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Herodotus · Histories §1.164.1-1.164.3

Siege of Phocaea and the Citizens' Flight by Sea

Passage 164 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Harpagus besieges Phocaea and offers mild terms of surrender, but the Phocaeans request a day's respite and use the time to escape by sea with their families and possessions, leaving the empty city to the Persians.

§1.164.1τὸ μὲν δὴ τεῖχος τοῖσι Φωκαιεῦσι τρόπῳ τοιῷδε ἐξεποιήθη.
So the wall of the Phocaeans was built in this manner.
ὁ δὲ Ἅρπαγος ὡς ἐπήλασε τὴν στρατιήν, ἐπολιόρκεε αὐτούς, προισχόμενος ἔπεα ὥς οἱ καταχρᾷ εἰ βούλονται Φωκαιέες προμαχεῶνα ἕνα μοῦνον τοῦ τείχεος ἐρεῖψαι καὶ οἴκημα ἓν κατιρῶσαι.
And Harpagus, when he had led his army against them, besieged them, proposing terms that it would satisfy him if the Phocaeans were willing to demolish only one battlement of the wall and consecrate one dwelling.
§1.164.2οἱ δὲ Φωκαιέες περιημεκτέοντες τῇ δουλοσύνη ἔφασαν θέλειν βουλεύσασθαι ἡμέρην μίαν καὶ ἔπειτα ὑποκρινέεσθαι· §1.164.3ἐν ᾧ δὲ βουλεύονται αὐτοί, ἀπαγαγεῖν ἐκεῖνον ἐκέλευον τὴν στρατιὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχεος.
The Phocaeans, however, being indignant at slavery, said they wished to deliberate for one day and then give their answer; and while they were deliberating, they urged him to withdraw his army from the wall.
ὁ δʼ Ἅρπαγος ἔφη εἰδέναι μὲν εὖ τὰ ἐκεῖνοι μέλλοιεν ποιέειν, ὅμως δὲ σφι παριέναι βουλεύσασθαι.
Harpagus said that he knew well what they were going to do, but nevertheless he permitted them to deliberate.
ἐν ᾧ ὦν ὁ Ἅρπαγος ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχεος ἀπήγαγε τὴν στρατιήν, οἱ Φωκαιέες ἐν τούτῳ κατασπάσαντες τὰς πεντηκοντέρους, ἐσθέμενοι τέκνα καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ ἔπιπλα πάντα, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα τὰ ἐν τῶν ἱρῶν καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀναθήματα, χωρὶς ὅ τι χαλκὸς ἢ λίθος ἢ γραφὴ ἦν, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα πάντα ἐσθέντες καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰσβάντες ἔπλεον ἐπὶ Χίου.
So while Harpagus withdrew his army from the wall, the Phocaeans in the meantime launched their fifty-oared ships, and putting on board their children, wives, and all their goods, and furthermore the statues from the temples and the other votive offerings, except what was made of bronze or stone or was a painting, but having put on board everything else and having embarked themselves, they sailed for Chios.
τὴν δὲ Φωκαίην ἐρημωθεῖσαν ἀνδρῶν ἔσχον οἱ Πέρσαι.
The Persians took possession of Phocaea, now deserted of men.

Notes

  1. 1.164.1ὡς οἱ καταχρᾷ — The conjunction `ὡς` introduces indirect speech. `οἱ` is the dative of the third-person singular pronoun, referring indirectly to the subject of the main clause (Harpagus himself). `καταχρᾷ` is the present indicative of the Ionic impersonal verb `καταχράει` (to be sufficient).
  2. 1.164.3χωρὶς ὅ τι χαλκὸς ἢ λίθος ἢ γραφὴ ἦν — The prepositive `χωρίς` (except for) governs the relative clause `ὅ τι... ἦν` (whatever was...). This indicates that only heavy bronze or stone statues and immovable artworks like wall paintings were left behind.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.164.1-1.164.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.164.1-1.164.3

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