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Herodotus · Histories §5.10.1

The Bees of the Ister and Megabazus' Conquest

Passage 779 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Thracians claim that bees prevent travel beyond the Ister, but the author dismisses this, attributing the uninhabitable nature of the north to the cold. Meanwhile, Megabazus subdues the coastal regions of Thrace for the Persians.

§5.10.1ὡς δὲ Θρήικες λέγουσι, μέλισσαι κατέχουσι τὰ πέρην τοῦ Ἴστρου, καὶ ὑπὸ τουτέων οὐκ εἶναι διελθεῖν τὸ προσωτέρω.
According to what the Thracians say, bees occupy the land beyond the Ister, and because of them it is impossible to pass further.
ἐμοὶ μέν νυν ταῦτα λέγοντες δοκέουσι λέγειν οὐκ οἰκότα· τὰ γὰρ ζῷα ταῦτα φαίνεται εἶναι δύσριγα·
To me, however, those who say this seem to say what is improbable; for these creatures appear to be sensitive to cold.
ἀλλά μοι τὰ ὑπὸ τὴν ἄρκτον ἀοίκητα δοκέει εἶναι διὰ τὰ ψύχεα.
Rather, it seems to me that the regions under the Bear are uninhabitable because of the cold.
ταῦτα μέν νυν τῆς χώρης ταύτης πέρι λέγεται· τὰ παραθαλάσσια δʼ ὦν αὐτῆς Μεγάβαζος Περσέων κατήκοα ἐποίεε.
Now, these are the things said about this country; but at any rate, its coastal regions Megabazus made subject to the Persians.

Notes

  1. 5.10.1οὐκ εἶναι — An impersonal infinitive in indirect discourse, standing for οὐκ ἔξεστι ('it is not possible') or οὐκ οἷόν τέ ἐστι. It represents the reported statement dependent on the preceding clause ὡς δὲ Θρήικες λέγουσι ('as the Thracians say').
  2. 5.10.1δύσριγα — Neuter plural of the adjective δύσριγος ('sensitive to cold'), serving as the complement of the subject τὰ ζῷα ταῦτα ('these creatures'). Combined with φαίνεται εἶναι, it means 'appear to be sensitive to cold.'
  3. 5.10.1κατήκοα — Neuter plural accusative of the adjective κατήκοος ('obedient, subject'), modifying the object τὰ παραθαλάσσια. Together with the verb ἐποίεε, it forms a factitive construction ('made the coastal regions subject'). It governs the genitive Περσέων ('to the Persians').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.10.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.10.1

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