Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §5.75.1-5.75.3

Collapse of the Allied Army and Spartan Law on Kings

Passage 844 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The allied army gathered at Eleusis collapses due to the withdrawal of the Corinthians and the Spartan king Demaratus. Consequently, a law is established in Sparta forbidding both kings from going out to war together.

§5.75.1μελλόντων δὲ συνάψειν τὰ στρατόπεδα ἐς μάχην, Κορίνθιοι μὲν πρῶτοι σφίσι αὐτοῖσι δόντες λόγον ὡς οὐ ποιέοιεν δίκαια μετεβάλλοντό τε καὶ ἀπαλλάσσοντο, μετὰ δὲ Δημάρητος ὁ Ἀρίστωνος, ἐὼν καὶ οὗτος βασιλεὺς Σπαρτιητέων καὶ συνεξαγαγών τε τὴν στρατιὴν ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος καὶ οὐκ ἐὼν διάφορος ἐν τῷ πρόσθε χρόνῳ Κλεομένεϊ.
When the armies were about to join in battle, the Corinthians first, having reasoned among themselves that they were not doing what was right, changed their minds and departed; and after them Demaratus the son of Ariston did likewise, he too being a king of the Spartans and having helped to lead out the army from Lacedaemon, and not having been at variance with Cleomenes in former times.
§5.75.2ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης τῆς διχοστασίης ἐτέθη νόμος ἐν Σπάρτῃ μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἕπεσθαι ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς βασιλέας ἐξιούσης στρατιῆς· τέως γὰρ ἀμφότεροι εἵποντο·
Because of this dissension, a law was established in Sparta that both kings were not permitted to follow when an army went out; for until then both used to follow.
παραλυομένου δὲ τούτων τοῦ ἑτέρου καταλείπεσθαι καὶ τῶν Τυνδαριδέων τὸν ἕτερον· πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ δὴ καὶ οὗτοι ἀμφότεροι ἐπίκλητοί σφι ἐόντες εἵποντο.
And when one of them was released from service, one of the Tyndaridae also was to be left behind; for before this, indeed, these too, being called upon as helpers, both used to follow.
§5.75.3τότε δὴ ἐν τῇ Ἐλευσῖνι ὁρῶντες οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν συμμάχων τούς τε βασιλέας τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων οὐκ ὁμολογέοντας καὶ Κορινθίους ἐκλιπόντας τὴν τάξιν, οἴχοντο καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀπαλλασσόμενοι,
At that time, in Eleusis, the rest of the allies, seeing that the kings of the Lacedaemonians were not in agreement and that the Corinthians had abandoned their post, themselves also went away, departing.

Notes

  1. 5.75.1σφίσι αὐτοῖσι δόντες λόγον — The phrase is an extension of the idiom δίδωμι λόγον (to give an account), here combined with the reflexive pronoun to mean 'having reasoned among themselves' or 'having reflected'.
  2. 5.75.1μετὰ δὲ Δημάρητος — The preposition μετὰ is used adverbially ('and after [them]'). The main verbs of departure from the preceding clause (μετεβάλλοντό τε καὶ ἀπαλλάσσοντο) are understood with Demaratus as the subject.
  3. 5.75.2μὴ ἐξεῖναι ἕπεσθαι ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς βασιλέας — An accusative-with-infinitive construction reporting the content of the law (νόμος). The infinitive ἕπεσθαι depends on the impersonal ἐξεῖναι, with ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς βασιλέας serving as its subject accusative.
  4. 5.75.2παραλυομένου δὲ τούτων τοῦ ἑτέρου καταλείπεσθαι καὶ τῶν Τυνδαριδέων τὸν ἕτερον — The first part is a genitive absolute (παραλυομένου... τοῦ ἑτέρου). The infinitive καταλείπεσθαι continue the indirect reporting of the Spartan law. The Tyndaridae refers to the twin gods (represented by sacred wooden images) who protect the state.
  5. 5.75.3οἴχοντο καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀπαλλασσόμενοι — The verb οἴχομαι combined with the present participle (ἀπαλλασσόμενοι) emphasizes the immediate departure or physical disappearance of the subjects ('they went away, departing').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.75.1-5.75.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.75.1-5.75.3

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.