Herodotus · Histories §4.186.1-4.186.2

Taboos on Cows and Swine among Nomadic Libyans

Passage 750 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author explains that the nomadic Libyans from Egypt to Lake Tritonis abstain from eating cows and rearing pigs like the Egyptians, and that the women of Cyrene and Barca also observe similar dietary taboos and religious rites.

§4.186.1οὕτω μὲν μέχρι τῆς Τριτωνίδος λίμνης ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου νομάδες εἰσὶ κρεοφάγοι τε καὶ γαλακτοπόται Λίβυες, καὶ θηλέων τε βοῶν οὔτι γευόμενοι, διότι περ οὐδὲ Αἰγύπτιοι, καὶ ὗς οὐ τρέφοντες.

Thus, from Egypt as far as Lake Tritonis, the Libyans are nomadic eaters of meat and drinkers of milk, not tasting the flesh of female cattle at all, for the very same reason as the Egyptians, and not rearing pigs.

§4.186.2βοῶν μέν νυν θηλέων οὐδʼ αἱ Κυρηναίων γυναῖκες δικαιοῦσι πατέεσθαι διὰ τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ Ἶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νηστηίας αὐτῇ καὶ ὁρτὰς ἐπιτελέουσι.

Now, even the women of Cyrene do not think it right to eat female cattle, because of Isis in Egypt, but they even observe fasts and festivals in her honour.

αἱ δὲ τῶν Βαρκαίων γυναῖκες οὐδὲ ὑῶν πρὸς τῇσι βουσὶ γεύονται.

Moreover, the women of Barca do not taste pigs either, in addition to cattle.

Notes

4.186.1διότι περ οὐδὲ Αἰγύπτιοι — After 'οὐδὲ Αἰγύπτιοι' (not even the Egyptians), an ellipsis of the verb from the preceding clause, such as 'γεύονται θηλέων βοῶν' (taste female cattle), should be supplied. It indicates that the Libyan nomads share the same religious taboo as the Egyptians, who do not eat cows because of their sacred status.
4.186.2δικαιοῦσι πατέεσθαι — The verb 'δικαιόω' means 'to deem right, think fit' and takes an infinitive. Here, with the negative 'οὐδέ', it means 'they do not think it right to' or 'they refuse to'. 'πατέεσθαι' is the present (or aorist) middle infinitive of the Ionic verb 'πατέομαι' (to eat, taste).
4.186.2πρὸς τῇσι βουσὶ — The preposition 'πρὸς' with the dative case means 'in addition to'. It indicates that the women of Barca, besides observing the taboo against eating cattle (like the Cyrenaean women), have an additional restriction against eating pigs ('οὐδὲ ὑῶν').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.186.1-4.186.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.186.1-4.186.2

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