Herodotus · Histories §6.115.1

The Persians Sail for Sunium and the Shield Signal Rumor

Passage 1021 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While the Athenians capture seven Persian ships, the Persians sail around Cape Sunium with the remaining fleet to launch a surprise attack on Athens, raising suspicion that the Alcmeonidae conspired with them by raising a shield.

§6.115.1ἑπτὰ μὲν δὴ τῶν νεῶν ἐπεκράτησαν τρόπῳ τοιῷδε Ἀθηναῖοι· τῇσι δὲ λοιπῇσι οἱ βάρβαροι ἐξανακρουσάμενοι, καὶ ἀναλαβόντες ἐκ τῆς νήσου ἐν τῇ ἔλιπον τὰ ἐξ Ἐρετρίης ἀνδράποδα, περιέπλεον Σούνιον βουλόμενοι φθῆναι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἀπικόμενοι ἐς τὸ ἄστυ.

Now, in this manner the Athenians became masters of seven of the ships; but with the remaining ones the barbarians pushed off from land, and having taken up from the island where they had left them the captives from Eretria, they sailed round Sunium, wishing to forestall the Athenians by arriving at the city.

αἰτίην δὲ ἔσχε ἐν Ἀθηναίοισι ἐξ Ἀλκμεωνιδέων μηχανῆς αὐτοὺς ταῦτα ἐπινοηθῆναι· τούτους γὰρ συνθεμένους τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι ἀναδέξαι ἀσπίδα ἐοῦσι ἤδη ἐν τῇσι νηυσί.

And a charge was held among the Athenians that they had devised this by a plot of the Alcmeonidae; for these, it was said, having made an agreement with the Persians, held up a shield as a signal to them when they were already in their ships.

Notes

6.115.1φθῆναι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἀπικόμενοι — The verb φθάνω (to anticipate/forestall) is followed by the nominative participle ἀπικόμενοι, meaning "to arrive (at the city) before the Athenians do."
6.115.1αὐτοὺς ταῦτα ἐπινοηθῆναι — This is an accusative and infinitive construction introduced by the expression αἰτίην ἔσχε ("a charge was held / an accusation arose"). The subject of the infinitive, αὐτούς, refers to the Persians, indicating the suspicion among the Athenians that the Persians had conceived this plan through the scheming of the Alcmeonidae.
6.115.1ἀναδέξαι ἀσπίδα — The infinitive ἀναδέξαι ("to hold up") continues the indirect speech (report) depending on the implication of rumor/accusation from the preceding αἰτίην ἔσχε. The subject τούτους refers to the Alcmeonidae, describing the allegation that they conspired with the Persians and held up a shield as a signal.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.115.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.115.1

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