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Herodotus · Histories §2.142.1-2.142.4

Reckoning of 341 Generations and Anomalous Solar Courses

Passage 364 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Egyptian priests reckon 341 generations of kings and high priests (equivalent to 11,340 years) from the first king to the last, noting that during this vast span no god appeared in human form, and even when the sun abnormally altered its course four times, Egypt's natural life remained unaffected.

§2.142.1ἐς μὲν τοσόνδε τοῦ λόγου Αἰγύπτιοί τε καὶ οἱ ἱρέες ἔλεγον, ἀποδεικνύντες ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου βασιλέος ἐς τοῦ Ἡφαίστου τὸν ἱρέα τοῦτον τὸν τελευταῖον βασιλεύσαντα μίαν τε καὶ τεσσεράκοντα καὶ τριηκοσίας γενεὰς ἀνθρώπων γενομένας, καὶ ἐν ταύτῃσι ἀρχιερέας καὶ βασιλέας ἑκατέρους τοσούτους γενομένους.
Up to this point in the story, the Egyptians and their priests spoke, showing that from the first king to this last priest of Hephaestus who became king, there were three hundred and forty-one generations of men, and that in these generations there were just as many high priests and kings on each side.
§2.142.2καίτοι τριηκόσιαι μὲν ἀνδρῶν γενεαὶ δυνέαται μύρια ἔτεα· γενεαὶ γὰρ τρεῖς ἀνδρῶν ἑκατὸν ἔτεα ἐστί·
Now, three hundred generations of men are equal to ten thousand years; for three generations of men make one hundred years.
μιῆς δὲ καὶ τεσσεράκοντα ἔτι τῶν ἐπιλοίπων γενεέων, αἳ ἐπῆσαν τῇσι τριηκοσίῃσι, ἐστὶ τεσσεράκοντα καὶ τριηκόσια καὶ χίλια ἔτεα.
And of the remaining forty-one generations still, which were over and above the three hundred, there are one thousand three hundred and forty years.
§2.142.3οὕτω ἐν μυρίοισί τε ἔτεσι καὶ χιλίοισι καὶ τριηκοσίοισί τε καὶ τεσσεράκοντα ἔλεγον θεὸν ἀνθρωποειδέα οὐδένα γενέσθαι· οὐ μέντοι οὐδὲ πρότερον οὐδὲ ὕστερον ἐν τοῖσι ὑπολοίποισι Αἰγύπτου βασιλεῦσι γενομένοισι ἔλεγον οὐδὲν τοιοῦτο.
Thus, in the eleven thousand three hundred and forty years, they said that no god in human form had arisen; nor indeed, they said, did any such thing occur either before or after among the remaining kings who ruled Egypt.
§2.142.4ἐν τοίνυν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ τετράκις ἔλεγον ἐξ ἠθέων τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατεῖλαι· ἔνθα τε νῦν καταδύεται, ἐνθεῦτεν δὶς ἐπαντεῖλαι, καὶ ἔνθεν νῦν ἀνατέλλει, ἐνθαῦτα δὶς καταδῦναι.
During this time, then, they said that the sun rose four times away from his accustomed places; where he now sets, from there he rose twice, and where he now rises, there he set twice.
καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον ὑπὸ ταῦτα ἑτεροιωθῆναι, οὔτε τὰ ἐκ τῆς γῆς οὔτε τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ σφι γινόμενα, οὔτε τὰ ἀμφὶ νούσους οὔτε τὰ κατὰ τοὺς θανάτους.
And none of the things in Egypt was altered by these events, neither the products of the earth nor what came to them from the river, nor things concerning diseases nor those concerning deaths.

Notes

  1. §2.142.1ἀποδεικνύντες ... γενομένας ... γενομένους — The participle ἀποδεικνύντες (showing) takes a participle construction in the accusative (γενεὰς ... γενομένας and ἀρχιερέας καὶ βασιλέας ... γενομένους) representing indirect discourse, equivalent to a 'that'-clause.
  2. §2.142.2μιῆς δὲ καὶ τεσσεράκοντα ἔτι τῶν ἐπιλοίπων γενεέων ... ἐστὶ ... — The genitive γενεέων functions as a genitive of measure or reference with respect to the subject τεσσεράκοντα καὶ τριηκόσια καὶ χίλια ἔτεα, yielding the meaning 'as for the remaining forty-one generations, they amount to 1340 years.'
  3. §2.142.4ἐξ ἠθέων — The noun ἤθεα (plural of ἦθος, custom, abode) when used of celestial bodies refers to their 'accustomed courses' or 'usual places of rising and setting.' With the preposition ἐκ, it means 'away from their accustomed places.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.142.1-2.142.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.142.1-2.142.4

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