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Herodotus · Histories §5.37.1-5.37.2

Aristagoras's Open Revolt and the Abolition of Tyranny

Passage 806 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Upon learning that Ietragoras had successfully captured the Persian-aligned tyrants, Aristagoras openly declared revolt and established isonomy (equal rights) in Miletus and other Ionian cities by abolishing tyranny.

§5.37.1ἀποπεμφθέντος δὲ Ἰητραγόρεω κατʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ συλλαβόντος δόλῳ Ὀλίατον Ἰβανώλλιος Μυλασσέα καὶ Ἱστιαῖον Τύμνεω Τερμερέα καὶ Κώην Ἐρξάνδρου, τῷ Δαρεῖος Μυτιλήνην ἐδωρήσατο, καὶ Ἀρισταγόρην Ἡρακλείδεω Κυμαῖον καὶ ἄλλους συχνούς, οὕτω δὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφανέος ὁ Ἀρισταγόρης ἀπεστήκεε, πᾶν ἐπὶ Δαρείῳ μηχανώμενος.
Ietragoras having been sent for this very purpose, and having seized by guile Oliatus, son of Ibanollis, of Mylasa, and Histiaeus, son of Tymnes, of Termera, and Coes, son of Erxandros—to whom Darius had given Mytilene—and Aristagoras, son of Heracleides, of Cyme, and many others, Aristagoras then openly revolted, plotting every device against Darius.
§5.37.2καὶ πρῶτα μὲν λόγῳ μετεὶς τὴν τυραννίδα ἰσονομίην ἐποίεε τῇ Μιλήτῳ, ὡς ἂν ἑκόντες αὐτῷ οἱ Μιλήσιοι συναπισταίατο, μετὰ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἄλλῃ Ἰωνίῃ τὠυτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίεε, τοὺς μὲν ἐξελαύνων τῶν τυράννων, τοὺς δʼ ἔλαβε τυράννους ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν τῶν συμπλευσασέων ἐπὶ Νάξον, τούτους δὲ φίλα βουλόμενος ποιέεσθαι τῇσι πόλισι ἐξεδίδου, ἄλλον ἐς ἄλλην πόλιν παραδιδούς, ὅθεν εἴη ἕκαστος.
And first, in word renouncing his tyranny, he established isonomy in Miletus, so that the Milesians might willingly join him in revolt. Afterward he did this same thing in the rest of Ionia, driving out some of the tyrants, while those whom he had captured from the ships that had sailed with him to Naxos, wanting to make himself agreeable to their cities, he surrendered, delivering each one to the city from which he came.

Notes

  1. 5.37.1ἀποπεμφθέντος δὲ Ἰητραγόρεω ... καὶ συλλαβόντος — Two participles, one passive (ἀποπεμφθέντος) and one active (συλλαβόντος), sharing the same logical subject (Ἰητραγόρεω), are joined by καὶ to form a single complex genitive absolute construction.
  2. 5.37.2ὡς ἂν ... συναπισταίατο — A purpose clause introduced by ὡς ἄν with the optative mood, responding to the historical tense of the main verb (ἐποίεε). The verb form συναπισταίατο features the Ionic third-person plural ending -ατο instead of -ντο.
  3. 5.37.2τοὺς δʼ ἔλαβε τυράννους ... τούτους δὲ — While resembling a relative clause, τοὺς functions here as a demonstrative pronoun (meaning 'those whom...'), which is then formally picked up and reinforced as the object by τούτους in the subsequent clause.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.37.1-5.37.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.37.1-5.37.2

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