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Herodotus · Histories §3.49.1-3.49.2

Corinthian Feud with Corcyra and Periander's Revenge

Passage 453 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The deep-seated enmity between the Corinthians and the Corcyraeans after Periander's death is explained as the motive for the Samos expedition, along with how Periander had previously sent the Corcyraean boys for castration in revenge for their outrage.

§3.49.1εἰ μέν νυν Περιάνδρου τελευτήσαντος τοῖσι Κορινθίοισι φίλα ἦν πρὸς τοὺς Κερκυραίους, οἳ δὲ οὐκ ἂν συνελάβοντο τοῦ στρατεύματος τοῦ ἐπὶ Σάμον ταύτης εἵνεκεν τῆς αἰτίης.
If, after the death of Periander, the Corinthians had been on friendly terms with the Corcyraeans, they would not have taken part in the expedition against Samos for this reason.
νῦν δὲ αἰεὶ ἐπείτε ἔκτισαν τὴν νῆσον εἰσὶ ἀλλήλοισι διάφοροι, ἐόντες ἑωυτοῖσι
But as it is, ever since they colonized the island, they have been at variance with one another, although they are to themselves [kin]...
§3.49.2τούτων ὦν εἵνεκεν ἀπεμνησικάκεον τοῖσι Σαμίοισι οἱ Κορίνθιοι.
For these reasons, then, the Corinthians kept a grudge against the Samians.
ἀπέπεμπε δὲ ἐς Σάρδις ἐπʼ ἐκτομῇ Περίανδρος τῶν πρώτων Κερκυραίων ἐπιλέξας τοὺς παῖδας τιμωρεύμενος· πρότεροι γὰρ οἱ Κερκυραῖοι ἦρξαν ἐς αὐτὸν πρῆγμα ἀτάσθαλον ποιήσαντες.
Now Periander had sent the boys of the leading Corcyraeans, having selected them for castration to Sardis, in order to take vengeance; for the Corcyraeans had been the first to begin by committing an outrageous deed against him.

Notes

  1. 3.49.1εἰ μέν νυν Περιάνδρου τελευτήσαντος τοῖσι Κορινθίοισι φίλα ἦν πρὸς τοὺς Κερκυραίους, οἳ δὲ οὐκ ἂν συνελάβοντο — A contrary-to-fact conditional sentence with an imperfect indicative (ἦν) in the protasis and ἄν with an aorist indicative (συνελάβοντο) in the apodosis, expressing a hypothetical situation. The particle δέ in `οἳ δὲ` at the beginning of the apodosis is the 'apodotic δέ', which marks the transition to the main clause and is not translated.
  2. 3.49.2τῶν πρώτων Κερκυραίων ἐπιλέξας — The genitive phrase `τῶν πρώτων Κερκυραίων` (the leading Corcyraeans) is a partitive genitive dependent on the participle `ἐπιλέξας` (having selected), meaning 'having selected (the boys) from among the leading Corcyraeans.'
  3. 3.49.2πρότεροι γὰρ οἱ Κερκυραῖοι ἦρξαν... ποιήσαντες — The verb `ἦρξαν` (began) combined with the nominative participle `ποιήσαντες` (having done) and the predicative adjective `πρότεροι` (first) forms a construction meaning 'the Corcyraeans were the first to begin by doing...', emphasizing their initiation of the hostility.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.49.1-3.49.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.49.1-3.49.2

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