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Herodotus · Histories §1.201.1

Cyrus Resolves to Subdue the Massagetae

Passage 201 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After subduing Babylon, Cyrus desires to conquer the Massagetae, a great and warlike nation dwelling beyond the Araxes River.

§1.201.1ὡς δὲ τῷ Κύρῳ καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος κατέργαστο, ἐπεθύμησε Μασσαγέτας ὑπʼ ἑωυτῷ ποιήσασθαι.
When this nation also had been subdued by Cyrus, he desired to bring the Massagetae under his own dominion.
τὸ δὲ ἔθνος τοῦτο καὶ μέγα λέγεται εἶναι καὶ ἄλκιμον, οἰκημένον δὲ πρὸς ἠῶ τε καὶ ἡλίου ἀνατολάς, πέρην τοῦ Ἀράξεω ποταμοῦ, ἀντίον δὲ Ἰσσηδόνων ἀνδρῶν.
This nation is said to be both great and warlike, dwelling towards the east and the rising of the sun, beyond the river Araxes, and opposite the Issedones.
εἰσὶ δὲ οἵτινες καὶ Σκυθικὸν λέγουσι τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος εἶναι.
There are some who say that this nation is also Scythian.

Notes

  1. 1.201.1τῷ Κύρῳ — Dative of agent used with the pluperfect passive verb κατέργαστο.
  2. 1.201.1ὑπʼ ἑωυτῷ ποιήσασθαι — The middle infinitive of ποιέω with ὑπό and the dative reflexive pronoun, forming an idiomatic expression meaning 'to bring under one's own power' or 'to subject to oneself.'
  3. 1.201.1εἰσὶ δὲ οἵτινες — An idiomatic expression meaning 'there are some who...', equivalent to εἰσὶν οἵ, where the verb of existence εἰσί is followed by the relative pronoun οἵτινες.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.201.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.201.1

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