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Herodotus · Histories §5.43.1

Dorieus's Oracle and Expedition to Sicily

Passage 812 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Dorieus is advised by Antichares of Eleon to found Heraclea in Sicily, and after receiving a favorable oracle from Delphi, he sets out for Italy with the same expeditionary force he had previously led to Libya.

§5.43.1ἐνθαῦτα δέ οἱ Ἀντιχάρης ἀνὴρ Ἐλεώνιος συνεβούλευσε ἐκ τῶν Λαΐου χρησμῶν Ἡρακλείην τὴν ἐν Σικελίῃ κτίζειν, φὰς τὴν Ἔρυκος χώρην πᾶσαν εἶναι Ἡρακλειδέων αὐτοῦ Ἡρακλέος κτησαμένου.
There, Antichares, a man of Eleon, advised him on the basis of the oracles of Laius to found Heraclea in Sicily, saying that all the land of Eryx belonged to the Heraclidae, since Heracles himself had acquired it.
ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα ἐς Δελφοὺς οἴχετο χρησόμενος τῷ χρηστηρίῳ, εἰ αἱρέει ἐπʼ ἣν στέλλεται χώρην· ἡ δὲ Πυθίη οἱ χρᾷ αἱρήσειν.
Having heard this, Dorieus went to Delphi to consult the oracle as to whether he would capture the land to which he was setting out; and the Pythia prophesied to him that he would capture it.
παραλαβὼν δὲ Δωριεὺς τὸν στόλον τὸν καὶ ἐς Λιβύην ἦγε, ἐκομίζετο παρὰ τὴν Ἰταλίην.
Then Dorieus, taking with him the expeditionary force which he had also led to Libya, coasted along Italy.

Notes

  1. 5.43.1αὐτοῦ Ἡρακλέος κτησαμένου — Genitive absolute construction, explaining the ground or reason for the claim that the entire land of Eryx belonged to the Heraclidae (φὰς... εἶναι Ἡρακλειδέων).
  2. 5.43.1εἰ αἱρέει ἐπʼ ἣν στέλλεται χώρην — The conjunction `εἰ` introduces an indirect question ('whether'). The verb `αἱρέει` is a present indicative (Ionic contract form) used with a future force (futuristic present). The noun `χώρην` is the antecedent attracted into the relative clause `ἐπʼ ἣν στέλλεται`.
  3. 5.43.1τὸν καὶ ἐς Λιβύην ἦγε — The article `τὸν` functions as a relative pronoun (a characteristic feature of the Ionic dialect in Herodotus) modifying `τὸν στόλον`. The adverbial `καί` means 'also' or 'previously', indicating continuity with his previous expedition.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.43.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.43.1

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