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Herodotus · Histories §1.154.1

Revolt of Pactyes and Siege of Sardis

Passage 154 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After Cyrus's departure from Sardis, Pactyes initiated a Lydian revolt, gathered mercenaries from the coastal regions, and besieged Tabalus in the acropolis of Sardis.

§1.154.1ὡς δὲ ἀπήλασε ὁ Κῦρος ἐκ τῶν Σαρδίων, τοὺς Λυδοὺς ἀπέστησε ὁ Πακτύης ἀπό τε Ταβάλου καὶ Κύρου, καταβὰς δὲ ἐπὶ θάλασσαν, ἅτε τὸν χρυσὸν ἔχων πάντα τὸν ἐκ τῶν Σαρδίων, ἐπικούρους τε ἐμισθοῦτο καὶ τοὺς ἐπιθαλασσίους ἀνθρώπους ἔπειθε σὺν ἑωυτῷ στρατεύεσθαι.
As soon as Cyrus had marched away from Sardis, Pactyes made the Lydians revolt from Tabalus and Cyrus; and going down to the sea, since he had all the gold from Sardis, he began to hire mercenaries and persuaded the coastal inhabitants to join his campaign.
ἐλάσας δὲ ἐπὶ τὰς Σάρδις ἐπολιόρκεε Τάβαλον ἀπεργμένον ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλι.
Then, marching against Sardis, he besieged Tabalus, who was shut up in the acropolis.

Notes

  1. §1.154.1ἀπέστησε — The first aorist active 3rd person singular of ἀφίστημι, functioning transitively to mean "caused to revolt" or "alienated," which is distinguished from its intransitive use ("revolted," found in the second aorist forms like ἀπέστην).
  2. §1.154.1ἅτε τὸν χρυσὸν ἔχων — The participle ἔχων accompanied by ἅτε expresses an objective, actual reason or ground ("since," "inasmuch as"), presented as a matter of fact by the narrator.
  3. §1.154.1ἀπεργμένον — The perfect passive participle (masculine accusative singular) of ἀπείργω (Ionic ἀπέργω, "to shut up/exclude"), modifying the preceding Τάβαλον and expressing his state of being cooped up or besieged in the acropolis.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.154.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.154.1

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