Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §4.58.1

The Property of Scythian Grass and Gall in Cattle

Passage 622 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author explains the abundance of rivers for the Scythians and the unique property of Scythian grass, which produces an exceptional amount of gall in cattle.

§4.58.1τοῖσι μὲν δὴ ὀνομαστοῖσι ποταμοῖσι οὕτω δή τι οἱ Σκύθαι ἐσκευάδαται, τοῖσι δὲ κτήνεσι ἡ ποίη ἀναφυομένη ἐν τῇ Σκυθικῆ ἐστι ἐπιχολωτάτη πασέων ποιέων τῶν ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν·
With regard to their famous rivers, then, the Scythians are thus provided; but for their cattle, the grass that grows in Scythia is the most productive of gall of any grass we know.
ἀνοιγομένοισι δὲ τοῖσι κτήνεσι ἐστὶ σταθμώσασθαι ὅτι τοῦτο οὕτω ἔχει.
And when the cattle are opened, one can estimate that this is indeed the case.

Notes

  1. §4.58.1ἐσκευάδαται — The third-person plural perfect middle-passive of the verb σκευάζω, with the Ionic ending -αται (equivalent to Attic -νται). Used with the dative τοῖσι ὀνομαστοῖσι ποταμοῖσι to mean 'are provided with' or 'are equipped with'.
  2. §4.58.1ἐστὶ σταθμώσασθαι — The impersonal ἔστι (with recessive accent) followed by the infinitive σταθμώσασθαι (aorist middle infinitive of σταθμάομαι, 'to estimate, confirm'), expressing possibility: 'it is possible to judge/confirm'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.58.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.58.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.