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Herodotus · Histories §4.152.1-4.152.5

The Samian Voyage to Tartessus and Immense Wealth

Passage 716 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Corobius is provisioned by a Samian ship, which is then blown off course to Tartessus and acquires immense wealth. The Samians dedicate a rich offering in the Heraeum, initiating friendships with Thera and Cyrene.

§4.152.1ἀποδημεόντων δὲ τούτων πλέω χρόνον τοῦ συγκειμένου τὸν Κορώβιον ἐπέλιπε τὰ πάντα, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα νηῦς Σαμίη, τῆς ναύκληρος ἦν Κωλαῖος, πλέουσα ἐπʼ Αἰγύπτου ἀπηνείχθη ἐς τὴν Πλατέαν ταύτην· πυθόμενοι δὲ οἱ Σάμιοι παρὰ τοῦ Κορωβίου τὸν πάντα λόγον, σιτία οἱ ἐνιαυτοῦ καταλείπουσι.
Since these men were away for a longer time than had been agreed upon, Corobius ran out of all his provisions. After this, however, a Samian ship, of which Colaeus was the master, sailing for Egypt, was carried out of her course to this island of Platea; and the Samians, having learned the whole story from Corobius, left him provisions for a year.
§4.152.2αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀναχθέντες ἐκ τῆς νήσου καὶ γλιχόμενοι Αἰγύπτου ἔπλεον, ἀποφερόμενοι ἀπηλιώτῃ ἀνέμῳ· καὶ οὐ γὰρ ἀνίει τὸ πνεῦμα, Ἡρακλέας στήλας διεκπερήσαντες ἀπίκοντο ἐς Ταρτησσόν, θείῃ πομπῇ χρεώμενοι.
They themselves put to sea from the island and sailed on, desiring to reach Egypt, but were carried away by an easterly wind; and as the wind did not abate, they passed through the Pillars of Heracles and, under divine guidance, arrived at Tartessus.
§4.152.3τὸ δὲ ἐμπόριον τοῦτο ἦν ἀκήρατον τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον, ὥστε ἀπονοστήσαντες οὗτοι ὀπίσω μέγιστα δὴ Ἑλλήνων πάντων τῶν ἡμεῖς ἀτρεκείην ἴδμεν ἐκ φορτίων ἐκέρδησαν, μετά γε Σώστρατον τὸν Λαοδάμαντος Αἰγινήτην· τούτῳ γὰρ οὐκ οἷά τε ἐστὶ ἐρίσαι ἄλλον.
This market was at that time untouched, so that these men, on their return home, made the greatest profit from their cargo of all the Greeks of whom we have accurate knowledge, after Sostratus, at least, the son of Laodamas, the Aeginetan; for with him it is not possible for any other to compete.
§4.152.4οἱ δὲ Σάμιοι τὴν δεκάτην τῶν ἐπικερδίων ἐξελόντες ἓξ τάλαντα ἐποιήσαντο χαλκήιον κρητῆρος Ἀργολικοῦ τρόπον· πέριξ δὲ αὐτοῦ γρυπῶν κεφαλαὶ πρόκροσσοί εἰσι.
The Samians, taking a tenth part of their profits, which amounted to six talents, made a bronze vessel after the fashion of an Argolic crater; around it there are griffin heads projecting.
καὶ ἀνέθηκαν ἐς τὸ Ἥραιον, ὑποστήσαντες αὐτῷ τρεῖς χαλκέους κολοσσοὺς ἑπταπήχεας τοῖσι γούνασι ἐρηρεισμένους.
This they dedicated in the Heraeum, having supported it with three bronze colossal statues, seven cubits high, resting upon their knees.
§4.152.5Κυρηναίοισι δὲ καὶ Θηραίοισι ἐς Σαμίους ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ ἔργου πρῶτα φιλίαι μεγάλαι συνεκρήθησαν.
From this deed, great friendships were first cemented between the Cyrenaeans and Theraeans on one side and the Samians on the other.

Notes

  1. §4.152.1ἀποδημεόντων δὲ τούτων πλέω χρόνον τοῦ συγκειμένου — The genitive absolute `ἀποδημεόντων δὲ τούτων` (since these men were away) is modified by the accusative of duration of time `πλέω χρόνον` (for a longer time), which in turn takes the genitive of comparison `τοῦ συγκειμένου` (than what had been agreed upon, where `πλέω` is a contracted form of `πλείονα`).
  2. §4.152.1τὸν Κορώβιον ἐπέλιπε τὰ πάντα — The verb `ἐπιλείπω` (to fail, run out) here takes the thing that runs out (`τὰ πάντα`, "all things") as the subject and the person who suffers the lack (`τὸν Κορώβιον`) as the accusative object. Note that the syntactic subject and object are the reverse of expressions like "Corobius ran out of everything".
  3. §4.152.2καὶ οὐ γὰρ ἀνίει — Although the position of `γάρ` is irregular, this is a variation of `καὶ γάρ` with a negation (`καὶ οὐ γάρ`, "for ... not"). The verb `ἀνίει` is the third-person singular imperfect of `ἀνίημι`, used here intransitively to mean "(the wind) abate, slacken".
  4. §4.152.3τῶν ἡμεῖς ἀτρεκείην ἴδμεν — The relative pronoun `τῶν` agrees with its antecedent `Ἑλλήνων πάντων` in the genitive. `ἴδμεν` is the first-person plural present of `οἶδα` in the Ionic and epic dialect. `ἀτρεκείην` is an accusative meaning "accuracy/certainty", used adverbially to modify the verb ("of whom we have certain knowledge").
  5. §4.152.4τοῖσι γούνασι ἐρηρεισμένους — `ἐρηρεισμένους` is the masculine accusative plural perfect passive participle of `ἐρείδω` (to prop, support), modifying `κολοσσούς`. The dative `τοῖσι γούνασι` (with/on their knees) describes the posture of the colossal statues, either "resting on their knees" or "propped up by their knees" to support the vessel.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.152.1-4.152.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.152.1-4.152.5

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