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Herodotus · Histories §1.102.1-1.102.2

Conquests of Phraortes and His Fall Against the Assyrians

Passage 102 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Phraortes, son of Deioces, succeeds to the throne, subjugates the Persians, and conquers other Asian nations, but is eventually killed during a military expedition against the isolated Assyrians.

§1.102.1Δηιόκεω δὲ παῖς γίνεται Φραόρτης, ὃς τελευτήσαντος Δηιόκεω, βασιλεύσαντος τρία καὶ πεντήκοντα ἔτεα, παρεδέξατο τὴν ἀρχήν, παραδεξάμενος δὲ οὐκ ἀπεχρᾶτο μούνων Μήδων ἄρχειν, ἀλλὰ στρατευσάμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς Πέρσας πρώτοισί τε τούτοισι ἐπεθήκατο καὶ πρώτους Μήδων ὑπηκόους ἐποίησε.
To Deioces was born a son, Phraortes, who, when Deioces died after a reign of fifty-three years, succeeded to the sovereignty. Having succeeded, he was not content to rule over the Medes alone, but made war upon the Persians, attacking them first, and made them the first subjects of the Medes.
§1.102.2μετὰ δὲ ἔχων δύο ταῦτα ἔθνεα καὶ ἀμφότερα ἰσχυρά, κατεστρέφετο τὴν Ἀσίην ἀπʼ ἄλλου ἐπʼ ἄλλο ἰὼν ἔθνος, ἐς ὃ στρατευσάμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους καὶ Ἀσσυρίων, τούτους οἳ Νίνον εἶχον καὶ ἦρχον πρότερον πάντων, τότε δὲ ἦσαν μεμουνωμένοι μὲν συμμάχων ἅτε ἀπεστεώτων, ἄλλως μέντοι ἑωυτῶν εὖ ἥκοντες, ἐπὶ τούτους δὴ στρατευσάμενος ὁ Φραόρτης αὐτός τε διεφθάρη, ἄρξας δύο καὶ εἴκοσι ἔτεα, καὶ ὁ στρατὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ πολλός.
Afterwards, having these two nations, both of them powerful, under his command, he went on subduing Asia, marching from one nation to another, until he made war upon the Assyrians—those Assyrians who held Ninus and had formerly ruled over all, but were at that time left isolated from their allies who had revolted from them, though otherwise they were in a prosperous state of their own resources. Having marched against these, Phraortes himself was killed, after a reign of twenty-two years, along with the greater part of his army.

Notes

  1. 1.102.1τελευτήσαντος Δηιόκεω, βασιλεύσαντος τρία καὶ πεντήκοντα ἔτεα — Both τελευτήσαντος Δηιόκεω and βασιλεύσαντος are genitive absolute participles. The latter modifies Δηιόκεω, meaning 'having ruled for fifty-three years'.
  2. 1.102.1πρώτους Μήδων ὑπηκόους — πρώτους functions as an object complement referring to the Persians (Πέρσας), meaning 'made them (the Persians) the first subjects of the Medes'.
  3. 1.102.2ἑωυτῶν εὖ ἥκοντες — An idiomatic expression where εὖ ἥκειν is paired with a genitive (ἑωυτῶν), meaning 'to be in a good state in respect of'. Here it means 'being in a prosperous state regarding their own resources or internal affairs'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.102.1-1.102.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.102.1-1.102.2

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