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Herodotus · Histories §4.22.1-4.22.3

Hunting Lifestyles of the Thyssagetae and Iyrcae

Passage 586 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

This chunk describes the hunting lifestyles of the Thyssagetae and Iyrcae beyond the northern desert, and mentions another Scythian group to the east who broke away from the Royal Scythians.

§4.22.1Βουδίνων δὲ κατύπερθε πρὸς βορέην ἐστὶ πρώτη μὲν ἔρημος ἐπʼ ἡμερέων ἑπτὰ ὁδόν, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἔρημον ἀποκλίνοντι μᾶλλον πρὸς ἀπηλιώτην ἄνεμον νέμονται Θυσσαγέται, ἔθνος πολλὸν καὶ ἴδιον· ζῶσι δὲ ἀπὸ θήρης.
Above the Budini towards the north there is first a desert for a journey of seven days, and after the desert, to one turning more towards the east wind, the Thyssagetae dwell, a numerous and distinct nation; and they live by hunting.
§4.22.2συνεχέες δὲ τούτοισι ἐν τοῖσι αὐτοῖσι τόποισι κατοικημένοι εἰσὶ τοῖσι οὔνομα κεῖται Ἰύρκαι, καὶ οὗτοι ἀπὸ θήρης ζῶντες τρόπῳ τοιῷδε· λοχᾷ ἐπὶ δένδρεον ἀναβάς, τὰ δὲ ἐστὶ πυκνὰ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν χώρην· ἵππος δὲ ἑκάστῳ δεδιδαγμένος ἐπὶ γαστέρα κεῖσθαι ταπεινότητος εἵνεκα ἕτοιμος ἐστὶ καὶ κύων· ἐπεὰν δὲ ἀπίδῃ τὸ θηρίον ἀπὸ τοῦ δενδρέου, τοξεύσας ἐπιβὰς ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον διώκει, καὶ ὁ κύων ἔχεται,
Bordering on these, settled in the same regions, are those whose name is given as the Iyrcae, and these too live by hunting in the following manner: climbing up a tree, he lies in wait, and these trees are thick throughout the whole country; and for each man a horse, trained to lie on its belly for the sake of keeping low, is ready, as well as a dog; and when he espies the wild beast from the tree, having shot it with an arrow and mounted his horse, he pursues, and the dog keeps close.
§4.22.3ὑπὲρ δὲ τούτων τὸ πρὸς τὴν ἠῶ ἀποκλίνοντι οἰκέουσι Σκύθαι ἄλλοι, ἀπὸ τῶν βασιληίων Σκυθέων ἀποστάντες καὶ οὕτω ἀπικόμενοι ἐς τοῦτον τὸν χῶρον.
Above these, to one turning towards the east, dwell other Scythians, who revolted from the Royal Scythians and thus came to this region.

Notes

  1. §4.22.1ἀποκλίνοντι — The dative participle ἀποκλίνοντι is a dative of reference (or relation) commonly used in geographical navigation ('for one turning/inclining towards'), serving to indicate direction without introducing a specific subject.
  2. §4.22.2ἵππος δὲ ἑκάστῳ δεδιδαγμένος ... ἕτοιμος ἐστὶ καὶ κύων — The verb ἕτοιμος ἐστὶ is singular despite having two subjects, ἵππος and κύων. This is a common construction where the verb agrees with the nearest subject (ἵππος) and is understood to apply to the subsequent subject as well.
  3. §4.22.2ἔχεται — The verb ἔχεται is the middle voice of ἔχω, meaning here 'clings closely' or 'keeps close'. In connection with the preceding verb διώκει ('pursues'), it indicates that the trained dog follows the chase of the horse and rider without lagging behind.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.22.1-4.22.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.22.1-4.22.3

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