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Herodotus · Histories §6.101.1-6.101.3

Persian Landing and Fall of Eretria by Treachery

Passage 1007 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Athenians retreat to Oropus while the Persian army lands in Eretrian territory and launches an assault. Although the Eretrians defend the walls, the city is betrayed on the seventh day by citizens, leading to the burning of temples and the enslavement of its inhabitants.

§6.101.1καὶ οὗτοι μὲν διαβάντες ἐς Ὠρωπὸν ἔσωζον σφέας αὐτούς· οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι πλέοντες κατέσχον τὰς νέας τῆς Ἐρετρικῆς χώρης κατὰ Τέμενος καὶ Χοιρέας καὶ Αἰγίλεα, κατασχόντες δὲ ταῦτα τὰ χωρία αὐτίκα ἵππους τε ἐξεβάλλοντο καὶ παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς προσοισόμενοι τοῖσι ἐχθροῖσι.
And these, crossing over to Oropus, saved themselves; but the Persians, sailing on, brought their ships to land in the Eretrian territory at Temenos, Choereae, and Aegilea, and having occupied these places, they immediately disembarked their horses and made preparations to advance against the enemy.
§6.101.2οἱ δὲ Ἐρετριέες ἐπεξελθεῖν μὲν καὶ μαχέσασθαι οὐκ ἐποιεῦντο βουλήν, εἴ κως δὲ διαφυλάξαιεν τὰ τείχεα, τούτου σφι πέρι ἔμελε, ἐπείτε ἐνίκα μὴ ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν.
The Eretrians, for their part, made no plan to march out and fight, but if they might somehow guard the walls, this was their concern, since the opinion had prevailed not to abandon the city.
προσβολῆς δὲ γινομένης καρτερῆς πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος ἔπιπτον ἐπὶ ἓξ ἡμέρας πολλοὶ μὲν ἀμφοτέρων· τῇ δὲ ἑβδόμῃ Εὔφορβός τε ὁ Ἀλκιμάχου καὶ Φίλαγρος ὁ Κυνέου ἄνδρες τῶν ἀστῶν δόκιμοι προδιδοῦσι τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι.
An intense assault being made against the wall, many fell on both sides for six days; but on the seventh day, Euphorbus son of Alcimachus and Philagrus son of Cyneas, distinguished men among the citizens, betrayed it to the Persians.
§6.101.3οἳ δὲ ἐσελθόντες ἐς τὴν πόλιν τοῦτο μὲν τὰ ἱρὰ συλήσαντες ἐνέπρησαν, ἀποτινύμενοι τῶν ἐν Σάρδισι κατακαυθέντων ἱρῶν, τοῦτο δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἠνδραποδίσαντο κατὰ τὰς Δαρείου ἐντολάς.
And they, having entered the city, on the one hand plundered and burned the temples, taking vengeance for the temples burned at Sardis, and on the other hand enslaved the people, according to the commands of Darius.

Notes

  1. 6.101.2εἴ κως δὲ διαφυλάξαιεν — The optative διαφυλάξαιεν introduced by εἴ κως ('if somehow') depends on the past main verb ἔμελε, functioning like an indirect question that expresses expectation, intention, or an attempt.
  2. 6.101.2ἐνίκα — The imperfect ἐνίκα is used impersonally to mean 'prevailed' or 'was decided' (referring to an opinion in a debate), with the infinitive phrase μὴ ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν πόλιν ('not to abandon the city') serving as its subject.
  3. 6.101.3τοῦτο μὲν ... τοῦτο δὲ — A correlative construction using the accusative singular neuter of the demonstrative pronoun (adverbial accusative) τοῦτο, meaning 'on the one hand... on the other hand...', a usage highly characteristic of Herodotus.
  4. 6.101.3ἀποτινύμενοι — The middle participle ἀποτινύμενοι ('taking vengeance') governs the genitive τῶν ... ἱρῶν ('for the temples') to denote the cause or object of the vengeance.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.101.1-6.101.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.101.1-6.101.3

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