Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §4.38.1-4.38.2

Boundaries of the First Peninsula of Asia

Passage 602 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author describes the boundaries of the first of the two peninsulas extending westward from the Persian core region (Asia Minor), which is bounded by the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean to the south, and is inhabited by thirty nations.

§4.38.1ἐνθεῦτεν δὲ τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέρης ἀκταὶ διφάσιαι ἀπʼ αὐτῆς κατατείνουσι ἐς θάλασσαν, τὰς ἐγὼ ἀπηγήσομαι·
From this region, toward the west, two peninsulas stretch out from it into the sea, which I shall describe.
§4.38.2ἔνθεν μὲν ἡ ἀκτὴ ἡ ἑτέρη τὰ πρὸς βορέην ἀπὸ Φάσιος ἀρξαμένη παρατέταται ἐς θάλασσαν παρά τε τὸν Πόντον καὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον μέχρι Σιγείου τοῦ Τρωικοῦ· τὰ δὲ πρὸς νότου ἡ αὐτὴ αὕτη ἀκτὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ Μυριανδικοῦ κόλπου τοῦ πρὸς Φοινίκῃ κειμένου τείνει τὰ ἐς θάλασσαν μέχρι Τριοπίου ἄκρης.
On the one hand, the one of the two peninsulas, on its northern side, beginning from the Phasis, extends along into the sea beside both the Pontus and the Hellespont as far as Sigeum in the Troad; and on its southern side, this same peninsula, starting from the Myriandic gulf which lies near Phoenicia, stretches to the sea as far as the Triopian promontory.
οἰκέει δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀκτῇ ταύτῃ ἔθνεα ἀνθρώπων τριήκοντα.
In this peninsula there dwell thirty nations of men.

Notes

  1. 4.38.1ἀπʼ αὐτῆς — The feminine singular pronoun αὐτῆς refers to the belt or territory of the four nations dwelling from 'sea to sea' mentioned in the preceding section (37.1).
  2. 4.38.1ἀκταὶ — Although the word originally means 'coast' or 'shore', in Herodotus' geographical descriptions it is used to designate a large westward-jutting 'peninsula' (here, Asia Minor and the Arabian peninsula).
  3. 4.38.2τὰ πρὸς βορέην — An adverbial accusative meaning 'on the northern side.' The corresponding phrase `τὰ δὲ πρὸς νότου` similarly means 'on the southern side,' contrasting and defining the northern and southern coastlines of the same peninsula (Asia Minor).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.38.1-4.38.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.38.1-4.38.2

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