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Herodotus · Histories §6.121.1-6.121.2

Refutation of the Alcmaeonid Shield Signal Treason

Passage 1027 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author rejects the story that the Alcmaeonidae conspired with the Persians by flashing a shield, citing their strong anti-tyrant stance and bringing up the example of Callias, who was fiercely hostile to the tyrant Peisistratus.

§6.121.1θῶμα δέ μοι καὶ οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι τὸν λόγον Ἀλκμεωνίδας ἄν κοτε ἀναδέξαι Πέρσῃσι ἐκ συνθήματος ἀσπίδα, βουλομένους ὑπὸ βαρβάροισί τε εἶναι Ἀθηναίους καὶ ὑπὸ Ἱππίῃ· οἵτινες μᾶλλον ἢ ὁμοίως Καλλίῃ τῷ Φαινίππου, Ἱππονίκου δὲ πατρί, φαίνονται μισοτύραννοι ἐόντες.
It is a wonder to me, and I do not accept the story, that the Alcmaeonidae could ever have raised a shield to the Persians by agreement, wishing that the Athenians should be under the power of the foreigners and of Hippias; since they appear to have been tyrants-haters to a greater degree than, or at least as much as, Callias, the son of Phaenippus and father of Hipponicus.
§6.121.2Καλλίης τε γὰρ μοῦνος Ἀθηναίων ἁπάντων ἐτόλμα, ὅκως Πεισίστρατος ἐκπέσοι ἐκ τῶν Ἀθηνέων, τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ κηρυσσόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ δημοσίου ὠνέεσθαι, καὶ τἆλλα τὰ ἔχθιστα ἐς αὐτὸν πάντα ἐμηχανᾶτο.
For Callias alone of all the Athenians dared, whenever Peisistratus was expelled from Athens, to buy his property when it was offered for public sale, and he devised all other things that were most hostile toward him.

Notes

  1. 6.121.1θῶμα δέ μοι καὶ οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι τὸν λόγον Ἀλκμεωνίδας ἄν κοτε ἀναδέξαι — The infinitive phrase starting with Ἀλκμεωνίδας ἄν κοτε ἀναδέξαι functions as an appositive clause explaining the content of τὸν λόγον (the story) which is governed by οὐκ ἐνδέκομαι. The verb ἀναδέξαι is the aorist active infinitive of ἀναδείκνυμι (to hold up, display) in the Ionic dialect. The particle ἄν with the infinitive represents a potential or past hypothetical statement in indirect discourse.
  2. 6.121.1μᾶλλον ἢ ὁμοίως — Literally meaning "more than or similarly to," this is an idiomatic expression meaning "more than, or at least as much as." Here, it emphasizes that the Alcmaeonidae hated tyrants just as much as, or even more than, Callias did.
  3. 6.121.2ὅκως Πεισίστρατος ἐκπέσοι — The conjunction ὅκως (Ionic for ὅπως) followed by the optative ἐκπέσοι expresses indefinite past repetition ("whenever Peisistratus was expelled"). This grammatical construction matches the historical fact that Peisistratus was driven out of Athens multiple times.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.121.1-6.121.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.121.1-6.121.2

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