Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §2.95.1-2.95.3

Methods for Protection Against Mosquitoes in Egypt

Passage 311 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

This passage details the anti-mosquito methods used in Egypt: those living in higher swamp areas climb up towers to sleep because mosquitoes cannot fly high in the wind, while those in the marshes suspend their daytime fishing nets over their beds to sleep securely underneath.

§2.95.1πρὸς δὲ τοὺς κώνωπας ἀφθόνους ἐόντας τάδε σφι ἐστὶ μεμηχανημένα.
Against the mosquitoes, which are abundant, they have devised the following.
τοὺς μὲν τὰ ἄνω τῶν ἑλέων οἰκέοντας οἱ πύργοι ὠφελέουσι, ἐς τοὺς ἀναβαίνοντες κοιμῶνται· οἱ γὰρ κώνωπες ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνέμων οὐκ οἷοί τε εἰσὶ ὑψοῦ πέτεσθαι.
Those who dwell in the parts above the marshes are benefited by the towers, into which they climb to sleep; for the mosquitoes are unable to fly high because of the winds.
§2.95.2τοῖσι δὲ περὶ τὰ ἕλεα οἰκέουσι τάδε ἀντὶ τῶν πύργων ἄλλα μεμηχάνηται· πᾶς ἀνὴρ αὐτῶν ἀμφίβληστρον ἔκτηται, τῷ τῆς μὲν ἡμέρης ἰχθῦς ἀγρεύει, τὴν δὲ νύκτα τάδε αὐτῷ χρᾶται· ἐν τῇ ἀναπαύεται κοίτῃ, περὶ ταύτην ἵστησι τὸ ἀμφίβληστρον καὶ ἔπειτα ἐνδὺς ὑπʼ αὐτὸ κατεύδει.
But for those who dwell around the marshes, other means instead of the towers have been devised: every man of them possesses a casting-net, with which by day he catches fish, and by night he uses it in this way; in the bed where he rests, he sets up the casting-net around it, and then creeps under it and sleeps.
§2.95.3οἱ δὲ κώνωπες, ἢν μὲν ἐν ἱματίῳ ἐνειλιξάμενος εὕδῃ ἢ σινδόνι, διὰ τούτων δάκνουσι, διὰ δὲ τοῦ δικτύου οὐδὲ πειρῶνται ἀρχήν.
And the mosquitoes, if one sleeps wrapped in a cloak or a linen sheet, bite through these, but through the net they do not even attempt to bite at all. And the mosquitoes, if one sleeps wrapped in a cloak or a linen sheet, bite through these, but through the net they do not even attempt to bite at all.

Notes

  1. 2.95.1ἀφθόνους ἐόντας — The participle `ἐόντας` (present participle of εἰμί, accusative plural) is used predicatively to modify `τοὺς κώνωπας`. It functions as an adjectival clause describing the abundance of the mosquitoes ("against the mosquitoes, which are numerous").
  2. 2.95.2τάδε αὐτῷ χρᾶται — The verb `χρᾶται` (third-person singular of χράομαι) governs the dative `αὐτῷ` (referring to the net). The neuter plural accusative `τάδε` functions adverbially here, meaning "in the following way" or "for these purposes".
  3. 2.95.2ἐν τῇ ἀναπαύεται κοίτῃ — A relative clause structure where the relative pronoun `τῇ` is placed between the preposition `ἐν` and the noun `κοίτῃ` (bed) which acts as the antecedent. It is syntactically equivalent to `ἐν κοίτῃ, ἐν ᾗ ἀναπαύεται` ("in the bed in which he rests"), showing a common poetic or elevated word order where the noun is incorporated into the relative phrase.
  4. 2.95.3οὐδὲ πειρῶνται ἀρχήν — The accusative noun `ἀρχήν` (from `ἀρχή`, "beginning") is used adverbially in combination with a negative (here `οὐδέ`) to express an absolute negation: "not at all" or "do not even attempt in the first place."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.95.1-2.95.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.95.1-2.95.3

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