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Herodotus · Histories §5.38.1-5.38.2

Expulsion of Ionian Tyrants and Aristagoras's Mission to Sparta

Passage 807 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The tyrants are either executed or released, bringing an end to tyranny in the Ionian cities, and Aristagoras sets sail for Lacedaemon to seek a powerful alliance.

§5.38.1Κώην μέν νυν Μυτιληναῖοι ἐπείτε τάχιστα παρέλαβον, ἐξαγαγόντες κατέλευσαν, Κυμαῖοι δὲ τὸν σφέτερον αὐτῶν ἀπῆκαν· ὣς δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι οἱ πλεῦνες ἀπίεσαν.
As for Coes, as soon as the Mytilenians received him, they led him out and stoned him to death, but the Cymaeans let their own tyrant go; and in like manner most of the others also let theirs go.
§5.38.2τυράννων μέν νυν κατάπαυσις ἐγίνετο ἀνὰ τὰς πόλιας, Ἀρισταγόρης δὲ ὁ Μιλήσιος ὡς τοὺς τυράννους κατέπαυσε, στρατηγοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῃ τῶν πολίων κελεύσας ἑκάστους καταστῆσαι, δεύτερα αὐτὸς ἐς Λακεδαίμονα τριήρεϊ ἀπόστολος ἐγίνετο· ἔδεε γὰρ δὴ συμμαχίης τινός οἱ μεγάλης ἐξευρεθῆναι.
Thus there came to be a cessation of tyrants throughout the cities. And Aristagoras the Milesian, when he had put down the tyrants, having ordered each of the cities to establish generals for themselves, next in turn went himself as an envoy to Lacedaemon in a trireme; for indeed it was necessary for him that some great alliance should be found.

Notes

  1. 5.38.1ἀπίεσαν — The third-person plural aorist of ἀφίημι (Ionic dialect form). Although it could be interpreted intransitively as "departed" (referring to the other tyrants), it is more naturally understood transitively as "let go" (referring to the citizens of other cities letting their respective tyrants go), in parallel with the preceding ἀπῆκαν.
  2. 5.38.2ἔδεε γὰρ δὴ συμμαχίης τινός οἱ μεγάλης ἐξευρεθῆναι — A construction combining the impersonal verb ἔδεε (imperfect of δεῖ) with the dative pronoun οἱ (for him) and the passive infinitive ἐξευρεθῆναι (to be found). The genitive phrase συμμαχίης ... μεγάλης is required by δεῖ (as the thing needed) and simultaneously functions as the semantic subject of the infinitive, yielding the meaning "for it was necessary for him that some great alliance should be found."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.38.1-5.38.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.38.1-5.38.2

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