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Herodotus · Histories §5.93.1-5.93.2

Hippias' Prophecy and Allies' Refusal to Intervene

Passage 869 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

In response to Socles' speech, Hippias predicts that the Corinthians will one day long for the Pisistratidae when they suffer at the hands of the Athenians. However, the other allies agree with Socles' candid words and urge Sparta not to intervene in any Greek city.

§5.93.1Σωκλέης μὲν ἀπὸ Κορίνθου πρεσβεύων ἔλεξε τάδε, Ἱππίης δὲ αὐτὸν ἀμείβετο τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐπικαλέσας θεοὺς ἐκείνῳ, ἦ μὲν Κορινθίους μάλιστα πάντων ἐπιποθήσειν Πεισιστρατίδας, ὅταν σφι ἥκωσι ἡμέραι αἱ κύριαι ἀνιᾶσθαι ὑπʼ Ἀθηναίων.
Socles, serving as envoy from Corinth, spoke thus, and Hippias answered him, calling upon the same gods as he did, swearing that indeed the Corinthians would long for the Pisistratidae most of all when the destined days should come for them to be vexed by the Athenians.
§5.93.2Ἱππίης μὲν τούτοισι ἀμείψατο οἷα τοὺς χρησμοὺς ἀτρεκέστατα ἀνδρῶν ἐξεπιστάμενος· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῶν συμμάχων τέως μὲν εἶχον ἐν ἡσυχίῃ σφέας αὐτούς, ἐπείτε δὲ Σωκλέος ἤκουσαν εἴπαντος ἐλευθέρως, ἅπας τις αὐτῶν φωνὴν ῥήξας αἱρέετο τοῦ Κορινθίου τὴν γνώμην, Λακεδαιμονίοισί τε ἐπεμαρτυρέοντο μὴ ποιέειν μηδὲν νεώτερον περὶ πόλιν Ἑλλάδα.
Hippias answered with these words, as one who knew the oracles most accurately of all men; but the rest of the allies had kept themselves in quiet until then, but when they heard Socles speaking freely, every single one of them, breaking into speech, chose the opinion of the Corinthian, and appealed to the Lacedaemonians not to make any innovation concerning any Greek city.

Notes

  1. 5.93.1ἦ μὲν ... ἐπιποθήσειν — The future infinitive ἐπιποθήσειν is introduced by the particles ἦ μέν (or ἦ μήν), which are standard for introducing oaths or strong assertions. The accusative Κορινθίους serves as the subject accusative of the infinitive, while the other accusative Πεισιστρατίδας is its direct object.
  2. 5.93.1ἡμέραι αἱ κύριαι ἀνιᾶσθαι — The passive infinitive ἀνιᾶσθαι ("to be vexed" or "to suffer") functions epegetically, modifying the noun phrase ἡμέραι αἱ κύριαι ("the appointed days" or "the fated times") to specify what those days are destined for.
  3. 5.93.2οἷα ... ἐξεπιστάμενος — The particle οἷα used with the participle ἐξεπιστάμενος ("knowing") indicates the subjective reason or the character under which the action is performed ("as one who knows," "inasmuch as he knew").
  4. 5.93.2Σωκλέος ἤκουσαν εἴπαντος — The verb of perception ἤκουσαν ("they heard") takes the genitive proper name Σωκλέος with the agreeing genitive participle εἴπαντος to express "they heard Socles speaking."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.93.1-5.93.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.93.1-5.93.2

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