Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §1.184.1

Rulers of Babylon and the Dykes of Queen Semiramis

Passage 184 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

In the history of Babylon, there were many kings who adorned the walls and temples, including two queens. The first queen, Semiramis, constructed remarkable dykes across the plain to prevent the river from flooding it.

§1.184.1τῆς δὲ Βαβυλῶνος ταύτης πολλοὶ μέν κου καὶ ἄλλοι ἐγένοντο βασιλέες, τῶν ἐν τοῖσι Ἀσσυρίοισι λόγοισι μνήμην ποιήσομαι, οἳ τὰ τείχεά τε ἐπεκόσμησαν καὶ τὰ ἱρά, ἐν δὲ δὴ καὶ γυναῖκες δύο.
Of this Babylon there were indeed many other kings as well, whom I shall make mention of in my Assyrian history, who adorned both the walls and the temples; and among them indeed were also two women.
ἡ μὲν πρότερον ἄρξασα, τῆς ὕστερον γενεῇσι πέντε πρότερον γενομένη, τῇ οὔνομα ἦν Σεμίραμις, αὕτη μὲν ἀπεδέξατο χώματα ἀνὰ τὸ πεδίον ἐόντα ἀξιοθέητα· πρότερον δὲ ἐώθεε ὁ ποταμὸς ἀνὰ τὸ πεδίον πᾶν πελαγίζειν.
The one who ruled first, having lived five generations before the later queen, whose name was Semiramis, she indeed constructed dykes along the plain that are well worth seeing; whereas formerly the river was accustomed to flood the entire plain like a lake.

Notes

  1. 1.184.1τῶν — The antecedent is `βασιλέες` (kings) in the preceding clause. The genitive is governed by `μνήμην ποιήσομαι` ('I shall make mention of').
  2. 1.184.1ἐν δὲ — The preposition `ἐν` is used adverbially, meaning 'among them' (referring back to the kings, `βασιλεῦσι`).
  3. 1.184.1τῆς ὕστερον — Refers to the later queen (Nitocris). It is the genitive feminine singular of the adjective `ὕστερος`, acting as a genitive of comparison with the comparative adverb `πρότερον`.
  4. 1.184.1γενεῇσι πέντε — Dative of measure of difference, indicating the temporal gap of 'five generations.'
  5. 1.184.1ἀπεδέξατο — Ionic spelling for `ἀπεδείξατο` (aorist middle of `ἀποδείκνυμι`), here used in the sense of 'constructed' or 'displayed as her own work' for posterity.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.184.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.184.1

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