Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §5.113.1-5.113.2

Defeat of the Cyprians and Death of Onesilus

Passage 889 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Following the death of Artybius, the betrayal of Stesenor of Kurion and the defection of the Salaminian chariots lead to a Persian victory. In this defeat, the Cyprian leaders Onesilus and Aristokypros are killed.

§5.113.1Ἀρτύβιος μὲν δὴ ὁ στρατηγὸς τῶν Περσέων ὁμοῦ τῷ ἵππῳ πίπτει αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ.
Thus Artybius, the general of the Persians, fell there on the spot together with his horse.
μαχομένων δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, Στησήνωρ τύραννος ἐὼν Κουρίου προδιδοῖ ἔχων δύναμιν ἀνδρῶν περὶ ἑωυτὸν οὐ σμικρήν.
While the others were still fighting, Stesenor, being tyrant of Kurion, betrayed his side, having with him a not inconsiderable force of men.
οἱ δὲ Κουριέες οὗτοι λέγονται εἶναι Ἀργείων ἄποικοι.
These Kurians are said to be colonists from Argos.
προδόντων δὲ τῶν Κουριέων αὐτίκα καὶ τὰ Σαλαμινίων πολεμιστήρια ἅρματα τὠυτὸ τοῖσι Κουριεῦσι ἐποίεε.
As the Kurians betrayed them, immediately the war-chariots of the Salaminians also did the same as the Kurians.
γινομένων δὲ τούτων κατυπέρτεροι ἦσαν οἱ Πέρσαι τῶν Κυπρίων.
As these things were happening, the Persians became superior to the Cyprians.
§5.113.2τετραμμένου δὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἄλλοι τε ἔπεσον πολλοὶ καὶ δὴ καὶ Ὀνήσιλός τε ὁ Χέρσιος, ὅς περ τὴν Κυπρίων ἀπόστασιν ἔπρηξε, καὶ ὁ Σολίων βασιλεὺς Ἀριστόκυπρος ὁ Φιλοκύπρου, Φιλοκύπρου δὲ τούτου τὸν Σόλων ὁ Ἀθηναῖος ἀπικόμενος ἐς Κύπρον ἐν ἔπεσι αἴνεσε τυράννων μάλιστα.
When their army was put to flight, many others fell, and in particular Onesilus the son of Chersis, who had engineered the revolt of the Cyprians, and the king of the Solians, Aristokypros the son of Philokypros; this Philokypros was the one whom Solon the Athenian, when he came to Cyprus, praised in his verses most of all rulers.

Notes

  1. 5.113.1τὠυτὸ τοῖσι Κουριεῦσι — The crasis "τὠυτό" stands for "τὸ αὐτό" (the same thing). The dative "τοῖσι Κουριεῦσι" is a dative of association/likeness used with the pronoun "ὁ αὐτός" to mean "the same as the Kurians."
  2. 5.113.2τετραμμένου δὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου — A genitive absolute construction using the perfect passive participle "τετραμμένου" of the verb "τρέπω" (to turn, put to flight), meaning "when the army was put to flight." It describes the temporal and situational context of the defeat.
  3. 5.113.2τὸν — Use as a relative pronoun. In the Ionic dialect, the accusative of the article "τὸν" functions as a relative pronoun (corresponding to Attic "ὅν"), referring back to the genitive antecedent "Φιλοκύπρου δὲ τούτου" and serving as the direct object of "αἴνεσε" within the relative clause.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.113.1-5.113.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.113.1-5.113.2

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