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Herodotus · Histories §2.80.1-2.80.2

Respect for Elders and Manner of Greeting in the Street

Passage 296 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Explains that the Egyptians share the custom of respecting elders with the Spartans, while in street greetings they differ from other Greeks by bowing and lowering their hands to their knees.

§2.80.1συμφέρονται δὲ καὶ τόδε ἄλλο Αἰγύπτιοι Ἑλλήνων μούνοισι Λακεδαιμονίοισι· οἱ νεώτεροι αὐτῶν τοῖσι πρεσβυτέροισι συντυγχάνοντες εἴκουσι τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ ἐκτρέπονται καὶ ἐπιοῦσι ἐξ ἕδρης ὑπανιστέαται.
The Egyptians agree also in this other point with the Lacedaemonians alone of the Greeks: their younger men, when they meet their elders, give way to them and step aside out of the path, and rise up from their seats when the elders approach.
§2.80.2τόδε μέντοι ἄλλοισι Ἑλλήνων οὐδαμοῖσι συμφέρονται· ἀντὶ τοῦ προσαγορεύειν ἀλλήλους ἐν τῇσι ὁδοῖσι προσκυνέουσι κατιέντες μέχρι τοῦ γούνατος τὴν χεῖρα.
In this other custom, however, they agree with none of the Greeks: instead of addressing one another in the streets, they bow, lowering their hand as far as the knee.

Notes

  1. §2.80.1εἴκουσι τῆς ὁδοῦ — The verb εἴκω (to yield, give way) governs the genitive of separation (τῆς ὁδοῦ) to indicate the path from which one steps aside.
  2. §2.80.1ἐπιοῦσι ... ὑπανιστέαται — ἐπιοῦσι is the dative plural masculine of the present participle of ἔπειμι (to approach). It is in the dative because the verb ὑπανιστέαται (Ionic form of ὑπανίστανται, 'to rise up before someone') governs the dative to express the person in whose honor one rises.
  3. §2.80.2κατιέντες — Nominative plural masculine present active participle of καθίημι (to let down, lower). It governs the direct object τὴν χεῖρα (the hand) which appears after it, meaning 'lowering their hand.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.80.1-2.80.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.80.1-2.80.2

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