Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §4.145.1-4.145.5

Arrival and Reception of the Minyae in Lacedaemon

Passage 709 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

As a background to the Libyan expedition, the author narrates how the descendants of the Argonauts (the Minyae) were driven from Lemnos by the Pelasgians, fled to Lacedaemon, and were received there.

§4.145.1οὗτος μέν νυν ταῦτα ἔπρησσε. τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τοῦτον χρόνον ἐγίνετο ἐπὶ Λιβύην ἄλλος στρατιῆς μέγας στόλος, διὰ πρόφασιν τὴν ἐγὼ ἀπηγήσομαι προδιηγησάμενος πρότερον τάδε.
While this man was doing these things, at this very same time another great military expedition was being prepared against Libya, for a reason which I shall relate after I have first narrated the following things.
§4.145.2τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἀργοῦς ἐπιβατέων παίδων παῖδες ἐξελασθέντες ὑπὸ Πελασγῶν τῶν ἐκ Βραυρῶνος ληισαμένων τὰς Ἀθηναίων γυναῖκας, ὑπὸ τούτων ἐξελασθέντες ἐκ Λήμνου οἴχοντο πλέοντες ἐς Λακεδαίμονα, ἱζόμενοι δὲ ἐν τῷ Τηϋγέτῳ πῦρ ἀνέκαιον.
The grandchildren of the crew of the Argo, having been driven out by the Pelasgians who had carried off the Athenian women from Brauron—having been driven out by them from Lemnos, went sailing to Lacedaemon, and encamping on Mount Taygetus, they kindled a fire.
§4.145.3Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ ἰδόντες ἄγγελον ἔπεμπον πευσόμενοι τίνες τε καὶ ὁκόθεν εἰσί· οἳ δὲ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ εἰρωτῶντι ἔλεγον ὡς εἴησαν μὲν Μινύαι, παῖδες δὲ εἶεν τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀργοῖ πλεόντων ἡρώων, προσσχόντας δὲ τούτους ἐς Λῆμνον φυτεῦσαι σφέας.
The Lacedaemonians, seeing this, sent a messenger to inquire who they were and where they came from; and they told the inquiring messenger that they were Minyae, children of the heroes who sailed in the Argo, and that when these latter had put in at Lemnos, they had begotten them.
§4.145.4οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι ἀκηκοότες τὸν λόγον τῆς γενεῆς τῶν Μινυέων, πέμψαντες τὸ δεύτερον εἰρώτων τί θέλοντες ἥκοιέν τε ἐς τὴν χώρην καὶ πῦρ αἴθοιεν.
When the Lacedaemonians had heard the account of the lineage of the Minyae, they sent a second time to ask with what intent they had come to the land and were burning a fire.
οἳ δὲ ἔφασαν ὑπὸ Πελασγῶν ἐκβληθέντες ἥκειν ἐς τοὺς πατέρας· δικαιότατον γὰρ εἶναι οὕτω τοῦτο γίνεσθαι. δέεσθαι δὲ οἰκέειν ἅμα τούτοισι μοῖράν τε τιμέων μετέχοντες καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπολαχόντες.
They said that they had come to their fathers, having been cast out by the Pelasgians; for it was most just that this should happen so; and they requested to dwell with them, sharing in their honors and receiving a portion of the land.
§4.145.5Λακεδαιμονίοισι δὲ ἕαδε δέκεσθαι τοὺς Μινύας ἐπʼ οἷσι θέλουσι αὐτοί.
The Lacedaemonians were pleased to receive the Minyae on the terms they themselves wished.
μάλιστα δὲ ἐνῆγε σφέας ὥστε ποιέειν ταῦτα τῶν Τυνδαριδέων ἡ ναυτιλίη ἐν τῇ Ἀργοῖ.
What chiefly induced them to do this was the participation of the Tyndaridae in the voyage of the Argo.
δεξάμενοι δὲ τοὺς Μινύας γῆς τε μετέδοσαν καὶ ἐς φυλὰς διεδάσαντο. οἳ δὲ αὐτίκα μὲν γάμους ἔγημαν, τὰς δὲ ἐκ Λήμνου ἤγοντο ἐξέδοσαν ἄλλοισι.
Having received the Minyae, they shared their land with them and distributed them among their tribes; and they immediately contracted marriages, and gave those women whom they had brought from Lemnos in marriage to others.

Notes

  1. §4.145.1προδιηγησάμενος — An aorist participle modifying the future main verb `ἀπηγήσομαι`. It functions adverbially to indicate an action that must take place prior to the main action: "after I have first narrated."
  2. §4.145.2παίδων παῖδες — Literally "children of children," an idiomatic way of expressing "grandchildren" or "descendants."
  3. §4.145.3προσσχόντας δὲ τούτους ἐς Λῆμνον φυτεῦσαι σφέας — An accusative-with-infinitive construction in indirect discourse. The subject of the infinitive `φυτεῦσαι` is the accusative `τούτους` (referring to the Argonauts), which is modified by the participle `προσσχόντας`. The pronoun `σφέας` is the direct object, referring reflexively to the speakers (the Minyae).
  4. §4.145.4τί θέλοντες — The combination of the neuter accusative singular interrogative pronoun `τί` and the present participle `θέλοντες` (wishing, wanting) is an idiomatic construction meaning "with what intent" or "for what purpose."
  5. §4.145.5ἐπʼ οἷσι θέλουσι — The relative pronoun `οἷσι` (Ionic dative plural, equivalent to Attic `οἷς`) attracted or assimilated to the dative case governed by the preposition `ἐπί`. It stands for `ἐπὶ τούτοις ἃ θέλουσι` ("on those terms which they wish"), with the antecedent omitted.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.145.1-4.145.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.145.1-4.145.5

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