Herodotus · Histories §6.112.1-6.112.3

The Athenian Charge at a Run and the Onset of Battle

Passage 1018 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Once the Athenians draw up their line and receive favorable omens, they charge the Persians at a run over a distance of several stades. The Persians mistake this for suicidal madness, but the Athenians close ranks and fight courageously, overcoming their fear of the Persians.

§6.112.1ὡς δέ σφι διετέτακτο καὶ τὰ σφάγια ἐγίνετο καλά, ἐνθαῦτα ὡς ἀπείθησαν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι δρόμῳ ἵεντο ἐς τοὺς βαρβάρους.

And when they had been arrayed and the sacrifices turned out to be favorable, then indeed, as they were let go, the Athenians charged at a run against the barbarians.

ἦσαν δὲ στάδιοι οὐκ ἐλάσσονες τὸ μεταίχμιον αὐτῶν ἢ ὀκτώ.

The space between them was not less than eight stades.

§6.112.2οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι ὁρέοντες δρόμῳ ἐπιόντας παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς δεξόμενοι, μανίην τε τοῖσι Ἀθηναίοισι ἐπέφερον καὶ πάγχυ ὀλεθρίην, ὁρέοντες αὐτοὺς ὀλίγους καὶ τούτους δρόμῳ ἐπειγομένους, οὔτε ἵππου ὑπαρχούσης σφι οὔτε τοξευμάτων.

The Persians, seeing them attacking at a run, prepared to receive them, and imputed madness to the Athenians, and that utterly destructive, seeing that they were few and even these rushing at a run, although they had neither cavalry nor archers.

§6.112.3ταῦτα μέν νυν οἱ βάρβαροι κατείκαζον· Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ ἐπείτε ἀθρόοι προσέμιξαν τοῖσι βαρβάροισι, ἐμάχοντο ἀξίως λόγου.

Thus indeed the barbarians conjectured; but the Athenians, when they closed with the barbarians in a body, fought in a manner worthy of mention.

πρῶτοι μὲν γὰρ Ἑλλήνων πάντων τῶν ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν δρόμῳ ἐς πολεμίους ἐχρήσαντο, πρῶτοι δὲ ἀνέσχοντο ἐσθῆτά τε Μηδικὴν ὁρέοντες καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας ταύτην ἐσθημένους· τέως δὲ ἦν τοῖσι Ἕλλησι καὶ τὸ οὔνομα τὸ Μήδων φόβος ἀκοῦσαι.

For they were the first of all the Greeks whom we know to charge the enemy at a run, and the first to endure seeing Median dress and the men clothed in it; for until then, even to hear the name of the Medes was a terror to the Greeks.

Notes

6.112.1ἀπείθησαν — Third-person plural aorist passive of ἀπίημι, meaning "they were let go" or "released," referring to the moment they were ordered or allowed to charge.
6.112.1τὸ μεταίχμιον αὐτῶν — Meaning "the space between them." Grammatically, it functions as an accusative of specification or extent of space, specifying the area measured by the subject "ἦσαν στάδιοι...".
6.112.2ὡς δεξόμενοι — The conjunction ὡς combined with the future participle δεξόμενοι (from δέχομαι) to express the subjective intention or purpose of the subject ("with the intention of receiving/welcoming them").
6.112.2οὔτε ἵππου ὑπαρχούσης σφι οὔτε τοξευμάτων — Genitive absolute construction, where ἵππου and τοξευμάτων act as the subjects in the genitive, and the participle ὑπαρχούσης (from ὑπάρχω) agrees with them. σφι is a dative of possession referring to the Athenians.
6.112.3ἀνέσχοντο ... ὁρέοντες — The verb ἀνέσχοντο (aorist middle of ἀνέχομαι, to endure) is construed with the supplementary participle ὁρέοντες (from ὁράω), meaning "they endured seeing."
6.112.3φόβος ἀκοῦσαι — The infinitive ἀκοῦσαι (aorist active of ἀκούω) is an epexegetical (explanatory) infinitive modifying the noun φόβος, meaning "a terror to hear" or "dreadful even to hear" (with minor typo in the original text representation).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.112.1-6.112.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.112.1-6.112.3

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