Herodotus · Histories §4.3.1-4.3.4

Revolt of the Slaves' Sons and the Strategy of the Whips

Passage 567 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

A younger generation born from the slaves and the Scythian women oppose the Scythians returning from their expedition by digging a trench. One Scythian proposes that instead of fighting them with weapons, they should approach them with whips to make them remember their servile status.

§4.3.1ἐκ τούτων δὴ ὦν σφι τῶν δούλων καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν ἐτράφη νεότης· οἳ ἐπείτε ἔμαθον τὴν σφετέρην γένεσιν, ἠντιοῦντο αὐτοῖσι κατιοῦσι ἐκ τῶν Μήδων.

Now, from these slaves and the women a younger generation grew up; who, when they learned their own origin, opposed the Scythians as they were returning from Media.

§4.3.2καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τὴν χώρην ἀπετάμοντο, τάφρον ὀρυξάμενοι εὐρέαν κατατείνουσαν ἐκ τῶν Ταυρικῶν ὀρέων ἐς τὴν Μαιῆτιν λίμνην, τῇ περ ἐστὶ μεγίστη· μετά γε πειρωμένοισι ἐσβάλλειν τοῖσι Σκύθῃσι ἀντικατιζόμενοι ἐμάχοντο.

And first indeed they cut off the land, having dug a broad trench extending from the Tauric mountains to the Lake Maeotis, where it is largest; and after that, confronting the Scythians who were attempting to invade, they fought against them.

§4.3.3γινομένης δὲ μάχης πολλάκις καί οὐ δυναμένων οὐδὲν πλέον ἔχειν τῶν Σκυθέων τῇ μάχῃ, εἷς αὐτῶν ἔλεξε τάδε. οἷα ποιεῦμεν, ἄνδρες Σκύθαι·

As battles occurred many times and the Scythians were unable to gain any advantage in the fighting, one of them said as follows: "What are we doing, men of Scythia?

δούλοισι τοῖσι ἡμετέροισι μαχόμενοι αὐτοί τε κτεινόμενοι ἐλάσσονες γινόμεθα καὶ ἐκείνους κτείνοντες ἐλασσόνων τὸ λοιπὸν ἄρξομεν.

By fighting our own slaves, we ourselves are being killed and becoming fewer, and by killing them, we shall rule over fewer in the future.

§4.3.4νῦν ὦν μοι δοκέει αἰχμὰς μὲν καὶ τόξα μετεῖναι, λαβόντα δὲ ἕκαστον τοῦ ἵππου τὴν μάστιγα ἰέναι ἆσσον αὐτῶν.

Now therefore, it seems to me that we should let go of our spears and bows, and each taking the whip of his horse, go closer to them.

μέχρι μὲν γὰρ ὥρων ἡμέας ὅπλα ἔχοντας, οἳ δὲ ἐνόμιζον ὅμοιοί τε καί ἐξ ὁμοίων ἡμῖν εἶναι· ἐπεὰν δὲ ἴδωνται μάστιγας ἀντὶ ὅπλων ἔχοντας, μαθόντες ὡς εἰσὶ ἡμέτεροι δοῦλοι καὶ συγγνόντες τοῦτο, οὐκ ὑπομενέουσι.

For as long as they saw us having weapons, they believed they were equal to us and born of equals; but when they see us having whips instead of weapons, having learned that they are our slaves and acknowledging this, they will not stand their ground."

Notes

4.3.1αὐτοῖσι κατιοῦσι — The pronoun αὐτοῖσι and the present participle κατιοῦσι (returning) are both dative plural, governed by the verb ἠντιοῦντο (opposed). In this context, they refer to the original Scythians returning from their long military campaign in Media.
4.3.2μετά γε πειρωμένοισι ἐσβάλλειν τοῖσι Σκύθῃσι — μετά is used here adverbially to mean "afterwards". πειρωμένοισι (attempting) takes the infinitive ἐσβάλλειν (to invade) and modifies the dative τοῖσι Σκύθῃσι. The whole phrase functions as the dative object of the verb ἐμάχοντο or the participle ἀντικατιζόμενοι.
4.3.3ἐλασσόνων τὸ λοιπὸν ἄρξομεν — The genitive comparative ἐλασσόνων (fewer) functions as the object of the verb ἄρξομεν (future of ἄρχω, "to rule"), which regularly governs the genitive case.
4.3.4μετεῖναι — The Aorist infinitive of μεθίημι (to let go, give up) in the Ionic dialect, corresponding to Attic μεθεῖναι. It forms part of the accusative-and-infinitive construction depending on the impersonal verb δοκέει (it seems good), with its subject ("we") omitted in context.
4.3.4ὅμοιοί τε καί ἐξ ὁμοίων ἡμῖν εἶναι — ὅμοιοί means "equals", and ἐξ ὁμοίων means "born of equals", both serving as predicate adjectives of the infinitive εἶναι. The dative ἡμῖν (to us) depends on ὅμοιοι.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.3.1-4.3.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.3.1-4.3.4

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