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Herodotus · Histories §2.166.1-2.166.2

The Nomes and Military Duties of the Kalasiries

Passage 388 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage lists the nomes belonging to the Kalasiries, the other Egyptian military class, states their maximum population, and explains that they are forbidden from practicing crafts, with military duties being hereditary.

§2.166.1καλασιρίων δὲ οἵδε ἄλλοι νομοί εἰσι, Θηβαῖος, Βουβαστίτης, Ἀφθίτης, Τανίτης, Μενδήσιος, Σεβεννύτης, Ἀθριβίτης, Φαρβαϊθίτης, Θμουΐτης, Ὀνουφίτης, Ἀνύτιος, Μυεκφορίτης· οὗτος ὁ νομὸς ἐν νήσῳ οἰκέει ἀντίον Βουβάστιος πόλιος.
The following are the other nomes of the Kalasiries: the Theban, the Bubastite, the Aphthite, the Tanite, the Mendesian, the Sebennytic, the Athribite, the Pharbaethite, the Thmuite, the Onuphite, the Anytian, and the Myecphorite; this last nome is situated on an island opposite the city of Bubastis.
§2.166.2οὗτοι δὲ οἱ νομοὶ Καλασιρίων εἰσί, γενόμενοι, ὅτε ἐπὶ πλείστους ἐγένοντο, πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι μυριάδες ἀνδρῶν.
These are the nomes of the Kalasiries, numbering twenty-five ten-thousands of men when they were at their greatest number.
οὐδὲ τούτοισι ἔξεστι τέχνην ἐπασκῆσαι οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐς πόλεμον ἐπασκέουσι μοῦνα, παῖς παρὰ πατρὸς ἐκδεκόμενος.
Nor is it permitted for these to practice any handicraft, but they practice only the things relating to war, son receiving it from father.

Notes

  1. §2.166.1οἰκέει — Although the subject is "this nome" (an administrative district), the verb οἰκέω is used here intransitively to mean "is situated". Alternatively, "nome" may be used metonymically for its inhabitants, meaning "(the people of this nome) dwell".
  2. §2.166.2παῖς παρὰ πατρὸς ἐκδεκόμενος — The nominative present participle (ἐκδεκόμενος) without a finite verb is appended at the end of the sentence to explain the hereditary nature of the military profession. While the preceding verb ἐπασκέουσι has a plural subject, the singular forms (παῖς, ἐκδεκόμενος) are used to express a distributive sense ("each son inheriting from his father").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.166.1-2.166.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.166.1-2.166.2

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