Herodotus · Histories §4.101.1-4.101.3

Dimensions and Square Shape of Scythia Calculated by Travel

Passage 665 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author conceptualizes Scythia as a square with two sides bordering the sea, and calculates its dimensions (both width and depth into the interior) using travel days to show it is four thousand stades on each side.

§4.101.1ἔστι ὦν τῆς Σκυθικῆς ὡς ἐούσης τετραγώνου, τῶν δύο μερέων κατηκόντων ἐς θάλασσαν, πάντῃ ἴσον τό τε ἐς τὴν μεσόγαιαν φέρον καὶ τὸ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν.

Therefore, considering Scythia as being a square, with two of its sides reaching down to the sea, the side stretching into the interior and the side along the sea are equal in every way.

§4.101.2ἀπὸ γὰρ Ἴστρου ἐπὶ Βορυσθένεα δέκα ἡμερέων ὁδός ἀπὸ Βορυσθένεος τε ἐπὶ τὴν λίμνην τὴν Μαιῆτιν ἑτερέων δέκα· καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἐς μεσόγαιαν ἐς τοὺς Μελαγχλαίνους τοὺς κατύπερθε Σκυψέων οἰκημένους εἴκοσι ἡμερέων ὁδὸς.

For from the Ister to the Borysthenes is a journey of ten days, and from the Borysthenes to Lake Maeotis is another ten days; and that from the sea into the interior as far as the Melanchlaeni, who dwell above the Scythians, is a journey of twenty days.

§4.101.3ἡ δὲ ὁδὸς ἡ ἡμερησίη ἀνὰ διηκόσια στάδια συμβέβληταί μοι.

Now, a day’s journey has been calculated by me at two hundred stades.

οὕτω ἂν εἴη τῆς Σκυθικῆς τὰ ἐπικάρσια τετρακισχιλίων σταδίων καὶ τὰ ὄρθια τὰ ἐς τὴν μεσόγαιαν φέροντα ἑτέρων τοσούτων σταδίων.

Thus, the transverse sides of Scythia would be four thousand stades, and the vertical sides stretching into the interior would be another equal number of stades.

ἡ μέν νυν γῆ αὕτη ἐστὶ μέγαθος τοσαύτη.

This, then, is the size of this land.

Notes

4.101.1ἔστι ὦν τῆς Σκυθικῆς ὡς ἐούσης τετραγώνου — The phrase ὡς ἐούσης τετραγώνου is a genitive absolute construction, where the particle ὡς marks a presumption or subjective assertion ('assuming it to be square'). The genitive τῆς Σκυθικῆς serves as the subject of the participle.
4.101.2Σκυψέων — The reading Σκυψέων in the text is highly likely a manuscript corruption or variant for Σκυθέων (Scythians). Given that the previous chapter (4.100.2) locations the Melanchlaeni north of the Scythians, this word must be interpreted as 'Scythians.'
4.101.3οὕτω ἂν εἴη — The optative εἴη with ἄν represents a potential construction, indicating a logical inference or calculation ('would be' / 'should be').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.101.1-4.101.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.101.1-4.101.3

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