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Herodotus · Histories §4.137.1-4.137.3

Debate of the Ionian Tyrants and Histiaeus's Advice

Passage 701 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Ionian tyrants debate their course of action; while Miltiades proposes to side with the Scythians and free Ionia, Histiaeus convinces the others that their own power depends on Darius's survival, prompting everyone to support his view.

§4.137.1πρὸς ταῦτα Ἴωνες ἐβουλεύοντο.
In response to this, the Ionians held a council.
Μιλτιάδεω μὲν τοῦ Ἀθηναίου, στρατηγέοντος καὶ τυραννεύοντος Χερσονησιτέων τῶν ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ, ἦν γνώμη πείθεσθαι Σκύθῃσι καὶ ἐλευθεροῦν Ἰωνίην,
The opinion of Miltiades the Athenian, who was commander and tyrant of the Chersonesites on the Hellespont, was to follow the Scythians and free Ionia.
§4.137.2Ἱστιαίου δὲ τοῦ Μιλησίου ἐναντίη ταύτῃ, λέγοντος ὡς νῦν μὲν διὰ Δαρεῖον ἕκαστος αὐτῶν τυραννεύει πόλιος· τῆς Δαρείου δὲ δυνάμιος καταιρεθείσης οὔτε αὐτὸς Μιλησίων οἷος τε ἔσεσθαι ἄρχειν οὔτε ἄλλον οὐδένα οὐδαμῶν· βουλήσεσθαι γὰρ ἑκάστην τῶν πολίων δημοκρατέεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ τυραννεύεσθαι.
But that of Histiaeus of Miletus was opposite to this; he said that now, thanks to Darius, each of them ruled as tyrant over a city, but if the power of Darius were overthrown, neither he himself would be able to rule the Milesians nor anyone else any other people, for each of the cities would prefer to be democratically governed rather than to be ruled by a tyrant.
§4.137.3Ἰστιαίου δὲ γνώμην ταύτην ἀποδεικνυμένου αὐτίκα πάντες ἦσαν τετραμμένοι πρὸς ταύτην τὴν γνώμην, πρότερον τὴν Μιλτιάδεω αἱρεόμενοι.
When Histiaeus expressed this opinion, immediately all of them turned to this opinion, though they had previously chosen that of Miltiades.

Notes

  1. 4.137.1Μιλτιάδεω μὲν τοῦ Ἀθηναίου ... ἦν γνώμη — The genitive Μιλτιάδεω depends on the noun γνώμη, with ἦν γνώμη forming a construction of possession: 'it was the opinion of Miltiades.'
  2. 4.137.2λέγοντος — A genitive participle agreeing with Ἱστιαίου. It introduces the indirect discourse consisting of the ὡς clause and the subsequent infinitive clauses (ἔσεσθαι and βουλήσεσθαι).
  3. 4.137.2τῆς Δαρείου δὲ δυνάμιος καταιρεθείσης — A genitive absolute construction expressing condition ('if the power of Darius were overthrown').
  4. 4.137.2οὔτε αὐτὸς Μιλησίων οἷος τε ἔσεσθαι ἄρχειν — The indirect discourse introduced by λέγοντος continues here with an infinitive clause. Because the subject of the infinitive (ἔσεσθαι) is the same as the speaker (Histiaeus), it is in the nominative (αὐτός) rather than the accusative. The idiom οἷός τέ εἰμι + infinitive means 'to be able to.'
  5. 4.137.3πρότερον τὴν Μιλτιάδεω αἱρεόμενοι — The participle αἱρεόμενοι ('choosing') agrees with the subject of the main clause, πάντες. It expresses a previous preference or concession: 'although they had previously chosen the opinion of Miltiades.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.137.1-4.137.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.137.1-4.137.3

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