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Herodotus · Histories §5.76.1

The Four Dorian Expeditions into Attica

Passage 845 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Summarizes the four Dorian expeditions into Attica: one under King Codrus, two for the expulsion of the Peisistratidae, and the latest one by Cleomenes reaching Eleusis.

§5.76.1τέταρτον δὴ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀττικὴν ἀπικόμενοι Δωριέες, δίς τε ἐπὶ πολέμῳ ἐσβαλόντες καὶ δὶς ἐπʼ ἀγαθῷ τοῦ πλήθεος τοῦ Ἀθηναίων, πρῶτον μὲν ὅτε καὶ Μέγαρα κατοίκισαν· οὗτος ὁ στόλος ἐπὶ Κόδρου βασιλεύοντος Ἀθηναίων ὀρθῶς ἂν καλέοιτο· δεύτερον δὲ καὶ τρίτον ὅτε ἐπὶ Πεισιστρατιδέων ἐξέλασιν ὁρμηθέντες ἐκ Σπάρτης ἀπίκοντο, τέταρτον δὲ τότε ὅτε ἐς Ἐλευσῖνα Κλεομένης ἄγων Πελοποννησίους ἐσέβαλε.
This was indeed the fourth time that the Dorians came to Attica, having invaded twice for war and twice for the benefit of the multitude of the Athenians; first when they also settled Megara; this expedition would be rightly called so during the reign of Codrus as king of the Athenians; second and third, when, having set out from Sparta for the expulsion of the Peisistratidae, they arrived; and fourthly, at that time when Cleomenes, leading the Peloponnesians, invaded as far as Eleusis.
οὕτω τέταρτον τότε Δωριέες ἐσέβαλον ἐς Ἀθήνας.
Thus did the Dorians then invade Athens for the fourth time.

Notes

  1. 5.76.1τέταρτον δὴ τοῦτο — An adverbial accusative construction combined with the demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο, meaning 'this was indeed the fourth time' that they arrived, functioning without a main verb of its own.
  2. 5.76.1ὀρθῶς ἂν καλέοιτο — Potential optative (ἄν with optative), expressing a possibility or a mild assertion: 'this expedition might/would be correctly named [as being under Codrus]'.
  3. 5.76.1ἐπὶ Πεισιστρατιδέων ἐξέλασιν — The preposition ἐπί with the accusative denotes purpose ('for the expulsion of the Peisistratidae'). The genitive Πεισιστρατιδέων functions as an objective genitive dependent on the noun ἐξέλασιν.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.76.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.76.1

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