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Herodotus · Histories §4.20.1-4.20.2

Territory of the Royal Scythians and the Melanchlaeni

Passage 584 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

This passage describes the vast territory of the Royal Scythians located beyond the Gerrhus river, and the non-Scythian Melanchlaeni dwelling to their north, beyond whom lies an uninhabited land of lakes.

§4.20.1πέρην δὲ τοῦ Γέρρου ταῦτα δὴ τὰ καλεύμενα βασιλήια ἐστὶ καὶ Σκύθαι οἱ ἄριστοί τε καὶ πλεῖστοι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους νομίζοντες Σκύθας δούλους σφετέρους εἶναι·
Beyond the Gerrhus are those very lands which are called the Royal territory, and the Scythians who are both the best and the most numerous, who regard the other Scythians as their slaves.
κατήκουσι δὲ οὗτοι τὸ μὲν πρὸς μεσαμβρίην ἐς τὴν Ταυρικήν, τὸ δὲ πρὸς ἠῶ ἐπί τε τάφρον, τὴν δὴ οἱ ἐκ τῶν τυφλῶν γενόμενοι ὤρυξαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς λίμνης τῆς Μαιήτιδος τὸ ἐμπόριον τὸ καλέεται Κρημνοί· τὰ δὲ αὐτῶν κατήκουσι ἐπὶ ποταμὸν Τάναϊν.
These extend on the south as far as Taurica, and on the east both to the trench which the sons of the blind men dug, and to the trading-port on the Lake Maeotis which is called Cremni; and some parts of their territory extend to the river Tanais.
§4.20.2τὰ δὲ κατύπερθε πρὸς βορέην ἄνεμον τῶν βασιληίων Σκυθέων οἰκέουσι Μελάγχλαινοι, ἄλλο ἔθνος καὶ οὐ Σκυθικὸν.
To the north of the Royal Scythians dwell the Melanchlaeni, a different nation and not Scythian.
Μελαγχλαίνων δὲ τὸ κατύπερθε λίμναι καὶ ἔρημος ἐστὶ ἀνθρώπων, κατʼ ὅσον ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν.
Beyond the Melanchlaeni to the north are lakes and a desert destitute of men, as far as we know.

Notes

  1. §4.20.1Σκύθαι οἱ ἄριστοί τε καὶ πλεῖστοι — The verb εἰσί is to be supplied for the plural subject Σκύθαι from the preceding singular verb ἐστί, or the phrase is understood as a nominative absolute with the participle νομίζοντες.
  2. §4.20.1τὰ δὲ αὐτῶν — The neuter plural τὰ δὲ refers to 'the eastern parts of their territory' or 'their boundaries to the east', serving as the subject of the plural verb κατήκουσι.
  3. §4.20.2ἴδμεν — An Ionic form equivalent to the Attic ἴσμεν (first-person plural of οἶδα). Together with κατʼ ὅσον, it expresses a restrictive sense: 'as far as we know'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.20.1-4.20.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.20.1-4.20.2

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