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Herodotus · Histories §3.138.1-3.138.4

Rescue of the Persians by Gillus and His Failed Return

Passage 542 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persians are shipwrecked and enslaved but rescued by the Tarentine exile Gillus, who brings them to Darius. Gillus requests his repatriation through the mediation of the Cnidians, but the attempt to persuade the Tarentines fails.

§3.138.1ἀναχθέντες δὲ ἐκ τῆς Κρότωνος οἱ Πέρσαι ἐκπίπτουσι τῇσι νηυσὶ ἐς Ἰηπυγίην, καί σφεας δουλεύοντας ἐνθαῦτα Γίλλος ἀνὴρ Ταραντῖνος φυγὰς ῥυσάμενος ἀπήγαγε παρὰ βασιλέα Δαρεῖον.
Having set sail from Croton, the Persians were driven ashore with their ships in Iapygia; and while they were in slavery there, Gillus, a Tarentine exile, rescued them and brought them to King Darius.
ὁ δὲ ἀντὶ τούτων ἕτοιμος ἦν διδόναι τοῦτο ὅ τι βούλοιτο αὐτός.
In return for this, the King was ready to give him whatever he himself wished.
§3.138.2Γίλλος δὲ αἱρέεται κάτοδόν οἱ ἐς Τάραντα γενέσθαι, προαπηγησάμενος τὴν συμφορήν· ἵνα δὲ μὴ συνταράξῃ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ἢν διʼ αὐτὸν στόλος μέγας πλέῃ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰταλίην, Κνιδίους μούνους ἀποχρᾶν οἱ ἔφη τοὺς κατάγοντας γίνεσθαι, δοκέων ἀπὸ τούτων ἐόντων τοῖσι Ταραντίνοισι φίλων μάλιστα τὴν κάτοδόν οἱ ἔσεσθαι.
Gillus, having first explained his misfortune, chose that his return to Tarentum should be brought about; but lest he should throw Greece into confusion if a great fleet sailed to Italy on his account, he said that the Cnidians alone would be sufficient for him to be those who brought him back, thinking that his return would most easily be effected through them, since they were friends to the Tarentines.
§3.138.3Δαρεῖος δὲ ὑποδεξάμενος ἐπετέλεε· πέμψας γὰρ ἄγγελον ἐς Κνίδον κατάγειν σφέας ἐκέλευε Γίλλον ἐς Τάραντα.
And Darius, having promised, fulfilled it; for he sent a messenger to Cnidus, ordering them to bring Gillus back to Tarentum.
πειθόμενοι δὲ Δαρείῳ Κνίδιοι Ταραντίνους οὔκων ἔπειθον, βίην δὲ ἀδύνατοι ἦσαν προσφέρειν.
The Cnidians, obeying Darius, did not indeed persuade the Tarentines, and were unable to apply force.
§3.138.4ταῦτα μέν νυν οὕτω ἐπρήχθη· οὗτοι δὲ πρῶτοι ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίης ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἀπίκοντο Πέρσαι, καὶ οὗτοι διὰ τοιόνδε πρῆγμα κατάσκοποι ἐγένοντο.
Thus then these things were done; and these were the first Persians who came from Asia to Greece, and they became spies for such a reason.

Notes

  1. §3.138.1δουλεύοντας — The present participle δουλεύοντας (from δουλεύω, 'to be a slave') expresses a continuous state of 'being in slavery' or 'serving as slaves' after the Persians were driven ashore, describing their situation at the time of the action.
  2. §3.138.2ἀποχρᾶν — The present infinitive of the Ionic verb ἀποχράω ('to be sufficient'), depending on the verb of saying ἔφη in indirect discourse. Its subject is the accusative Κνιδίους μούνους, and the following infinitive phrase τοὺς κατάγοντας γίνεσθαι ('to be those who bring [him] back') specifies in what respect they would be sufficient.
  3. §3.138.2ἀπὸ τούτων ἐόντων τοῖσι Ταραντίνοισι φίλων — The preposition ἀπό governs the genitive phrase τούτων ... φίλων with the participle ἐόντων (Ionic present participle of εἰμί), expressing the cause or means ('by virtue of these being friends to the Tarentines').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.138.1-3.138.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.138.1-3.138.4

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