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Herodotus · Histories §4.6.1-4.6.2

Genealogy of the Scythian Tribes and the Name Scoloti

Passage 570 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

It is explained that different tribes descended from the three Scythian ancestors, with their collective name being 'Scoloti' after their king, while the Greeks called them 'Scythians'.

§4.6.1ἀπὸ μὲν δὴ Λιποξάιος γεγονέναι τούτους τῶν Σκυθέων οἳ Αὐχάται γένος καλέονται, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μέσου Ἀρποξάιος οἳ Κατίαροί τε καὶ Τράσπιες καλέονται, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ νεωτάτου αὐτῶν τοῦ βασιλέος οἳ καλέονται Παραλάται·
From Lipoxais, they say, are descended those of the Scythians who are called the clan of Auchatae; from the middle brother Arpoxais, those who are called Catiari and Traspies; and from the youngest of them, the king, those who are called Paralatae.
§4.6.2σύμπασι δὲ εἶναι οὔνομα Σκολότους, τοῦ βασιλέος ἐπωνυμίην. Σκύθας δὲ Ἕλληνες ὠνόμασαν.
The name for them all together is Scoloti, after the title of their king; but the Greeks named them Scythians.

Notes

  1. §4.6.1γεγονέναι — Infinitive in indirect discourse, continued from λέγουσι in the previous chapter (4.5.1). It stands for the indicative ἐγένοντο, indicating that the statement is based on tradition.
  2. §4.6.2Σκολότους — Accusative plural. Although one might expect a nominative (Σκόλοτοι) in apposition with the subject, the name itself is attracted into the accusative, influenced by the accusative syntax of names or the transitive implication of naming.
  3. §4.6.2τοῦ βασιλέος ἐπωνυμίην — The accusative ἐπωνυμίην stands in apposition to Σκολότους or functions adverbially to mean 'after the name/title of the king', suggesting that 'Scolotus' was an alternative name for the king.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.6.1-4.6.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.6.1-4.6.2

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