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Herodotus · Histories §5.108.1-5.108.2

Onesilus' Appeal and the Ionians' Arrival in Cyprus

Passage 884 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While news of Sardis reaches Darius and Histiaeus heads to the sea, in Cyprus, Onesilus learns of the approaching Persian army and summons the Ionians, who promptly arrive with their fleet.

§5.108.1ἐν ᾧ δὲ ἡ ἀγγελίη τε περὶ τῶν Σαρδίων παρὰ βασιλέα ἀνήιε καὶ Δαρεῖος τὰ περὶ τὸ τόξον ποιήσας Ἱστιαίῳ ἐς λόγους ἦλθε καὶ Ἱστιαῖος μεμετιμένος ὑπὸ Δαρείου ἐκομίζετο ἐπὶ θάλασσαν, ἐν τούτῳ παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐγίνετο τάδε.
While the news about Sardis was going up to the king, and Darius, after doing the thing with the bow, came to words with Histiaeus, and Histiaeus, dismissed by Darius, was making his way to the sea—in all this time the following happened.
πολιορκέοντι τῷ Σαλαμινίῳ Ὀνησίλῳ Ἀμαθουσίους ἐξαγγέλλεται νηυσὶ στρατιὴν πολλὴν ἄγοντα Περσικὴν Ἀρτύβιον ἄνδρα Πέρσην προσδόκιμον ἐς τὴν Κύπρον εἶναι·
To the Salaminian Onesilus, who was besieging the Amathusians, word was brought that Artybius, a Persian man, was expected in Cyprus, bringing a large Persian army with ships.
§5.108.2πυθόμενος δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ὀνήσιλος κήρυκας διέπεμπε ἐς τὴν Ἰωνίην ἐπικαλεύμενος σφέας, Ἴωνες δὲ οὐκ ἐς μακρὴν βουλευσάμενοι ἧκον πολλῷ στόλῳ.
On hearing this, Onesilus sent heralds to Ionia, summoning them; and the Ionians, after deliberating without delay, arrived with a large fleet.
Ἴωνές τε δὴ παρῆσαν ἐς τὴν Κύπρον καὶ οἱ Πέρσαι νηυσὶ διαβάντες ἐκ τῆς Κιλικίης ἤισαν ἐπὶ τὴν Σαλαμῖνα πεζῇ.
So the Ionians were present in Cyprus, and the Persians, having crossed over by ships from Cilicia, marched by land against Salamis.
τῇσι δὲ νηυσὶ οἱ Φοίνικες περιέπλεον τὴν ἄκρην αἳ καλεῦνται Κληῖδες τῆς Κύπρου.
Meanwhile, the Phoenicians with their ships sailed around the cape which is called the Keys of Cyprus.

Notes

  1. 5.108.1ἐν ᾧ — The relative phrase ἐν ᾧ ('while') introduces three parallel clauses coordinated by τε... καί... καί..., which are then summarized by the demonstrative phrase ἐν τούτῳ παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ ('in all this time') in the main clause, emphasizing the simultaneous progression of these events.
  2. 5.108.1πολιορκέοντι τῷ Σαλαμινίῳ Ὀνησίλῳ Ἀμαθουσίους — The dative participle phrase πολιορκέοντι τῷ Σαλαμινίῳ Ὀνησίλῳ serves as the dative of interest (indirect object) for the passive verb ἐξαγγέλλεται ('it is reported to...'). The accusative Ἀμαθουσίους is the direct object of this present participle πολιορκέοντι ('besieging').
  3. 5.108.2οὐκ ἐς μακρὴν — The prepositional phrase ἐς μακρὴν negated by οὐκ is an adverbial idiom characteristic of the Ionic dialect, meaning 'without long delay' or 'promptly.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.108.1-5.108.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.108.1-5.108.2

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