Herodotus · Histories §6.104.1-6.104.2

Escape of Miltiades from Peril and Election as General

Passage 1010 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Miltiades escapes a double threat of death—pursuit by the Phoenicians and prosecution by political rivals upon his return—and is elected as a general of Athens.

§6.104.1οὗτος δὴ ὦν τότε ὁ Μιλτιάδης ἥκων ἐκ τῆς Χερσονήσου καὶ ἐκπεφευγὼς διπλόον θάνατον ἐστρατήγεε Ἀθηναίων.

So at that time this Miltiades, having returned from the Chersonese and having escaped a double death, was serving as a general of the Athenians.

ἅμα μὲν γὰρ οἱ Φοίνικες αὐτὸν οἱ ἐπιδιώξαντες μέχρι Ἴμβρου περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιεῦντο λαβεῖν τε καὶ ἀναγαγεῖν παρὰ βασιλέα· §6.104.2ἅμα δὲ ἐκφυγόντα τε τούτους καὶ ἀπικόμενον ἐς τὴν ἑωυτοῦ δοκέοντά τε εἶναι ἐν σωτηρίῃ ἤδη, τὸ ἐνθεῦτέν μιν οἱ ἐχθροὶ ὑποδεξάμενοι ὑπὸ δικαστήριον αὐτὸν ἀγαγόντες ἐδίωξαν τυραννίδος τῆς ἐν Χερσονήσῳ.

For on the one hand, the Phoenicians, who had pursued him as far as Imbros, made it a matter of great importance to capture him and bring him up to the King; and on the other hand, when he had escaped these men and reached his own land, and was thinking that he was already in safety, after this his enemies, having lain in wait for him, brought him before a court and prosecuted him for his tyranny in the Chersonese.

ἀποφυγὼν δὲ καὶ τούτους στρατηγὸς οὕτω Ἀθηναίων ἀπεδέχθη, αἱρεθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου.

But having escaped these men as well, he was thus appointed a general of the Athenians, having been elected by the people.

Notes

6.104.1διπλόον θάνατον — "A double death" refers to the two mortal dangers explained in the following clauses introduced by ἅμα μὲν... ἅμα δὲ...: first, the danger of capture and execution by the Phoenicians, and second, the danger of capital prosecution by his political enemies upon his return to Athens.
6.104.1περὶ πολλοῦ ἐποιεῦντο — The idiom περὶ πολλοῦ ποιοῦμαι (middle) followed by infinitives (here λαβεῖν and ἀναγαγεῖν) means "to regard as of great importance" or "to be highly eager to do something."
6.104.2ἐκφυγόντα τε τούτους καὶ ἀπικόμενον ἐς τὴν ἑωυτοῦ δοκέοντά τε εἶναι ἐν σωτηρίῃ ἤδη — These are accusative participles modifying the personal pronoun μιν (him), which functions as the direct object of the main verb ἐδίωξαν. They precede the main clause to depict the situation Miltiades found himself in.
6.104.2ἐδίωξαν τυραννίδος — The verb διώκω is used here as a legal term meaning "to prosecute, accuse," taking an accusative of the person prosecuted (μιν/αὐτόν) and a genitive of the charge (τυραννίδος).
6.104.2ἀποφυγὼν — In a judicial context, the verb ἀποφεύγω functions as a legal term meaning "to be acquitted" or "to escape conviction."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.104.1-6.104.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.104.1-6.104.2

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