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Herodotus · Histories §4.100.1-4.100.2

Scythian Territory to the Tanais and Northern Neighbors

Passage 664 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

This section describes the Scythian territory to the east of the Tauric land up to the Tanais River, and outlines the neighboring peoples (Agathyrsi, Neuri, Androphagi, and Melanchlaeni) who bound Scythia to the north in the inland regions starting from the Ister.

§4.100.1τὸ δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς Ταυρικῆς ἤδη Σκύθαι τὰ κατύπερθε τῶν Ταύρων καὶ τὰ πρὸς θαλάσσης τῆς ἠοίης νέμονται, τοῦ τε Βοσπόρου τοῦ Κιμμερίου τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέρης καὶ τῆς λίμνης τῆς Μαιήτιδος μέχρι Τανάιδος ποταμοῦ, ὃς ἐκδιδοῖ ἐς μυχὸν τῆς λίμνης ταύτης.
As for the region starting from the Tauric land, the Scythians already occupy the parts above the Taurians and those facing the eastern sea—namely, the parts to the west of the Cimmerian Bosporus and along Lake Maeotis as far as the river Tanais, which empties into the innermost part of this lake.
§4.100.2ἤδη ὦν ἀπὸ μὲν Ἴστρου τὰ κατύπερθε ἐς τὴν μεσόγαιαν φέροντα ἀποκληίεται ἡ Σκυθικὴ ὑπὸ πρώτων Ἀγαθύρσων, μετὰ δὲ Νευρῶν, ἔπειτα δὲ Ἀνδροφάγων, τελευταίων δὲ Μελαγχλαίνων.
Now then, in the upper parts stretching into the interior from the Ister, Scythia is bounded first by the Agathyrsi, next by the Neuri, then by the Androphagi, and lastly by the Melanchlaeni.

Notes

  1. §4.100.1τὸ δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς Ταυρικῆς — An accusative neuter singular article τὸ used adverbially to introduce the topic, meaning "as for the part starting from the Tauric land."
  2. §4.100.2τὰ κατύπερθε ἐς τὴν μεσόγαιαν φέροντα — The participle φέροντα (neuter plural) agrees with τὰ κατύπερθε ("the upper parts") and expresses the sense of "extending" or "stretching" into the interior.
  3. §4.100.2ἀποκληίεται — Passive verb meaning "is shut off" or "is bounded." The genitive nouns (such as Ἀγαθύρσων) introduced by the preposition ὑπό function as the agent of this passive construction.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.100.1-4.100.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.100.1-4.100.2

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