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Herodotus · Histories §5.103.1-5.103.2

Athenian Withdrawal and Expansion of the Revolt

Passage 879 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians refuse to support the Ionians and withdraw, but the Ionians continue their war preparations, bringing the Hellespont region and Caria into their alliance.

§5.103.1τότε μὲν δὴ οὕτω ἠγωνίσαντο.
At that time, then, they fought in this manner.
μετὰ δὲ Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν τὸ παράπαν ἀπολιπόντες τοὺς Ἴωνας, ἐπικαλεομένου σφέας πολλὰ διʼ ἀγγέλων Ἀρισταγόρεω, οὐκ ἔφασαν τιμωρήσειν σφι·
Afterwards, the Athenians, completely abandoning the Ionians, although Aristagoras made many appeals to them through messengers, declared that they would not help them.
Ἴωνες δὲ τῆς Ἀθηναίων συμμαχίης στερηθέντες, οὕτω γάρ σφι ὑπῆρχε πεποιημένα ἐς Δαρεῖον, οὐδὲν δὴ ἧσσον τὸν πρὸς βασιλέα πόλεμον ἐσκευάζοντο.
The Ionians, though deprived of the Athenian alliance—for their affairs with regard to Darius stood in such a state—nevertheless continued to prepare for the war against the King.
§5.103.2πλώσαντες δὲ ἐς τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον Βυζάντιόν τε καὶ τὰς ἄλλας πόλιας πάσας τὰς ταύτῃ ὑπʼ ἑωυτοῖσι ἐποιήσαντο, ἐκπλώσαντές τε ἔξω τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον Καρίης τὴν πολλὴν προσεκτήσαντο σφίσι σύμμαχον εἶναι·
Sailing to the Hellespont, they brought Byzantium and all the other cities in that region under their control; and sailing out of the Hellespont, they won over the greater part of Caria to be their ally.
καὶ γὰρ τὴν Καῦνον πρότερον οὐ βουλομένην συμμαχέειν, ὡς ἐνέπρησαν τὰς Σάρδις, τότε σφι καὶ αὕτη προσεγένετο.
For even Caunus, which previously did not wish to be their ally, joined them at this time, once they had burned Sardis.

Notes

  1. 5.103.1ἐπικαλεομένου σφέας πολλὰ διʼ ἀγγέλων Ἀρισταγόρεω — Genitive absolute with Ἀρισταγόρεω as the subject. In this context, it has a concessive force ('although Aristagoras appealed...'), contrasting with the Athenians' refusal in the main clause.
  2. 5.103.1οὕτω γάρ σφι ὑπῆρχε πεποιημένα ἐς Δαρεῖον — A periphrasis formed by the neuter plural perfect passive participle πεποιημένα and the imperfect verb ὑπῆρχε. The dative σφι acts as the dative of agent or interest: 'for things had already been done by them in this way toward Darius,' indicating they had already committed themselves past the point of no return.
  3. 5.103.2τὴν Καῦνον ... αὕτη — The accusative τὴν Καῦνον at the beginning of the clause, accompanied by the participle οὐ βουλομένην, is suspended by the intervening clause ὡς ἐνέπρησαν τὰς Σάρδις, and then resumed as the subject of the main verb (προσεγένετο) by the feminine nominative demonstrative pronoun αὕτη. This is an anacoluthon or a nominativus/accusativus pendens construction used to bring the topic to the front.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.103.1-5.103.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.103.1-5.103.2

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