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Herodotus · Histories §4.19.1

Territory and Lands of the Nomad Scythians

Passage 583 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Describes that to the east of the agricultural Scythians, across the river Panticapes, dwell the nomad Scythians who do not farm, and whose treeless territory extends for a fourteen days' journey as far as the river Gerrhus.

§4.19.1τὸ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἠῶ τῶν γεωργῶν τούτων Σκυθέων, διαβάντι τὸν Παντικάπην ποταμόν, νομάδες ἤδη Σκύθαι νέμονται, οὔτε τι σπείροντες οὐδέν οὔτε ἀροῦντες· ψιλή δέ δενδρέων ἡ πᾶσα αὕτη πλήν τῆς Ὑλαίης.
But to the east of these agricultural Scythians, for one who has crossed the river Panticapes, nomad Scythians now occupy the land, who neither sow anything at all nor plow; and this whole territory is bare of trees, except for the Woodland.
οἱ δὲ νομάδες οὗτοι τὸ πρὸς τὴν ἠῶ ἡμερέων τεσσέρων καὶ δέκα ὁδὸν νέμονται χώρην κατατείνουσαν ἐπὶ ποταμὸν Γέρρον.
These nomads occupy the region toward the east for a journey of fourteen days, stretching as far as the river Gerrhus.

Notes

  1. §4.19.1διαβάντι — Dative masculine singular of the aorist participle, functioning as a dative of reference or relation, commonly used in geographical descriptions to indicate the viewpoint of a traveler ("for one having crossed").
  2. §4.19.1δενδρέων — The genitive plural `δενδρέων` is a genitive of separation or deprivation, dependent on the adjective `ψιλή` ("bare of trees").
  3. §4.19.1ὁδὸν — Accusative of extent of space, indicating the distance of the journey ("a journey of fourteen days"), serving to define the spatial range of the verb `νέμονται`.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.19.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.19.1

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