Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §5.33.1-5.33.4

Quarrel between Megabates and Aristagoras and the Warning to Naxos

Passage 802 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The combined Persian and Ionian fleet led by Megabates sets sail for Naxos; however, at Chios, a dispute arises between Megabates and Aristagoras over the punishment of a neglectful Myndian captain. In anger, Megabates secretly sends messengers to warn the Naxians of the impending attack.

§5.33.1παραλαβὼν δὲ ὁ Μεγαβάτης τόν τε Ἀρισταγόρεα ἐκ τῆς Μιλήτου καὶ τὴν Ἰάδα στρατιὴν καὶ τοὺς Ναξίους ἔπλεε πρόφασιν ἐπʼ Ἑλλησπόντου, ἐπείτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἐν Χίῳ, ἔσχε τὰς νέας ἐς Καύκασα, ὡς ἐνθεῦτεν βορέῃ ἀνέμῳ ἐς τὴν Νάξον διαβάλοι.
And Megabates, taking with him Aristagoras from Miletus, the Ionian army, and the Naxians, sailed ostensibly for the Hellespont; but when he came to Chios, he brought his ships to anchor at Caucasa, so that from there he might cross over to Naxos by the north wind.
§5.33.2καὶ οὐ γὰρ ἔδεε τούτῳ τῷ στόλῳ Ναξίους ἀπολέσθαι, πρῆγμα τοιόνδε συνηνείχθη γενέσθαι.
And since it was not fated for the Naxians to be destroyed by this expedition, the following event came to pass.
περιιόντος Μεγαβάτεω τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν νεῶν φυλακάς, ἐπὶ νεὸς Μυνδίης ἔτυχε οὐδεὶς φυλάσσων·
As Megabates was going round the guards on the ships, it happened that on a ship of Myndus there was no one keeping watch.
ὁ δὲ δεινόν τι ποιησάμενος ἐκέλευσε τοὺς δορυφόρους ἐξευρόντας τὸν ἄρχοντα ταύτης τῆς νεός, τῷ οὔνομα ἦν Σκύλαξ, τοῦτον δῆσαι διὰ θαλαμίης διελόντας τῆς νεὸς κατὰ τοῦτο, ἔξω μὲν κεφαλὴν ποιεῦντας ἔσω δὲ τὸ σῶμα.
Deeming this a grave matter, he ordered his guards to find the captain of this ship, whose name was Scylax, and to bind him through a rowlock-hole of the ship, making his head to be outside and his body inside.
§5.33.3δεθέντος δὲ τοῦ Σκύλακος, ἐξαγγέλλει τις τῷ Ἀρισταγόρῃ ὅτι τὸν ξεῖνόν οἱ τὸν Μύνδιον Μεγαβάτης δήσας λυμαίνοιτο.
When Scylax had been bound, someone reported to Aristagoras that Megabates had bound and was maltreating his Myndian guest-friend.
ὃ δʼ ἐλθὼν παραιτέετο τὸν Πέρσην, τυγχάνων δὲ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἐδέετο, αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν ἔλυσε.
So Aristagoras went and interceded with the Persian, but obtaining none of the things he requested, he went himself and released him.
πυθόμενος δὲ κάρτα δεινὸν ἐποιήσατο ὁ Μεγαβάτης καὶ ἐσπέρχετο τῷ Ἀρισταγόρῃ,
When Megabates heard of this, he deemed it a very grave matter and was furious with Aristagoras.
§5.33.4ὁ δὲ εἶπε σοὶ δὲ καὶ τούτοισι τοῖσι πρήγμασι τί ἐστι;
But he said: "What have you to do with these matters?
οὐ σὲ ἀπέστειλε Ἀρταφρένης ἐμέο πείθεσθαι καὶ πλέειν τῇ ἂν ἐγὼ κελεύω;
Did Artaphernes not send you to obey me and to sail wherever I order?
τί πολλὰ πρήσσεις; ταῦτα εἶπε ὁ Ἀρισταγόρης.
Why are you so meddlesome?" Thus spoke Aristagoras.
ὁ δὲ θυμωθεὶς τούτοισι, ὡς νὺξ ἐγένετο, ἔπεμπε ἐς Νάξον πλοίῳ ἄνδρας φράσοντας τοῖσι Ναξίοισι πάντα τὰ παρεόντα σφι πρήγματα.
Megabates, angered by these words, as soon as night fell, sent men in a boat to Naxos to tell the Naxians of all the things that were threatening them.

Notes

  1. 5.33.1πρόφασιν — Accusative of respect used adverbially, meaning 'as a pretext' or 'ostensibly'. It indicates that the voyage to the Hellespont was a cover.
  2. 5.33.2οὐ γὰρ ἔδεε — ἔδεε is the imperfect of the impersonal verb δεῖ (Ionic form, equivalent to Attic ἔδει), here used with the infinitive ἀπολέσθαι to express fate or destiny ('it was not fated for the Naxians to be destroyed').
  3. 5.33.4σοὶ δὲ καὶ τούτοισι τοῖσι πρήγμασι τί ἐστι; — A dative of possession construction meaning literally 'what is there to you and to these matters?', an idiomatic way of asking 'what do you have to do with this business?'. Both σοί and τούτοισι τοῖσι πρήγμασι are in the dative case.
  4. 5.33.4ἐμέο πείθεσθαι — The infinitive πείθεσθαι expresses the purpose of sending ('sent you [to obey]'). ἐμέο is the genitive of the first-person singular pronoun (Ionic for ἐμοῦ), depending on πείθομαι (to obey), which here takes a genitive instead of its usual dative, meaning 'to listen to, obey me'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.33.1-5.33.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.33.1-5.33.4

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.