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Herodotus · Histories §3.45.1-3.45.4

Return of the Rebel Samians and Defeat by Polycrates

Passage 449 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The rebellion of the Samians sent to Egypt and their return to Samos are described, along with their defeat by Polycrates, and Polycrates' brutal hostage policy to prevent betrayal.

§3.45.1οἳ μὲν δὴ λέγουσι τοὺς ἀποπεμφθέντας Σαμίων ὑπὸ Πολυκράτεος οὐκ ἀπικέσθαι ἐς Αἴγυπτον, ἀλλʼ ἐπείτε ἐγένοντο ἐν Καρπάθῳ πλέοντες, δοῦναι σφίσι λόγον, καί σφι ἁδεῖν τὸ προσωτέρω μηκέτι πλέειν· οἳ δὲ λέγουσι ἀπικομένους τε ἐς Αἴγυπτον καὶ φυλασσομένους ἐνθεῦτεν αὐτοὺς ἀποδρῆναι.
Some say that the Samians sent away by Polycrates did not reach Egypt, but when they were off Carpathus in their sailing, they held a council among themselves and resolved to sail no further; but others say that they did reach Egypt and, being kept under guard, escaped from there.
§3.45.2καταπλέουσι δὲ ἐς τὴν Σάμον Πολυκράτης νηυσὶ ἀντιάσας ἐς μάχην κατέστη·
When they sailed back to Samos, Polycrates met them with his ships and engaged them in battle.
νικήσαντες δὲ οἱ κατιόντες ἀπέβησαν ἐς τὴν νῆσον, πεζομαχήσαντες δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ ἑσσώθησαν, καὶ οὕτω δὴ ἔπλεον ἐς Λακεδαίμονα.
Those who were returning won the naval battle and landed on the island, but after fighting a land battle on it, they were defeated, and so they sailed to Lacedaemon.
§3.45.3εἰσὶ δὲ οἳ λέγουσι τοὺς ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου νικῆσαι Πολυκράτεα, λέγοντες ἐμοὶ δοκέειν οὐκ ὀρθῶς· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔδει σφέας Λακεδαιμονίους ἐπικαλέεσθαι, εἴ περ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν ἱκανοὶ Πολυκράτεα παραστήσασθαι.
There are some who say that those from Egypt defeated Polycrates, but in my opinion they do not speak correctly; for there was no need for them to call in the Lacedaemonians if they themselves had been able to subdue Polycrates.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοισι οὐδὲ λόγος αἱρέει, τῷ ἐπίκουροί τε μισθωτοὶ καὶ τοξόται οἰκήιοι ἦσαν πλήθεϊ πολλοί, τοῦτον ὑπὸ τῶν κατιόντων Σαμίων ἐόντων ὀλίγων ἑσσωθῆναι.
Furthermore, it does not stand to reason that a man who had hired mercenaries and native archers in great numbers should be defeated by the returning Samians, who were few.
§3.45.4τῶν δʼ ὑπʼ ἑωυτῷ ἐόντων πολιητέων τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ὁ Πολυκράτης ἐς τοὺς νεωσοίκους συνειλήσας εἶχε ἑτοίμους, ἢν ἄρα προδιδῶσι οὗτοι πρὸς τοὺς κατιόντας, ὑποπρῆσαι αὐτοῖσι τοῖσι νεωσοίκοισι.
Polycrates shut up the children and wives of the citizens who were under his power in the docks, keeping them ready so that, if they should betray him to those who were returning, he might burn them down along with the docks themselves.

Notes

  1. 3.45.1ἁδεῖν τὸ προσωτέρω μηκέτι πλέειν — ἁδεῖν is the second aorist infinitive of ἁνδάνω (to please, be resolved). The subject is the articular infinitive clause τὸ προσωτέρω μηκέτι πλέειν (to sail no further), with σφι (to them) acting as the dative object. The construction literally means 'that sailing no further pleased them' (i.e., they resolved not to sail further).
  2. 3.45.2καταπλέουσι δὲ ἐς τὴν Σάμον — καταπλέουσι is the dative plural of the present participle καταπλέων (sailing back). It refers to the returning Samians, acting as the dative of reference or temporal relation ('as they were sailing back to Samos'), with the dative pronoun αὐτοῖσι understood as the object of Polycrates' meeting them.
  3. 3.45.3λέγοντες ἐμοὶ δοκέειν οὐκ ὀρθῶς — ἐμοὶ δοκέειν is an absolute infinitive construction meaning 'in my opinion' or 'as it seems to me.' The participle λέγοντες refers back to the subject of λέγουσι, with the whole phrase meaning 'asserting what, in my opinion, is incorrect.'
  4. 3.45.3τῷ ἐπίκουροί τε ... ἑσσωθῆναι — The dative relative pronoun τῷ refers to the implied antecedent (Polycrates) of whom the following description is made ('the one for whom there were...'). The accusative with infinitive clause τοῦτον ... ἑσσωθῆναι ('that this man was defeated...') serves as the subject or appositive to the phrase οὐδὲ λόγος αἱρέει ('nor does reason accept' or 'it does not stand to reason').
  5. 3.45.4αὐτοῖσι τοῖσι νεωσοίκοισι — The combination of the pronoun αὐτός with a noun in the dative (here τοῖσι νεωσοίκοισι) is the dative of accompaniment or inclusion, meaning 'together with,' 'docks and all.' Thus, it means 'to burn them down along with the docks themselves.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.45.1-3.45.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.45.1-3.45.4

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