Herodotus · Histories §4.51.1

The Tyras river, its source, and the Tyritae

Passage 615 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Introduces the Tyras as the next major Scythian river after the Ister, describing its source in a great lake and the Greek residents called Tyritae who dwell at its mouth.

§4.51.1εἷς μὲν δὴ τῶν ποταμῶν τοῖσι Σκύθῃσι ἐστὶ ὁ Ἴστρος, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον Τύρης, ὃς ἀπὸ βορέω μὲν ἀνέμου ὁρμᾶται, ἄρχεται δὲ ῥέων ἐκ λίμνης μεγάλης ἣ οὐρίζει τήν τε Σκυθικὴν καὶ Νευρίδα γῆν.

One of the rivers for the Scythians is indeed the Ister, and after this the Tyras, which starts from the north wind and begins its flow from a great lake that bounds the Scythian and the Neurian lands.

ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ κατοίκηνται Ἕλληνες οἳ Τυρῖται καλέονται.

At its mouth dwell Greeks who are called Tyritae.

Notes

4.51.1τοῖσι Σκύθῃσι — Dative of interest ("for the Scythians") or possessive dative ("which the Scythians have"), equivalent to a possessive genitive.
4.51.1ἄρχεται δὲ ῥέων — The verb ἄρχομαι can take a supplementary participle (here the present participle ῥέων), in addition to an infinitive, to express the beginning of an action ("begins flowing").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.51.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.51.1

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