- 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-grc2:9.91.1-9.91.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
In response to the Samian envoy's entreaty, Leutychides asks his name and, upon hearing 'Hegesistratus', accepts it as a favorable military omen and demands a pledge of alliance.
ὡς δὲ πολλὸς ἦν λισσόμενος1 ὁ ξεῖνος ὁ Σάμιος, εἴρετο Λευτυχίδης, εἴτε κληδόνος εἵνεκεν θέλων πυθέσθαι2 εἴτε καὶ κατὰ συντυχίην θεοῦ ποιεῦντος, ὦ ξεῖνε Σάμιε, τί τοι τὸ οὔνομα; ὁ δὲ εἶπε Ἡγησίστρατος.
As the Samian stranger was persistent in his entreaties, Leutychides asked him, whether wishing to hear it for the sake of an omen, or even by a coincidence brought about by a god: “My Samian guest, what is your name?” And he replied: “Hegesistratus.”
ὁ δὲ ὑπαρπάσας τὸν ἐπίλοιπον λόγον, εἴ τινα ὅρμητο λέγειν3 ὁ Ἡγησίστρατος, εἶπε δέκομαι τὸν οἰωνὸν τὸν Ἡγησιστράτου,4 ὦ ξεῖνε Σάμιε. σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν ποίεε ὅκως αὐτός τε δοὺς πίστιν ἀποπλεύσεαι5 καὶ οἱ σὺν σοὶ ἐόντες οἵδε, ἦ μὲν Σαμίους ἡμῖν προθύμους ἔσεσθαι συμμάχους.
Thereupon Leutychides, cutting short the rest of the speech that Hegesistratus was about to make, said: “I accept the omen of Hegesistratus, my Samian guest. Now, see to it that you sail away after giving us a pledge, both yourself and these who are with you, that the Samians will indeed be our zealous allies.”
- 9.91.1πολλὸς ἦν λισσόμενος
The combination of the adjective πολύς with a participle in a clause introduced by ὡς. It is a characteristic idiom in Herodotus, meaning 'to do something persistently or earnestly.'
- 9.91.1κληδόνος εἵνεκεν θέλων πυθέσθαι
The phrase contains κληδών (an omen from spoken words) and the structure θέλω + infinitive (πυθέσθαι). It explains Leutychides' motive for asking the name as one of two possibilities (εἴτε ... εἴτε), the first being that he wished to hear some prophetic or significant word.
- 9.91.2εἴ τινα ὅρμητο λέγειν
A conditional clause functioning relative-like to modify the noun phrase τὸν ἐπίλοιπον λόγον. The pluperfect middle-passive ὅρμητο (from ὁρμάω) expresses an imminent action, meaning 'was eagerly setting out to speak' or 'was about to say.'
- 9.91.2Ἡγησιστράτου
The proper name Ἡγησίστρατος etymologically means 'leader of an army' (from ἡγέομαι 'to lead' and στρατός 'army'). Leutychides immediately accepted this as an omen (οἰωνός) because the name was highly propitious for one who would guide the expedition against the Persians.
- 9.91.2ποιέε ὅκως ... ἀποπλεύσεαι
The construction of ποίεε (present imperative 2nd singular of ποιέω, Ionic form) + ὅκως (Ionic for ὅπως) + future indicative (ἀποπλεύσεαι, 2nd singular future middle), used to express a strong request or command: 'see to it that you sail away.'