Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §1.162.1-1.162.2

Harpagus's Arrival and Siege Operations in Ionia

Passage 162 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After the death of Mazares, Harpagus was sent to Ionia as general and began to capture the cities one by one by raising earthworks against their walls.

§1.162.1ἀποθανόντος δὲ τούτου, Ἅρπαγος κατέβη διάδοχος τῆς στρατηγίης, γένος καὶ αὐτὸς ἐὼν Μῆδος, τὸν ὁ Μήδων βασιλεὺς Ἀστυάγης ἀνόμῳ τραπέζῃ ἔδαισε, ὁ τῷ Κύρῳ τὴν βασιληίην συγκατεργασάμενος.
Upon his death, Harpagus came down as successor to the generalship. He too was a Mede by birth, the very man whom Astyages, the king of the Medes, had feasted at an unlawful banquet, and who had helped Cyrus to win the kingship.
§1.162.2οὗτος ὡνὴρ τότε ὑπὸ Κύρου στρατηγὸς ἀποδεχθεὶς ὡς ἀπίκετο ἐς τὴν Ἰωνίην, αἵρεε τὰς πόλιας χώμασι· ὅκως γὰρ τειχήρεας ποιήσειε, τὸ ἐνθεῦτεν χώματα χῶν πρὸς τὰ τείχεα ἐπόρθεε.
This man, having then been appointed general by Cyrus, when he arrived in Ionia, began to take the cities by means of earthworks; for whenever he had shut them up within their walls, he would thereupon construct mounds against the walls and take them.

Notes

  1. 1.162.1ὁ τῷ Κύρῳ τὴν βασιληίην συγκατεργασάμενος — The participle phrase `ὁ ... συγκατεργασάμενος` is in the nominative and stands in apposition to the subject of the main clause, `Ἅρπαγος` (Harpagus). Based on historical context (Harpagus's complicity in Cyrus's seizure of power), it modifies Harpagus, not `Ἀστυάγης` (Astyages) within the preceding relative clause.
  2. 1.162.2ὅκως γὰρ τειχήρεας ποιήσειε — The conjunction `ὅκως` (= `ὅπως`) is used here with the optative `ποιήσειε` to express past repetition ("whenever he had made..."). Combined with the imperfect `ἐπόρθεε` in the main clause, it describes Harpagus's repeated tactical procedure during his campaign.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.162.1-1.162.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.162.1-1.162.2

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.