- 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-grc2:9.58.1-9.58.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Seeing the retreat of the Greeks, Mardonius mocks their cowardice to Thorax of Larissa and others, criticizes Artabazus's faint-hearted advice, and resolves to pursue them immediately.
Μαρδόνιος δὲ ὡς ἐπύθετο τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀποιχομένους ὑπὸ νύκτα εἶδέ τε τὸν χῶρον ἔρημον, καλέσας τὸν Ληρισαῖον Θώρηκα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφεοὺς αὐτοῦ Εὐρύπυλον καὶ Θρασυδήιον ἔλεγε ὦ παῖδες Ἀλεύεω, ἔτι τί λέξετε τάδε ὁρῶντες ἔρημα; ὑμεῖς γὰρ οἱ πλησιόχωροι ἐλέγετε Λακεδαιμονίους οὐ φεύγειν ἐκ μάχης, ἀλλὰ ἄνδρας εἶναι τὰ πολέμια πρώτους· τοὺς πρότερόν τε μετισταμένους ἐκ τῆς τάξιος εἴδετε, νῦν τε ὑπὸ τὴν παροιχομένην νύκτα καὶ οἱ πάντες ὁρῶμεν διαδράντας· διέδεξάν τε, ἐπεί σφεας ἔδεε πρὸς τοὺς ἀψευδέως ἀρίστους ἀνθρώπων μάχῃ διακριθῆναι, ὅτι οὐδένες ἄρα ἐόντες ἐν οὐδαμοῖσι ἐοῦσι Ἕλλησι ἐναπεδεικνύατο.1
When Mardonius learned that the Greeks had departed under cover of night and saw the place empty, he called Thorax of Larissa and his brothers Eurypylus and Thrasydeius, and said: ”O sons of Aleuas, what will you say now, when you see these places empty? For you, their neighbors, used to say that the Lacedaemonians did not flee from battle, but were the first of men in warfare. You saw them before changing their position, and now during the past night we all see that they have run away; and they have shown, since they had to be distinguished in battle against those who are truly the best of men, that being themselves nobodies, they were merely showing off among Greeks who are also nobodies.
καὶ ὑμῖν μὲν ἐοῦσι Περσέων ἀπείροισι πολλὴ ἔκ γε ἐμεῦ ἐγίνετο συγγνώμη, ἐπαινεόντων τούτους τοῖσί τι καὶ συνῃδέατε· Ἀρταβάζου δὲ θῶμα καὶ μᾶλλον ἐποιεύμην τὸ καὶ καταρρωδῆσαι2 Λακεδαιμονίους καταρρωδήσαντά τε ἀποδέξασθαι γνώμην δειλοτάτην, ὡς χρεὸν εἴη ἀναζεύξαντας τὸ στρατόπεδον ἰέναι ἐς τὸ Θηβαίων ἄστυ πολιορκησομένους· τὴν ἔτι πρὸς ἐμεῦ βασιλεὺς πεύσεται.3
And for you, who are inexperienced with the Persians, there was much forgiveness on my part when you praised these men because of some things you were conscious of; but I wondered even more at Artabazus, because he feared the Lacedaemonians, and having feared them, put forward a most cowardly opinion, that it was necessary to break up the camp and go to the city of the Thebans to be besieged; of which opinion the King shall yet hear from me.
καὶ τούτων μὲν ἑτέρωθι ἔσται λόγος. νῦν δὲ ἐκείνοισι ταῦτα ποιεῦσι οὐκ ἐπιτρεπτέα ἐστί, ἀλλὰ διωκτέοι εἰσὶ4 ἐς ὃ καταλαμφθέντες δώσουσι ἡμῖν τῶν δὴ ἐποίησαν Πέρσας πάντων δίκας.
But of these matters there will be a discussion elsewhere. Now, however, we must not allow them to do these things, but they must be pursued until they are overtaken and pay us the penalty for all that they have done to the Persians.”
- 9.58.2ὅτι οὐδένες ἄρα ἐόντες ἐν οὐδαμοῖσι ἐοῦσι Ἕλλησι ἐναπεδεικνύατο
The double negative expression οὐδένες ἐόντες ('being themselves nobodies') and ἐν οὐδαμοῖσι ἐοῦσι Ἕλλησι ('among Greeks who are also nobodies') is used contrastively to emphasize the insignificance of all Greeks. The verb ἐναπεδεικνύατο (to show off, display) is a third-person plural middle/passive in the Ionic dialect (corresponding to Attic -ντο), conveying the nuance of putting on a false show without actual substance.
- 9.58.3Ἀρταβάζου δὲ θῶμα καὶ μᾶλλον ἐποιεύμην τὸ καὶ καταρρωδῆσαι
The genitive Ἀρταβάζου functions either as an objective genitive modifying the noun θῶμα (wonder, amazement) or as a genitive of cause/reference. The articular infinitive clause starting with τὸ καὶ καταρρωδῆσαι functions as the object or as an apposition explaining the substance of Mardonius's wonder.
- 9.58.3τὴν ἔτι πρὸς ἐμεῦ βασιλεὺς πεύσεται
The relative pronoun τὴν has the preceding feminine noun γνώμην ('opinion') as its antecedent and serves as the direct object of πεύσεται ('shall hear/learn'). This expression conveys Mardonius's intent to report Artabazus's cowardly opinion to the King.
- 9.58.4οὐκ ἐπιτρεπτέα ἐστί, ἀλλὰ διωκτέοι εἰσὶ
Expressions of obligation and necessity using the verbal adjectives in -τέος. In the first clause, οὐκ ἐπιτρεπτέα ἐστί is neuter plural (acting impersonally or agreeing with ταῦτα as the subject), meaning 'these things must not be permitted.' In the second clause, διωκτέοι εἰσὶ is masculine plural nominative, agreeing with the retreating Greeks (ἐκεῖνοι) as the subject, meaning 'they must be pursued.'