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Herodotus · Histories §1.58.1

Growth of the Hellenes and Stagnation of the Pelasgians

Passage 58 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author presents his view that while the Hellenic nation maintained the same language from its origin and grew by absorbing other peoples, the barbarian Pelasgian nation never achieved significant growth.

§1.58.1τὸ δὲ Ἑλληνικὸν γλώσσῃ μὲν ἐπείτε ἐγένετο αἰεί κοτε τῇ αὐτῇ διαχρᾶται, ὡς ἐμοὶ καταφαίνεται εἶναι·
The Hellenic nation, on the other hand, has always used the same language ever since it came into being, as it appears to me to be the case.
ἀποσχισθὲν μέντοι ἀπὸ τοῦ Πελασγικοῦ ἐόν ἀσθενές, ἀπό σμικροῦ τεο τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁρμώμενον αὔξηται ἐς πλῆθος τῶν ἐθνέων, Πελασγῶν μάλιστα προσκεχωρηκότων αὐτῷ καὶ ἄλλων ἐθνέων βαρβάρων συχνῶν.
However, having split off from the Pelasgian nation, being weak and starting from a small beginning, it has grown into a multitude of nations, especially since Pelasgians and many other barbarian nations joined them.
πρόσθε δὲ ὦν ἔμοιγε δοκέει οὐδὲ τὸ Πελασγικὸν ἔθνος, ἐὸν βάρβαρον, οὐδαμὰ μεγάλως αὐξηθῆναι.
Previously, indeed, it seems to me that not even the Pelasgian nation, being barbarian, ever grew to any great size.

Notes

  1. §1.58.1διαχρᾶται — Third-person singular present middle-passive of διαχράομαι, showing the Ionic contraction (-αεται to -ᾶται). It takes the dative complement γλώσσῃ... τῇ αὐτῇ ("the same language").
  2. §1.58.1τὴν ἀρχὴν — Adverbial accusative meaning "at the beginning" or "originally", modifying the participle ὁρμώμενον ("starting").
  3. §1.58.1Πελασγῶν μάλιστα προσκεχωρηκότων αὐτῷ καὶ ἄλλων ἐθνέων βαρβάρων συχνῶν — Genitive absolute construction. The logical subjects are Πελασγῶν and ἄλλων ἐθνέων, modifying the perfect active participle προσκεχωρηκότων. It expresses the cause or reason ("especially because... joined them") for the main verb αὔξηται.
  4. §1.58.1αὐξηθῆναι — Aorist passive infinitive of αὐξάνω with an intransitive sense ("to grow"). It functions as part of an accusative with infinitive (AcI) construction dependent on the impersonal verb δοκέει, with οὐδὲ τὸ Πελασγικὸν ἔθνος serving as its subject accusative.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.58.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.58.1

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