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Herodotus · Histories §1.83.1

Spartan Preparations for Aid and the Fall of Sardis

Passage 83 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Just as the Spartans resolve their conflict with Argos, a herald from Sardis arrives requesting aid for the besieged Croesus. Although they prepare to send help, they call off the expedition upon hearing that Sardis has fallen and Croesus has been captured.

§1.83.1τοιούτων δὲ τοῖσι Σπαρτιήτῃσι ἐνεστεώτων πρηγμάτων ἧκε ὁ Σαρδιηνὸς κῆρυξ δεόμενος Κροίσῳ βοηθέειν πολιορκεομένῳ.
While the Spartans were occupied with such affairs, the herald from Sardis arrived, entreating them to bring aid to Croesus, who was now besieged.
οἳ δὲ ὅμως, ἐπείτε ἐπύθοντο τοῦ κήρυκος, ὁρμέατο βοηθέειν.
Nevertheless, as soon as they heard the herald, they were eager to bring aid.
καί σφι ἤδη παρεσκευασμένοισι καὶ νεῶν ἐουσέων ἑτοίμων ἦλθε ἄλλη ἀγγελίη, ὡς ἡλώκοι τὸ τεῖχος τῶν Λυδῶν καὶ ἔχοιτο Κροῖσος ζωγρηθείς.
But when they had already made their preparations and their ships were ready, there came another message, that the wall of the Lydians had been taken and Croesus had been captured alive.
οὕτω δὴ οὗτοι μὲν συμφορὴν ποιησάμενοι μεγάλην ἐπέπαυντο.
Thereupon, considering this a great calamity, they desisted.

Notes

  1. §1.83.1τοιούτων δὲ τοῖσι Σπαρτιήτῃσι ἐνεστεώτων πρηγμάτων — The phrase τοιούτων πρηγμάτων ἐνεστεώτων is a genitive absolute construction, where the perfect active participle ἐνεστεώτων (from ἐνίστημι) agrees with πρηγμάτων. The dative τοῖσι Σπαρτιήτῃσι indicates those affected by or involved in these affairs ('pressing upon the Spartans').
  2. §1.83.1ὁρμέατο — This is the third-person plural pluperfect middle/passive of the verb ὁρμάω, showing the Ionic dialectal ending -ατο instead of the Attic -ντο. Semantically, it functions as an imperfect of endeavor, meaning 'they were set upon' or 'started to prepare' to help.
  3. §1.83.1παρεσκευασμένοισι καὶ νεῶν ἐουσέων ἑτοίμων — Two different syntactic constructions are coordinated here. The first, ἤδη παρεσκευασμένοισι, is a perfect passive participle in the dative, agreeing with the pronoun σφι. The second, νεῶν ἐουσέων ἑτοίμων, is a genitive absolute. Connecting a dative participle and a genitive absolute with καί to express concurrent circumstances is a stylistic feature of Herodotus.
  4. §1.83.1ὡς ἡλώκοι τὸ τεῖχος τῶν Λυδῶν καὶ ἔχοιτο Κροῖσος ζωγρηθείς — A noun clause introduced by ὡς reporting indirect speech. Since the main verb ἦλθε is in a past tense (aorist), the verbs in the subordinate clause are put into the optative of indirect speech (optativus obliquus): the perfect optative ἡλώκοι (from ἁλίσκομαι) and the present optative middle ἔχοιτο (from ἔχω).
  5. §1.83.1συμφορὴν ποιησάμενοι — An idiomatic expression meaning 'regarding (it) as a misfortune' or 'taking (it) as a great calamity.' The middle participle ποιησάμενοι implies taking something to heart as a personal sorrow or disaster.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.83.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.83.1

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