Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §5.15.1-5.15.3

Surrender and Deportation of the Paeonians to Asia

Passage 784 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Paeonians expected a Persian attack from the sea and gathered to defend it, but the Persians bypassed them via an upper route and easily captured their undefended cities. Upon realizing this, the Paeonians surrendered, and several of their tribes were deported to Asia.

§5.15.1πυθόμενοι δὲ οἱ Παίονες τοὺς Πέρσας ἐπὶ σφέας ἰέναι, ἁλισθέντες ἐξεστρατεύσαντο πρὸς θαλάσσης, δοκέοντες ταύτῃ ἐπιχειρήσειν τοὺς Πέρσας ἐμβάλλοντας.
When the Paeonians learned that the Persians were coming against them, they gathered together and marched out towards the sea, expecting that the Persians would make their attack by invading in this direction.
§5.15.2οἱ μὲν δὴ Παίονες ἦσαν ἕτοιμοι τὸν Μεγαβάζου στρατὸν ἐπιόντα ἐρύκειν· οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι πυθόμενοι συναλίσθαι τοὺς Παίονας καὶ τὴν πρὸς θαλάσσης ἐσβολὴν φυλάσσοντας, ἔχοντες ἡγεμόνας τὴν ἄνω ὁδὸν τρέπονται, λαθόντες δὲ τοὺς Παίονας ἐσπίπτουσι ἐς τὰς πόλιας αὐτῶν ἐούσας ἀνδρῶν ἐρήμους·
Thus indeed the Paeonians were ready to hold back the advancing army of Megabazus; but the Persians, having learned that the Paeonians had gathered together and were guarding the approach from the sea, took the upper road with their guides, and eluding the Paeonians, burst into their cities, which were empty of men.
οἷα δὲ κεινῇσι ἐπιπεσόντες εὐπετέως κατέσχον.
Falling upon them since they were empty, they easily occupied them.
§5.15.3οἱ δὲ Παίονες ὡς ἐπύθοντο ἐχομένας τὰς πόλιας, αὐτίκα διασκεδασθέντες κατʼ ἑωυτοὺς ἕκαστοι ἐτράποντο καὶ παρεδίδοσαν σφέας αὐτοὺς τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι.
When the Paeonians learned that their cities had been taken, they immediately dispersed, and each turning to their own places, surrendered themselves to the Persians.
οὕτω δὴ Παιόνων Σιριοπαίονές τε καὶ Παιόπλαι καὶ οἱ μέχρι τῆς Πρασιάδος λίμνης ἐξ ἠθέων ἐξαναστάντες ἤγοντο ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην.
Thus indeed of the Paeonians, the Siriopaeonians, the Paioplai, and those as far as Lake Prasias were removed from their homelands and led away into Asia.

Notes

  1. §5.15.1ἐμβάλλοντας — The present participle ἐμβάλλοντας is in the accusative masculine plural, agreeing with τοὺς Πέρσας, the subject of the future infinitive ἐπιχειρήσειν. It functions circumstantially, indicating the manner or time of the expected attack ('by making an inroad' or 'as they invaded').
  2. §5.15.2συναλίσθαι — The perfect passive infinitive συναλίσθαι (an Ionic form corresponding to Attic συναλισθῆναι) stands in indirect discourse after the participle πυθόμενοι, representing the completed state of the Paeonians having gathered together.
  3. §5.15.2οἷα δὲ κεινῇσι ἐπιπεσόντες — The conjunction οἷα with the participle ἐπιπεσόντες expresses an objective cause. The dative plural feminine adjective κεινῇσι (Ionic for κεναῖς, 'empty') refers back to the previously mentioned πόλιας (cities), meaning 'since they fell upon them when they were empty.'
  4. §5.15.3Παιόνων — The genitive Παιόνων is a partitive genitive qualifying the subsequent subjects (Σιριοπαίονες, Παιόπλαι, and οἱ μέχρι...), meaning 'of the Paeonians, the Siriopaeonians, etc.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.15.1-5.15.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.15.1-5.15.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.