive Μασιστίου depending on the noun πένθος is an objective genitive, meaning 'they made mourning for Masistius'.

  2. 9.24.1σφέας τε αὐτοὺς κείροντες καὶ τοὺς ἵππους καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια

    The participle κείροντες (shearing, cutting) takes as its objects not only the men themselves (σφέας αὐτούς) but also their horses (τοὺς ἵππους) and baggage animals (τὰ ὑποζύγια), describing the Persian custom of shearing the manes and hair of animals as a sign of mourning.

  3. 9.24.1ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἀπολομένου

    A genitive absolute construction (or a participial phrase appositive to the source of the ἠχώ) introduced by ὡς, expressing the reason or occasion for the widespread lamentation: 'inasmuch as a man had perished'.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.24.1