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Herodotus · Histories §5.23.1-5.23.3

Megabazos's Warning to Darius about Histiaeus

Passage 792 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Megabazos returns to Sardis from his campaign and, upon learning that Histiaeus is walling Myrcinus in Thrace, warns Darius of the danger of his activities.

§5.23.1ταῦτα μέν νυν οὕτω κῃ ἐγένετο.
These things, then, happened in this way.
Μεγάβαζος δὲ ἄγων τοὺς Παίονας ἀπίκετο ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑλλήποντον· ἐνθεῦτεν διαπεραιωθεὶς ἀπίκετο ἐς τὰς Σάρδις.
Megabazos, bringing the Paeonians, arrived at the Hellespont; from there, having crossed over, he arrived at Sardis.
ἅτε δὲ τειχέοντος ἤδη Ἱστιαίου τοῦ Μιλησίου τὴν παρὰ Δαρείου αἰτήσας ἔτυχε μισθὸν δωρεὴν φυλακῆς τῆς σχεδίης, ἐόντος δὲ τοῦ χώρου τούτου παρὰ Στρυμόνα ποταμὸν τῷ οὔνομα ἐστὶ Μύρκινος, μαθὼν ὁ Μεγάβαζος τὸ ποιεύμενον ἐκ τοῦ Ἱστιαίου, ὡς ἦλθε τάχιστα ἐς τὰς Σάρδις ἄγων τοὺς Παίονας, ἔλεγε Δαρείῳ τάδε. §5.23.2ὦ βασιλεῦ, κοῖόν τι χρῆμα ἐποίησας, ἀνδρὶ Ἕλληνι δεινῷ τε καὶ σοφῷ δοὺς ἐγκτίσασθαι πόλιν ἐν Θρηίκῃ, ἵνα ἴδη τε ναυπηγήσιμος ἐστὶ ἄφθονος καὶ πολλοὶ κωπέες καὶ μέταλλα ἀργύρεα, ὅμιλός τε πολλὸς μὲν Ἕλλην περιοικέει πολλὸς δὲ βάρβαρος, οἳ προστάτεω ἐπιλαβόμενοι ποιήσουσι τοῦτο τὸ ἂν κεῖνος ἐξηγέηται καὶ ἡμέρης καὶ νυκτός.
And since Histiaeus of Miletus was already walling in the place which he had requested and obtained from Darius as a gift-reward for guarding the bridge, and as this place was along the Strymon river and its name was Myrcinus, Megabazos, having learned what was being done by Histiaeus, as soon as he arrived at Sardis bringing the Paeonians, spoke to Darius as follows: "O King, what sort of thing have you done, in allowing a clever and cunning Greek man to found a city in Thrace, where there is abundant timber for shipbuilding, many oars, and silver mines, and where a great multitude of both Greeks and barbarians dwell around, who, if they obtain a leader, will do whatever he directs, both by day and by night.
§5.23.3σύ νυν τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα παῦσον ταῦτα ποιεῦντα, ἵνα μὴ οἰκηίῳ πολέμῳ συνέχῃ· τρόπῳ δὲ ἠπίῳ μεταπεμψάμενος παῦσον.
Now, therefore, stop this man from doing these things, so that you may not be hard-pressed by a domestic war; summon him by mild means and stop him.
ἐπεὰν δὲ αὐτὸν περιλάβῃς, ποιέειν ὅκως μηκέτι κεῖνος ἐς Ἕλληνας ἀπίξεται.
But when you have him in your power, see to it that he shall never again return to the Greeks."

Notes

  1. 5.23.1τὴν παρὰ Δαρείου αἰτήσας ἔτυχε — The Ionic relative pronoun `τὴν` (corresponding to `ἥν`, accusative feminine singular) refers to an implied antecedent such as `χώρην` (land). The verb `ἔτυχε` (aorist of `τυγχάνω`, here "obtain") normally governs the genitive but here takes the relative pronoun `τὴν` as its direct object, with `μισθὸν δωρεὴν` ("as a reward-gift") in apposition as a predicate accusative.
  2. 5.23.2ἵνα ἴδη τε ναυπηγήσιμος ἐστὶ ἄφθονος — The word `ἵνα` is used here not as a conjunction of purpose ("in order that") but as a relative adverb of place ("where"). The word `ἴδη` is the Ionic form corresponding to the Attic `ὕλη` ("timber", "forest").
  3. 5.23.3ποιέειν ὅκως μηκέτι κεῖνος ἐς Ἕλληνας ἀπίξεται — The infinitive `ποιέειν` is an imperative infinitive used to express a command. `ὅκως` (the Ionic form of `ὅπως`) introduces an object clause after a verb of effort or care, taking the future indicative `ἀπίξεται` to mean "see to it that..." or "ensure that...".

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.23.1-5.23.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.23.1-5.23.3

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