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Herodotus · Histories §4.194.1

Honey Production and Customs of the Gyzantes

Passage 758 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The text describes the Gyzantes, neighbors of the Zauyces, noting their practice of making honey manually as well as using bees, and their custom of painting themselves with red ochre and eating the abundant mountain monkeys.

§4.194.1τούτων δὲ Γύζαντες ἔχονται, ἐν τοῖσι μέλι πολλὸν μὲν μέλισσαι κατεργάζονται, πολλῷ δʼ ἔτι πλέον λέγεται δημιοεργοὺς ἄνδρας ποιέειν.
Next to these are the Gyzantes, among whom a great deal of honey is made by bees, and it is said that craftsmen make far more still.
μιλτοῦνται δʼ ὦν πάντες οὗτοι καὶ πιθηκοφαγέουσι.
At any rate, all these people paint themselves with red ochre and eat monkeys.
οἳ δὲ σφι ἄφθονοι ὅσοι ἐν τοῖσι ὄρεσι γίνονται.
And these are found in abundance for them, as many as exist in the mountains.

Notes

  1. §4.194.1λέγεται δημιοεργοὺς ἄνδρας ποιέειν — The impersonal construction 'λέγεται' ('it is said') governs an accusative and infinitive clause, with 'δημιοεργοὺς ἄνδρας' ('craftsmen') as the subject accusative and 'ποιέειν' ('to make') as the infinitive. The omitted object of the infinitive is 'πλέον (μέλι)' ('more honey'), supplied from the preceding clause.
  2. §4.194.1οἳ δὲ σφι ἄφθονοι ὅσοι — 'οἳ' functions as a demonstrative pronoun referring back to the monkeys ('πίθηκοι') implied in 'πιθηκοφαγέουσι'. 'ἄφθονοι' is used predicatively, and the 'ὅσοι' clause ('as many as are produced/exist') limits or specifies the subject.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.194.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.194.1

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