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Herodotus · Histories §6.102.1

Persian Landing at Marathon Guided by Hippias

Passage 1008 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After subduing Eretria, the Persian forces sail to Attica with the intention of doing the same to Athens, and Hippias guides them to Marathon, which was highly suitable for cavalry.

§6.102.1χειρωσάμενοι δὲ τὴν Ἐρέτριαν καὶ ἐπισχόντες ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἔπλεον ἐς γῆν τὴν Ἀττικήν, κατέργοντές τε πολλὸν καὶ δοκέοντες ταὐτὰ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ποιήσειν τὰ καὶ τοὺς Ἐρετριέας ἐποίησαν.
And having subdued Eretria and waited a few days, they sailed to the Attic land, pressing them hard and expecting to do to the Athenians the very same things that they had also done to the Eretrians.
καὶ ἦν γὰρ ὁ Μαραθὼν ἐπιτηδεότατον χωρίον τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἐνιππεῦσαι καὶ ἀγχοτάτω τῆς Ἐρετρίης, ἐς τοῦτό σφι κατηγέετο Ἱππίης ὁ Πεισιστράτου.
And—for Marathon was the most suitable place in Attica for cavalry action and closest to Eretria—to this place Hippias, the son of Pisistratus, guided them.

Notes

  1. §6.102.1ταὐτὰ τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ποιήσειν τὰ καὶ τοὺς Ἐρετριέας ἐποίησαν — A construction where the verb `ποιέω` ("to do [something] [to someone]") takes a double accusative (two accusative objects). `ταὐτὰ` (neuter plural accusative of `ὁ αὐτός`, "the same things") and `τοὺς Ἀθηναίους` (masculine plural accusative, "to the Athenians") are the objects of the future infinitive `ποιήσειν`. Similarly, in the relative clause, `τὰ` (neuter plural accusative, "which") and `τοὺς Ἐρετριέας` (masculine plural accusative, "to the Eretrians") are the objects of `ἐποίησαν`. The subject of the infinitive `ποιήσειν` is the Persians (the same as that of the participle `δοκέοντες`).
  2. §6.102.1καὶ ἦν γὰρ ὁ Μαραθὼν ... ἐς τοῦτό σφι — The particle combination `καὶ ... γάρ` introduces an explanatory clause. Here, the clause with `γάρ` (`ἦν γὰρ ὁ Μαραθὼν ... τῆς Ἐρετρίης`) acts parenthetically, explaining the reason beforehand, while the conjunction `καὶ` connects the main clause starting with `ἐς τοῦτό σφι κατηγέετο` ("to this place he guided them") to the preceding sentence.
  3. §6.102.1ἐνιππεῦσαι — The aorist active infinitive of `ἐνιππεύω` ("to ride horses in, use for cavalry"). It functions as an epexegetical (explanatory) infinitive limiting the superlative adjective `ἐπιτηδεότατον` ("most suitable"), specifying the respect or action in which the place was suitable.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.102.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.102.1

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