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Herodotus · Histories §2.128.1

Hatred for the Kings and the Shepherd Philitis

Passage 350 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

During the 106 years of Cheops and Chephren's reigns, the Egyptians suffered and the temples were closed. Out of hatred for the kings, the Egyptians call the pyramids after Philitis, a shepherd who pastured his flocks there at the time.

§2.128.1ταῦτα ἕξ τε καὶ ἑκατὸν λογίζονται ἔτεα, ἐν τοῖσι Αἰγυπτίοισί τε πᾶσαν εἶναι κακότητα καὶ τὰ ἱρὰ χρόνου τοσούτου κατακληισθέντα οὐκ ἀνοιχθῆναι.
They reckon these to be a hundred and six years, during which time there was every kind of misery for the Egyptians, and the temples, having been shut up for so long a time, were not opened.
τούτους ὑπὸ μίσεος οὐ κάρτα θέλουσι Αἰγύπτιοι ὀνομάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πυραμίδας καλέουσι ποιμένος Φιλίτιος, ὃς τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἔνεμε κτήνεα κατὰ ταῦτα τὰ χωρία.
Out of hatred, the Egyptians are not very willing to name these kings, but even call the pyramids after Philitis, a shepherd who at that time pastured his flocks in these parts.

Notes

  1. 2.128.1ἐν τοῖσι — In the Ionic dialect, the dative plural form of the definite article τοῖσι functions as a relative pronoun, with the preceding 'years (ἔτεα)' as its antecedent.
  2. 2.128.1εἶναι ... ἀνοιχθῆναι — These are infinitives in indirect discourse conveying reported information. Dependent on 'they reckon (λογίζονται)' or the implied 'they said' from the context, they form an accusative-with-infinitive construction with their respective accusative subjects (πᾶσαν κακότητα, τὰ ἱρὰ).
  3. 2.128.1χρόνου τοσούτου — Genitive of time, expressing the duration or the period of time within which the action occurred ('for so long a time').
  4. 2.128.1ποιμένος Φιλίτιος — A possessive genitive modifying an implied noun, as in 'the pyramids of Philitis the shepherd,' or expressing the naming attribution in the genitive instead of a double accusative.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.128.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.128.1

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