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Herodotus · Histories §1.148.1-1.148.2

The Panionium Sanctuary and the Festival at Mycale

Passage 148 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author describes the location of the Panionium, a joint sanctuary of the Ionians dedicated to Heliconian Poseidon, and the geographical situation of Mount Mycale where they celebrated their common festival.

§1.148.1τὸ δὲ Πανιώνιον ἐστὶ τῆς Μυκάλης χῶρος ἱρὸς πρὸς ἄρκτον τετραμμένος, κοινῇ ἐξαραιρημένος ὑπὸ Ἰώνων Ποσειδέωνι Ἑλικωνίῳ.
The Panionium is a sacred place on Mycale, facing north, set apart by the Ionians in common for Heliconian Poseidon.
ἡ δὲ Μυκάλη ἐστὶ τῆς ἠπείρου ἄκρη πρὸς ζέφυρον ἄνεμον κατήκουσα Σάμῳ καταντίον, ἐς τὴν συλλεγόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν πολίων Ἴωνες ἄγεσκον ὁρτὴν τῇ ἔθεντο οὔνομα Πανιώνια.
Mycale is a promontory of the mainland extending toward the west wind, opposite Samos; gathering there from their cities, the Ionians used to celebrate a festival, to which they gave the name Panionia.

Notes

  1. 1.148.1ἐξαραιρημένος — An Ionic form of the perfect passive participle of the verb ἐξαιρέω (to take out, set apart), corresponding to Attic ἐξῃρημένος. It modifies χῶρος ἱρὸς (sacred place), meaning 'specially set apart' by the community for a deity (here, Poseidon).
  2. 1.148.1ἄγεσκον — An Ionic iterative imperfect form of the verb ἄγω (to celebrate [a festival]), characterized by the suffix -σκ-. It expresses a repeated or habitual action in the past: 'they used to celebrate' or 'they would repeatedly celebrate'.
  3. 1.148.1τῇ ἔθεντο οὔνομα — τῇ is the Ionic form of the dative relative pronoun (corresponding to Attic ᾗ), with ὁρτήν (festival) as its antecedent. ἔθεντο is the third-person plural second aorist middle of τίθημι. Together they form the idiomatic construction ὄνομα τίθεσθαί τινι (to give a name to something).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.148.1-1.148.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.148.1-1.148.2

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