Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §1.22.1-1.22.4

Peace Treaty of Alyattes with Miletus and His Recovery

Passage 22 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Thrasybulus's strategy succeeds as the herald reports the abundant food and high spirits in Miletus to Alyattes. Consequently, Alyattes concludes a peace treaty, builds two temples to Athena, and recovers from his illness.

§1.22.1ταῦτα δὲ ἐποίεέ τε καὶ προηγόρευε Θρασύβουλος τῶνδε εἵνεκεν, ὅκως ἂν δὴ ὁ κῆρυξ ὁ Σαρδιηνὸς ἰδών τε σωρὸν μέγαν σίτου κεχυμένον καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐν εὐπαθείῃσι ἐόντας ἀγγείλῃ Ἀλυάττῃ·
Thrasybulus did and declared these things for this reason, so that the herald from Sardis, having seen both a great heap of corn poured out and the people in revelry, might report it to Alyattes.
§1.22.2τὰ δὴ καὶ ἐγένετο.
And indeed this very thing came to pass.
ὡς γὰρ δὴ ἰδών τε ἐκεῖνα ὁ κῆρυξ καὶ εἶπας πρὸς Θρασύβουλον τοῦ Λυδοῦ τὰς ἐντολὰς ἀπῆλθε ἐς τὰς Σάρδις, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, διʼ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐγένετο ἡ διαλλαγή.
For when the herald had seen those things and, having delivered the Lydian's commands to Thrasybulus, had returned to Sardis, as I learn, it was for no other reason that the reconciliation was brought about.
§1.22.3ἐλπίζων γὰρ ὁ Ἀλυάττης σιτοδείην τε εἶναι ἰσχυρὴν ἐν τῇ Μιλήτῳ καὶ τὸν λεὼν τετρῦσθαι ἐς τὸ ἔσχατον κακοῦ, ἤκουε τοῦ κήρυκος νοστήσαντος ἐκ τῆς Μιλήτου τοὺς ἐναντίους λόγους ἢ ὡς αὐτὸς κατεδόκεε.
For Alyattes, expecting that there was a severe famine in Miletus and that the people were worn down to the last extremity of misery, heard from the herald on his return from Miletus a report contrary to what he himself had expected.
§1.22.4μετὰ δὲ ἥ τε διαλλαγή σφι ἐγένετο ἐπʼ ᾧ τε ξείνους ἀλλήλοισι εἶναι καὶ συμμάχους, καὶ δύο τε ἀντὶ ἑνὸς νηοὺς τῇ Ἀθηναίῃ οἰκοδόμησε ὁ Ἀλυάττης ἐν τῇ Ἀσσησῷ, αὐτός τε ἐκ τῆς νούσου ἀνέστη.
And after this, a reconciliation was made between them on the condition that they should be guest-friends and allies to one another, and Alyattes built two temples to Athena at Assesos instead of one, and he himself recovered from his sickness.
κατὰ μέν τὸν πρὸς Μιλησίους τε καὶ Θρασύβουλον πόλεμον Ἀλυάττῃ ὧδε ἔσχε.
Thus it went for Alyattes in regard to the war against the Milesians and Thrasybulus.

Notes

  1. §1.22.1ὅκως ἂν ... ἀγγείλῃ — A purpose clause where 'ὅκως ἂν' (Ionic for 'ὅπως ἄν') is followed by the subjunctive 'ἀγγείλῃ'. The addition of the particle 'ἄν' to the conjunction in purpose clauses is a characteristic grammatical feature of Herodotus.
  2. §1.22.2τοῦ Λυδοῦ — Literally 'of the Lydian', referring in this context to the Lydian king, Alyattes.
  3. §1.22.3ἢ ὡς αὐτὸς κατεδόκεε — A comparative construction where the conjunction 'ἤ' (than), introduced by the adjective 'ἐναντίους' (contrary), is combined with the modal 'ὡς' (as/how). It expresses the standard of comparison: 'contrary to how he himself had expected.'
  4. §1.22.4ἐπʼ ᾧ τε ... εἶναι — An idiomatic construction where the preposition 'ἐπί' with the dative relative pronoun (and the connecting particle 'τε') takes the infinitive 'εἶναι' to express a condition or agreement: 'on the condition that...'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.22.1-1.22.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.22.1-1.22.4

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.