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Herodotus · Histories §1.29.1-1.29.2

Arrival of Greek Sages in Sardis and Solon's Travels

Passage 29 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The wise men of Greece, including Solon of Athens, arrive in wealthy Sardis; Solon's ten-year travel is explained as a way to prevent the Athenians from repealing his newly established laws.

§1.29.1ἀπικνέονται ἐς Σάρδις ἀκμαζούσας πλούτῳ ἄλλοι τε οἱ πάντες ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος σοφισταί, οἳ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐτύγχανον ἐόντες, ὡς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἀπικνέοιτο, καὶ δὴ καὶ Σόλων ἀνὴρ Ἀθηναῖος, ὃς Ἀθηναίοισι νόμους κελεύσασι ποιήσας ἀπεδήμησε ἔτεα δέκα κατά θεωρίης πρόφασιν ἐκπλώσας,ἵνα δὴ μή τινα τῶν νόμων ἀναγκασθῇ, λῦσαι τῶν ἔθετο.
There arrived in Sardis, which was then at the height of its wealth, all the other wise men from Greece who happened to be alive at that time, as each of them arrived from time to time, and among them in particular Solon, an Athenian, who, having made laws for the Athenians at their request, went abroad for ten years, sailing out on the pretext of travel, in order that he might not be compelled to repeal any of the laws which he had established.
§1.29.2αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὐκ οἷοί τε ἦσαν αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι Ἀθηναῖοι· ὁρκίοισι γὰρ μεγάλοισι κατείχοντο δέκα ἔτεα χρήσεσθαι νόμοισι τοὺς ἄν σφι Σόλων θῆται.
For the Athenians themselves were not able to do this; for they were bound by solemn oaths to use for ten years whatever laws Solon should establish for them.

Notes

  1. 1.29.1ὡς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἀπικνέοιτο — An iterative optative introduced by the conjunction ὡς, expressing repeated action in the past (each of the wise men arriving one after another at different times).
  2. 1.29.1τῶν ἔθετο — The relative pronoun (originally accusative οὕς) is attracted to the genitive case of its antecedent τῶν νόμων (case attraction), representing original τούτους οὓς ἔθετο. The middle voice ἔθετο is standard for a citizen lawgiver establishing laws for his state.
  3. 1.29.2χρήσεσθαι νόμοισι τοὺς ἄν σφι Σόλων θῆται — The future infinitive χρήσεσθαι expresses the content of the oath and depends on the verb κατείχοντο. The construction ἄν + subjunctive (θῆται) in the relative clause represents a future more vivid condition (whatever laws Solon should establish for them).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.29.1-1.29.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.29.1-1.29.2

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