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Herodotus · Histories §1.23.1

The Legend of Arion and the Dolphin Miracle

Passage 23 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Relates that during the reign of Periander, tyrant of Corinth, the greatest wonder occurred: the famous citharode Arion was carried to Taenarum on a dolphin.

§1.23.1Περίανδρος δὲ ἦν Κυψέλου παῖς οὗτος ὁ τῷ Θρασυβούλῳ τὸ χρηστήριον μηνύσας· ἐτυράννευε δὲ ὁ Περίανδρος Κορίνθου·
This Periander, who had revealed the oracle to Thrasybulus, was the son of Cypselus, and he was the tyrant of Corinth.
τῷ δὴ λέγουσι Κορίνθιοι (ὁμολογέουσι δέ σφι Λέσβιοι) ἐν τῷ βίῳ θῶμα μέγιστον παραστῆναι, Ἀρίονα τὸν Μηθυμναῖον ἐπὶ δελφῖνος ἐξενειχθέντα ἐπὶ Ταίναρον, ἐόντα κιθαρῳδὸν τῶν τότε ἐόντων οὐδενὸς δεύτερον, καὶ διθύραμβον πρῶτον ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν ποιήσαντά τε καὶ ὀνομάσαντα καὶ διδάξαντα ἐν Κορίνθῳ.
To him, as the Corinthians say (and the Lesbians agree with them), there occurred in his lifetime a most wonderful thing: namely, that Arion of Methymna was carried ashore at Taenarum on a dolphin's back. This Arion was a citharode second to none of those of his time, and the first of all men whom we know to have composed, named, and taught the dithyramb in Corinth.

Notes

  1. 1.23.1οὗτος — The demonstrative pronoun οὗτος refers back to Periander, who has already been introduced in the preceding chapters (e.g., 1.20), meaning 'this (aforementioned) Periander.'
  2. 1.23.1τῷ — Dative of the relative (or demonstrative) pronoun, referring to Periander. It functions either as the dative object of παραστῆναι ('to happen to/befall him') or as a dative of time/interest ('in his time').
  3. 1.23.1τῶν ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν — Genitive relative clause. ἴδμεν is the Ionic and Homeric form for ἴσμεν (1st person plural present of οἶδα), meaning 'of whom we know.' The relative pronoun is attracted to the case of its antecedent ἀνθρώπων (attraction of the relative).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.23.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.23.1

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