Herodotus · Histories §4.27.1

The One-Eyed Arimaspi and the Gold-Guarding Griffins

Passage 591 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Explains how the legends of one-eyed men and gold-guarding griffins in the regions north of the Issedones were transmitted from the Issedones to the Scythians, and then to the Greeks, along with the Scythian etymology of the name "Arimaspi."

§4.27.1γινώσκονται μὲν δὴ καὶ οὗτοι, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτων τὸ κατύπερθε Ἰσσηδόνες εἰσὶ οἱ λέγοντες μουνοφθάλμους ἀνθρώπους καὶ χρυσοφύλακας γρῦπας εἶναι· παρὰ δὲ τούτων Σκύθαι παραλαβόντες λέγουσι, παρὰ δὲ Σκυθέων ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄλλοι νενομίκαμεν καὶ ὀνομάζομεν αὐτοὺς σκυθιστὶ Ἀριμασπούς· ἄριμα γὰρ ἓν καλέουσι Σκύθαι, σποῦ δὲ ὀφθαλμόν.

Indeed, these people also are known, but as for the region above them, it is the Issedones who say that there are one-eyed men and gold-guarding griffins; and having received this account from them, the Scythians tell it, and from the Scythians we, the rest, have accepted the belief and call them, in Scythian, Arimaspians; for the Scythians call "arima" one, and "spou" eye.

Notes

4.27.1τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτων τὸ κατύπερθε — This phrase, substantivized by neuter articles, functions as an accusative of respect or a topic-setting absolute phrase at the beginning of the clause.
4.27.1Ἰσσηδόνες εἰσὶ οἱ λέγοντες — A cleft-like emphatic construction where the substantivized participle "οἱ λέγοντες" (those who say) acts as the subject, and "Ἰσσηδόνες" is the predicate: "it is the Issedones who say..."
4.27.1νενομίκαμεν — The perfect tense of νομίζω (to hold as custom/belief), denoting a present state resulting from a past acceptance: "we have accepted and now hold as established belief."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.27.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.27.1

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