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Herodotus · Histories §4.24.1

Trade with the Argippaeans and the Seven Languages

Passage 588 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Up to the country of the bald men (Argippaeans), information is well known through the Scythians and Greeks who travel there, conducting their business through seven interpreters and seven languages.

§4.24.1μέχρι μέν νυν τῶν φαλακρῶν τούτων πολλὴ περιφανείη τῆς χώρης ἐστὶ καὶ τῶν ἔμπροσθε ἐθνέων· καὶ γὰρ Σκυθέων τινὲς ἀπικνέονται ἐς αὐτούς, τῶν οὐ χαλεπόν ἐστι πυθέσθαι καὶ Ἑλλήνων τῶν ἐκ Βορυσθένεος τε ἐμπορίου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ποντικῶν ἐμπορίων·
Now, as far as these bald men, there is great knowledge of the country and of the nations before them; for some of the Scythians travel to them, from whom it is not difficult to obtain information, as well as from those Greeks who come from the trading port of Borysthenes and the other trading ports of the Pontus.
Σκυθέων δὲ οἳ ἂν ἔλθωσι ἐς αὐτούς, διʼ ἑπτὰ ἑρμηνέων καὶ διʼ ἑπτὰ γλωσσέων διαπρήσσονται.
And those of the Scythians who go to them transact their business by means of seven interpreters and seven languages.

Notes

  1. §4.24.1τῶν οὐ χαλεπόν ἐστι πυθέσθαι — The relative pronoun `τῶν` is a genitive of source depending on the infinitive `πυθέσθαι` ('to learn/inquire from them'). Its antecedents are both the preceding `Σκυθέων τινὲς` and the subsequent `Ἑλλήνων`.
  2. §4.24.1διαπρήσσονται — The verb `διαπρήσσονται` (middle voice) means 'they transact their business' or 'carry out negotiations,' referring here to the trade and communication through multiple language zones.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.24.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.24.1

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