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Herodotus · Histories §1.143.1-1.143.3

Ionian Unity and the Founding of the Panionium

Passage 143 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The text explains that the Milesians and island Ionians were safe from Persian threats, and describes how the name 'Ionian' was shunned by others due to its weakness, while the twelve cities took pride in it, establishing the Panionium sanctuary exclusively for themselves.

§1.143.1τούτων δὴ ὦν τῶν Ἰώνων οἱ Μιλήσιοι μὲν ἦσαν ἐν σκέπῃ τοῦ φόβου, ὅρκιον ποιησάμενοι, τοῖσι δὲ αὐτῶν νησιώτῃσι ἦν δεινὸν οὐδέν· οὔτε γὰρ Φοίνικες ἦσαν κω Περσέων κατήκοοι οὔτε αὐτοὶ οἱ Πέρσαι ναυβάται.
Of these Ionians, the Milesians indeed were in shelter from fear, having made a treaty, and for those of them who inhabited the islands there was nothing to dread; for the Phoenicians were not yet subject to the Persians, nor were the Persians themselves seafarers.
§1.143.2ἀπεσχίσθησαν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων Ἰώνων οὗτοι κατʼ ἄλλο μὲν οὐδέν, ἀσθενέος δὲ ἐόντος τοῦ παντὸς τότε Ἑλληνικοῦ γένεος, πολλῷ δὴ ἦν ἀσθενέστατον τῶν ἐθνέων τὸ Ἰωνικὸν καὶ λόγου ἐλαχίστου· ὅτι γὰρ μὴ Ἀθῆναι, ἦν οὐδὲν ἄλλο πόλισμα λόγιμον.
Now these separated themselves from the other Ionians for no other reason than this: while the whole Greek nation was then weak, the Ionian branch was by far the weakest of its tribes and of the least account; for except Athens, there was no other notable city.
§1.143.3οἱ μέν νυν ἄλλοι Ἴωνες καὶ οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι ἔφυγον τὸ οὔνομα, οὐ βουλόμενοι Ἴωνες κεκλῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν φαίνονταί μοι οἱ πολλοὶ αὐτῶν ἐπαισχύνεσθαι τῷ οὐνόματι·
Therefore the other Ionians and the Athenians fled from the name, not wishing to be called Ionians, but even now most of them seem to me to be ashamed of the name.
αἱ δὲ δυώδεκα πόλιες αὗται τῷ τε οὐνόματι ἠγάλλοντο καὶ ἱρὸν ἱδρύσαντο ἐπὶ σφέων αὐτέων, τῷ οὔνομα ἔθεντο Πανιώνιον, ἐβουλεύσαντο δὲ αὐτοῦ μεταδοῦναι μηδαμοῖσι ἄλλοισι Ἰώνων (οὐδʼ ἐδεήθησαν δὲ οὐδαμοὶ μετασχεῖν ὅτι μὴ Σμυρναῖοι)·
These twelve cities, however, gloried in the name, and established a sanctuary for themselves, to which they gave the name Panionium, and they resolved to share it with no other Ionians (though indeed none asked to share in it, except the Smyrnaeans).

Notes

  1. §1.143.1εν σκέπῃ τοῦ φόβου — The genitive τοῦ φόβου functions as an objective genitive or a genitive of separation, meaning 'under the shelter from fear' (i.e., protected from fear).
  2. §1.143.2ἀσθενέος δὲ ἐόντος τοῦ παντὸς τότε Ἑλληνικοῦ γένεος — A genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐόντος (Ionic for ὄντος). It introduces a background circumstance (concessive or temporal) with a subject (τὸ Ἑλληνικόν γένος) different from that of the main clause (τὸ Ἰωνικόν).
  3. §1.143.2ὅτι γὰρ μὴ Ἀθῆναι — The phrase ὅτι μή (often written ὅ τι μή) is an idiomatic expression meaning 'except' or 'unless,' equivalent to εἰ μή. Here, the verb is omitted, meaning 'except for Athens (being notable).'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.143.1-1.143.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.143.1-1.143.3

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