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Herodotus · Histories §5.83.1-5.83.3

Aegina's Revolt and the Theft of the Statues

Passage 852 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Aeginetans revolted from Epidaurus, harassed them using their naval power, stole the two statues of the goddesses, and established them in the interior at Oea with unique mocking female choruses.

§5.83.1τοῦτον δʼ ἔτι τὸν χρόνον καὶ πρὸ τοῦ Αἰγινῆται Ἐπιδαυρίων ἤκουον τά τε ἄλλα καὶ δίκας διαβαίνοντες ἐς Ἐπίδαυρον ἐδίδοσάν τε καὶ ἐλάμβανον παρʼ ἀλλήλων οἱ Αἰγινῆται·
At this time and even before, the Aeginetans were subject to the Epidaurians, and especially they crossed over to Epidaurus to give and receive justice among one another.
τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦδε νέας τε πηξάμενοι καὶ ἀγνωμοσύνῃ χρησάμενοι ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῶν Ἐπιδαυρίων. §5.83.2ἅτε δὲ ἐόντες διάφοροι ἐδηλέοντο αὐτούς, ὥστε θαλασσοκράτορες ἐόντες, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα ταῦτα τῆς τε Δαμίης καὶ τῆς Αὐξησίης ὑπαιρέονται αὐτῶν, καί σφεα ἐκόμισάν τε καὶ ἱδρύσαντο τῆς σφετέρης χώρης ἐς τὴν μεσόγαιαν, τῇ Οἴη μὲν ἐστὶ οὔνομα, στάδια δὲ μάλιστά κῃ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλιος ὡς εἴκοσι ἀπέχει. §5.83.3ἱδρυσάμενοι δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χώρῳ θυσίῃσί τε σφέα καὶ χοροῖσι γυναικηίοισι κερτομίοισι ἱλάσκοντο, χορηγῶν ἀποδεικνυμένων ἑκατέρῃ τῶν δαιμόνων δέκα ἀνδρῶν·
But after this, having built ships and acted with folly, they revolted from the Epidaurians. Being at variance with them, they harassed them, inasmuch as they had command of the sea; and indeed they also stole these statues of Damia and Auxesia from them, and carried them off and established them in the interior of their own country, at a place called Oea, which is about twenty stades distant from the city. Having established them in this place, they propitiated them with sacrifices and mocking women's choruses, ten men being appointed as chorus-leaders for each of the deities.
κακῶς δὲ ἠγόρευον οἱ χοροὶ ἄνδρα μὲν οὐδένα, τὰς δὲ ἐπιχωρίας γυναῖκας.
The choruses abused no man, but rather the local women.
ἦσαν δὲ καὶ τοῖσι Ἐπιδαυρίοισι αἱ αὐταὶ ἱροεργίαι· εἰσὶ δέ σφι καὶ ἄρρητοι ἱρουργίαι.
The Epidaurians also had the same sacred rites, but they have also certain unutterable rites.

Notes

  1. 5.83.1Ἐπιδαυρίων ἤκουον — The verb `ἤκουον` (imperfect of `ἀκούω`), taking the genitive `Ἐπιδαυρίων`, is used here in the sense of 'to listen to' or 'to be subject to.'
  2. 5.83.2ὥστε θαλασσοκράτορες ἐόντες — The conjunction `ὥστε` with the participle `ἐόντες` expresses reason or cause ('inasmuch as they were...') rather than result, a usage characteristic of Herodotus and Ionic Greek.
  3. 5.83.3χορηγῶν ἀποδεικνυμένων ... δέκα ἀνδρῶν — A genitive absolute construction with the noun phrase `χορηγῶν ... δέκα ἀνδρῶν` as the logical subject and the present passive participle `ἀποδεικνυμένων` as the predicate, describing the attendant circumstances of the ritual.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.83.1-5.83.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.83.1-5.83.3

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