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Herodotus · Histories §4.80.1-4.80.5

Octamasades' Rebellion and the Execution of Scyles

Passage 644 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Angry at Scyles' Greek behavior, the Scythians rebel under his brother Octamasades, forcing Scyles to flee to Thrace; however, through a prisoner exchange with the Thracian king, Scyles is returned and executed.

§4.80.1ὡς δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξήλαυνε ὁ Σκύλης ἐς ἤθεα τὰ ἑωυτοῦ, οἱ Σκύθαι προστησάμενοι τὸν ἀδελφεὸν αὐτοῦ Ὀκταμασάδην, γεγονότα ἐκ τῆς Τήρεω θυγατρός, ἐπανιστέατο τῷ Σκύλῃ.
When after this Scyles rode away into his own territories, the Scythians set up his brother Octamasades as leader, who was born of the daughter of Teres, and rebelled against Scyles.
§4.80.2ὁ δὲ μαθὼν τὸ γινόμενον ἐπʼ ἑωυτῷ καὶ τὴν αἰτίην διʼ ἣν ἐποιέετο, καταφεύγει ἐς τὴν Θρηίκην.
But when he learned what was being done against him and the reason for which it was being done, he fled for refuge to Thrace.
πυθόμενος δὲ ὁ Ὀκταμασάδης ταῦτα ἐστρατεύετο ἐπὶ τὴν Θρηίκην. ἐπείτε δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ Ἴστρῳ ἐγένετο, ἠντίασάν μιν οἱ Θρήικες, μελλόντων δὲ αὐτῶν συνάψειν ἔπεμψε Σιτάλκης παρὰ τὸν Ὀκταμασάδην λέγων τοιάδε. §4.80.3τι δεῖ ἡμέας ἀλλήλων πειρηθῆναι;
On hearing this, Octamasades marched against Thrace; and when he came to the Ister, the Thracians met him, and when they were about to join battle, Sitalces sent a messenger to Octamasades, saying as follows: "Why must we make trial of one another?
εἶς μέν μευ τῆς ἀδελφεῆς παῖς, ἔχεις δέ μευ ἀδελφεόν. σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόδος τοῦτον, καὶ ἐγὼ σοὶ τὸν σὸν Σκύλην παραδίδωμι· στρατιῇ δὲ μήτε σὺ κινδυνεύσῃς μήτʼ ἐγώ. §4.80.4ταῦτά οἱ πέμψας ὁ Σιτάλκης ἐπεκηρυκεύετο· ἦν γὰρ παρὰ τῷ Ὀκταμασάδη ἀδελφεὸς Σιτάλκεω πεφευγώς.
You are the son of my sister, and you have my brother; give this man back to me, and I will hand over your Scyles to you; and let neither you nor me run a risk with our army." Sitalces sent these words to him and made a proposal; for there was with Octamasades a brother of Sitalces who had fled there.
ὁ δὲ Ὀκταμασάδης καταινέει ταῦτα, ἐκδοὺς δὲ τὸν ἑωυτοῦ μήτρωα Σιτάλκῃ ἔλαβε τὸν ἀδελφεὸν Σκύλην.
And Octamasades agreed to this, and delivering up his own maternal uncle to Sitalces, he received his brother Scyles.
§4.80.5καὶ Σιτάλκης μὲν παραλαβὼν τὸν ἀδελφεὸν ἀπήγετο, Σκύλεω δὲ Ὀκταμασάδης αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ ἀπέταμε τὴν κεφαλήν.
And Sitalces, having received his brother, led him away, but Octamasades cut off Scyles' head on that very spot.
οὕτω μὲν περιστέλλουσι τὰ σφέτερα νόμαια Σκύθαι, τοῖσι δὲ παρακτωμένοισι ξεινικοὺς νόμους τοιαῦτα ἐπιτίμια διδοῦσι.
Thus do the Scythians safeguard their own customs, and upon those who acquire foreign customs they inflict such punishments.

Notes

  1. §4.80.2μελλόντων δὲ αὐτῶν συνάψειν — A genitive absolute construction. The future infinitive συνάψειν, dependent on the auxiliary-like μέλλω, is used intransitively or with 'battle' (τὴν μάχην) implied, meaning 'when they were about to join battle'.
  2. §4.80.3εἶς — This is the Ionic dialect form for the second-person singular present indicative of εἰμί (to be), namely εἶς (with smooth breathing), and not the numeral εἷς (one, with rough breathing). It means 'you are' with the subject 'you' implied.
  3. §4.80.5τοῖσι δὲ παρακτωμένοισι ξεινικοὺς νόμους — The dative present middle participle παρακτωμένοισι (from παρακτάομαι, 'to acquire in addition') is used substantively as the indirect object of the main verb διδοῦσι, meaning 'to those who acquire for themselves foreign customs'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.80.1-4.80.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.80.1-4.80.5

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