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Herodotus · Histories §1.151.1-1.151.3

Aeolian Island Cities and the Mainland Decision

Passage 151 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage lists the Aeolian cities on the mainland (excluding Mount Ida) and those on the islands like Lesbos, noting that while the island cities had nothing to fear, the remaining mainland cities resolved to follow the lead of the Ionians.

§1.151.1αὗται μέν νυν αἱ ἠπειρώτιδες Αἰολίδες πόλιες, ἔξω τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἴδῃ οἰκημενέων· κεχωρίδαται γὰρ αὗται.
These, then, are the Aeolian cities of the mainland, excluding those situated on Mount Ida; for these latter are set apart.
§1.151.2αἱ δὲ τὰς νήσους ἔχουσαι πέντε μὲν πόλιες τὴν Λέσβον νέμονται (τὴν γὰρ ἕκτην ἐν τῇ Λέσβῳ οἰκημένην Ἀρίσβαν ἠνδραπόδισαν Μηθυμναῖοι ἐόντας ὁμαίμους), ἐν Τενέδῳ δὲ μία οἴκηται πόλις, καὶ ἐν τῇσι Ἑκατὸν νήσοισι καλεομένῃσι ἄλλη μία.
As for those possessing the islands, five cities occupy Lesbos (for the Methymnaeans enslaved Arisba, the sixth city situated on Lesbos, although they were of the same stock), and on Tenedos one city is situated, and another one on the so-called Hundred Islands.
§1.151.3Λεσβίοισι μέν νῦν καὶ Τενεδίοισι, κατά περ Ἰώνων τοῖσι τὰς νήσους ἔχουσι, ἦν δεινὸν οὐδέν· τῇσι δὲ λοιπῇσι πόλισι ἕαδε κοινῇ Ἴωσι ἕπεσθαι τῇ ἂν οὗτοι ἐξηγέωνται.
For the Lesbians and Tenedians, just as for those of the Ionians who possessed the islands, there was nothing to fear; but it was resolved by the remaining cities in common to follow the Ionians wherever these might lead.

Notes

  1. 1.151.1κεχωρίδαται — The Ionic form of the third-person plural perfect passive indicative of the verb χωρίζω, corresponding to the Attic κεχώρισνται. It demonstrates the Ionic dialectal feature where -αται is used instead of -νται.
  2. 1.151.2ἐόντας ὁμαίμους — The present participle ἐόντας (Ionic for ὄντας, from εἰμί) has a concessive force ("although they were..."). The accusative plural masculine form agrees with the implied inhabitants of the city Arisba (Ἀρίσβαν), which is grammatically feminine singular but treated here as a collective noun representing its people.
  3. 1.151.3ἕαδε — The psilotic (without rough breathing) Ionic aorist third-person singular of the verb ἁνδάνω (corresponding to the Attic ἥδε), meaning "to please." Here used impersonally ("it pleased / it was resolved"), taking the dative of agent/interest `τῇσι δὲ λοιπῇσι πόλισι` and the infinitive `ἕπεσθαι`.
  4. 1.151.3τῇ ἂν οὗτοι ἐξηγέωνται — An indefinite/general relative clause of direction, consisting of the relative adverb `τῇ` (in which direction, wherever) with `ἄν` and the subjunctive `ἐξηγέωνται` (present subjunctive third-person plural Ionic form of ἐξηγέομαι). It means "wherever they might lead."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.151.1-1.151.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.151.1-1.151.3

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