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Herodotus · Histories §5.27.1-5.27.2

Subjugation of Lemnos and Rule of Lycaretus

Passage 796 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Describes the defeat of the Lemnians by the Persians, the appointment of Lycaretus (brother of Maeandrius of Samos) as governor, and his oppressive rule and death in Lemnos.

§5.27.1οἱ μὲν δὴ Λήμνιοι καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο εὖ καὶ ἀμυνόμενοι ἀνὰ χρόνον ἐκακώθησαν, τοῖσι δὲ περιεοῦσι αὐτῶν οἱ Πέρσαι ὕπαρχον ἐπιστᾶσι Λυκάρητον τὸν Μαιανδρίου τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος Σάμου ἀδελφεόν.
Now the Lemnians fought well, and though they defended themselves, in course of time they were overcome; and over those of them who survived, the Persians set up as governor Lycaretus, the brother of Maeandrius who had been king of Samos.
§5.27.2οὗτος ὁ Λυκάρητος ἄρχων ἐν Λήμνῳ τελευτᾷ.
This Lycaretus died while ruling in Lemnos.
αἰτίη δὲ τούτου ἥδε· πάντας ἠνδραποδίζετο καὶ κατεστρέφετο τοὺς μὲν λιποστρατίης ἐπὶ Σκύθας αἰτιώμενος, τοὺς δὲ σίνασθαι τὸν Δαρείου στρατὸν ἀπὸ Σκυθέων ὀπίσω ἀποκομιζόμενον.
And the reason for this was as follows: he enslaved and subdued all of them, accusing some of desertion from the expedition against the Scythians, and others of doing damage to the army of Darius as it was returning back from Scythia.

Notes

  1. 5.27.1ἀνὰ χρόνον — An idiomatic adverbial expression formed by the preposition ἀνά and the noun χρόνος, meaning 'in course of time' or 'gradually'.
  2. 5.27.2αἰτίη δὲ τούτου ἥδε — The reference of τούτου and the sense of αἰτίη (cause, reason, or charge). The subsequent text explains the pretexts under which he enslaved the people, or the charges against him. All translations interpret this as 'the reason or pretext for his enslaving them'.
  3. 5.27.2τοὺς μὲν λιποστρατίης ... αἰτιώμενος, τοὺς δὲ σίνασθαι ... — The verb αἰτιάομαι (to accuse) takes an accusative of the person (τοὺς μὲν / τοὺς δὲ) and expresses the charge in two different constructions: a genitive of charge (λιποστρατίης) in the first clause, and an infinitive (σίνασθαι) in the second. Both are coordinate in meaning.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.27.1-5.27.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.27.1-5.27.2

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