- 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-grc2:9.71.1-9.71.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The most outstanding combatants on both sides of the Battle of Plataea are identified, highlighting the Lacedaemonians. Aristodemus, the sole survivor of Thermopylae, fought with unmatched bravery, yet the Spartans denied him honors, attributing his actions to a desperate desire to clear his name.
ἠρίστευσε δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων πεζὸς μὲν ὁ Περσέων, ἵππος δὲ ἡ Σακέων, ἀνὴρ δὲ λέγεται Μαρδόνιος· Ἑλλήνων δέ, ἀγαθῶν γενομένων καὶ Τεγεητέων καὶ Ἀθηναίων, ὑπερεβάλοντο ἀρετῇ Λακεδαιμόνιοι.
Of the barbarians, those who fought best were the Persian infantry, the Sacae cavalry, and among individuals Mardonius is said to have been the best. Of the Greeks, although the Tegeans and Athenians behaved gallantly, the Lacedaemonians surpassed them in valor.
ἄλλῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ ἔχω ἀποσημήνασθαι (ἅπαντες γὰρ οὗτοι τοὺς κατʼ ἑωυτοὺς ἐνίκων), ὅτι δὲ1 κατὰ τὸ ἰσχυρότερον προσηνείχθησαν καὶ τούτων ἐκράτησαν. καὶ ἄριστος ἐγένετο μακρῷ Ἀριστόδημος κατὰ γνώμας τὰς ἡμετέρας, ὃς ἐκ Θερμοπυλέων μοῦνος τῶν τριηκοσίων σωθεὶς εἶχε ὄνειδος καὶ ἀτιμίην. μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἠρίστευσαν Ποσειδώνιός τε καὶ Φιλοκύων καὶ Ἀμομφάρετος ὁ Σπαρτιήτης.
I have no other means to prove this (for all of these defeated those who stood against them) except that the Lacedaemonians engaged with the stronger force and overcame them. And by far the best of all, in our judgment, was Aristodemus, who, being the only one of the three hundred saved from Thermopylae, lay under reproach and dishonor. After him, Poseidonius, Philocyon, and Amompharetus the Spartan distinguished themselves.
καίτοι γενομένης λέσχης ὃς γένοιτο αὐτῶν ἄριστος, ἔγνωσαν οἱ παραγενόμενοι Σπαρτιητέων2 Ἀριστόδημον μὲν βουλόμενον φανερῶς ἀποθανεῖν ἐκ τῆς παρεούσης οἱ αἰτίης, λυσσῶντά τε καὶ ἐκλείποντα τὴν τάξιν ἔργα ἀποδέξασθαι μεγάλα, Ποσειδώνιον δὲ οὐ βουλόμενον ἀποθνήσκειν ἄνδρα γενέσθαι ἀγαθόν· τοσούτῳ τοῦτον εἶναι ἀμείνω.3
However, when a discussion arose as to who among them had been the best, the Spartans who were present judged that Aristodemus, wishing openly to die because of the charge lying upon him, had performed great deeds, acting with frenzy and leaving his post, whereas Poseidonius, though not wishing to die, had proven himself a brave man; and that by so much was the latter better.
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ φθόνῳ ἂν εἴποιεν·4 οὗτοι δὲ τοὺς κατέλεξα πάντες, πλὴν Ἀριστοδήμου, τῶν ἀποθανόντων ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ τίμιοι ἐγένοντο· Ἀριστόδημος δὲ βουλόμενος ἀποθανεῖν διὰ τὴν προειρημένην αἰτίην οὐκ ἐτιμήθη.
But this they might have said even out of envy. Now all of these whom I have mentioned, except Aristodemus, among those who died in this battle, were held in honor; but Aristodemus, because he wished to die for the reason aforesaid, was not honored.
- 9.71.2ἄλλῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ ἔχω ἀποσημήνασθαι... ὅτι δὲ...
The verb ἔχω with the infinitive ἀποσημήνασθαι means "I am able to prove/point out." The ὅτι clause functions as a causal or explanatory clause corresponding to ἄλλῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ ("by no other means"), with the main verb "I can prove it" being implicitly understood in the second part of the contrast.
- 9.71.3ἔγνωσαν οἱ παραγενόμενοι Σπαρτιητέων...
The genitive Σπαρτιητέων is a partitive genitive depending on οἱ παραγενόμενοι ("those of the Spartans who were present"). The main verb ἔγνωσαν ("they judged") governs the accusative and infinitive construction (Ἀριστόδημον μὲν... ἀποδέξασθαι, Ποσειδώνιον δὲ... γενέσθαι, and τοσούτῳ τοῦτον εἶναι ἀμείνω).
- 9.71.3τοσούτῳ τοῦτον εἶναι ἀμείνω
The dative τοσούτῳ is a dative of measure of difference modifying the comparative adjective ἀμείνω (contracted from ἀμείνονα), meaning "by so much." τοῦτον ("this one") refers back to Poseidonius.
- 9.71.4ἂν εἴποιεν
The particle ἄν with the optative εἴποιεν (potential optative) expresses present possibility or a cautious assertion ("they might say" or "they would say"). The author suggests that the Spartans' judgment might have been influenced by envy.