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Herodotus · Histories §4.148.1-4.148.4

Colonization of Thera and Cities Founded by the Minyae

Passage 712 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Theras leads a colony to the island of Thera (Calliste) with some of the rescued Minyae, while the remaining Minyae conquer other lands to found six cities.

§4.148.1ἐπὶ τούτους δὴ ὦν ὁ Θήρας λεὼν ἔχων ἀπὸ τῶν φυλέων ἔστελλε, συνοικήσων τούτοισι καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἐξελῶν αὐτοὺς ἀλλὰ κάρτα οἰκηιούμενος.
So Theras was preparing an expedition to these people, taking a body of men from the tribes, in order to dwell together with them, and by no means to drive them out, but rather to make them close friends.
§4.148.2ἐπείτε δὲ καὶ οἱ Μινύαι ἐκδράντες ἐκ τῆς ἑρκτῆς ἵζοντο ἐς τὸ Τηΰγετον, τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων βουλευομένων σφέας ἀπολλύναι παραιτέεται ὁ Θήρας, ὅκως μήτε φόνος γένηται, αὐτός τε ὑπεδέκετο σφέας ἐξάξειν ἐκ τῆς χώρης.
And when the Minyae had escaped from prison and settled on Mount Taygetus, while the Lacedaemonians were planning to put them to death, Theras interceded, so that there might be no slaughter, and himself undertook to lead them out of the land.
§4.148.3συγχωρησάντων δὲ τῇ γνώμῃ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, τρισὶ τριηκοντέροισι ἐς τοὺς Μεμβιάρου ἀπογόνους ἔπλωσε, οὔτι πάντας ἄγων τοὺς Μινύας ἀλλʼ ὀλίγους τινάς.
When the Lacedaemonians agreed to his plan, he sailed with three thirty-oared ships to the descendants of Membliarus, not taking all of the Minyae, but only a few of them.
§4.148.4οἱ γὰρ πλεῦνες αὐτῶν ἐτράποντο ἐς τοὺς Παρωρεάτας καὶ Καύκωνας, τούτους δὲ ἐξελάσαντες ἐκ τῆς χώρης σφέας αὐτοὺς ἓξ μοίρας διεῖλον, καὶ ἔπειτα ἔκτισαν πόλιας τάσδε ἐν αὐτοῖσι, Λέπρεον Μάκιστον Φρίξας Πύργον Ἔπιον Νούδιον.
For the majority of them turned towards the Paroreatae and Caucones, and having driven them out from the land, they divided themselves into six parts, and then founded these cities among them: Lepreum, Macistus, Phrixae, Pyrgus, Epium, and Nudium.
τουτέων δὲ τὰς πλεῦνας ἐπʼ ἐμέο Ἠλεῖοι ἐπόρθησαν.
Most of these were destroyed in my time by the Eleans.
τῇ δὲ νήσῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ οἰκιστέω Θήρα ἡ ἐπωνυμίη ἐγένετο.
And the island received its name, Thera, after its founder Theras.

Notes

  1. §4.148.1ἔστελλε — Imperfect tense. It expresses the attempt, intention, or preparation of the action ('was preparing an expedition' or 'was about to set out').
  2. §4.148.1συνοικήσων ... ἐξελῶν — Both are future participles expressing the purpose of the main verb ἔστελλε. ἐξελῶν is the future active participle of ἐξελαύνω (Attic future).
  3. §4.148.2τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων βουλευομένων — Genitive absolute construction (present participle). Embedded within the temporal clause introduced by ἐπείτε..., it describes the background circumstances ('while the Lacedaemonians were planning...') under which Theras made his plea.
  4. §4.148.4σφέας αὐτοὺς ἓξ μοίρας διεῖλον — διεῖλον takes a double accusative (the object divided and the resulting parts). Here it means they divided 'themselves' (whole) into 'six parts' (result).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.148.1-4.148.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.148.1-4.148.4

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