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Herodotus · Histories §6.124.1-6.124.2

Denial of Alcmaeonid Treason and Unknown Raiser of the Shield

Passage 1029 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author refutes the idea that the Alcmaeonidae betrayed the city due to some grievance, citing their high status, and states that while a shield was indeed raised, the identity of the person remains unknown.

§6.124.1ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἴσως τι ἐπιμεμφόμενοι Ἀθηναίων τῷ δήμῳ προεδίδοσαν τὴν πατρίδα.
But perhaps, finding some fault with the people of Athens, they were trying to betray their country.
οὐ μὲν ὦν ἦσαν σφέων ἄλλοι δοκιμώτεροι ἔν γε Ἀθηναίοισι ἄνδρες οὐδʼ οἳ μᾶλλον ἐτετιμέατο.
Yet indeed, there were no other men among the Athenians more esteemed than they, nor any who had been more honored.
§6.124.2οὕτω οὐδὲ λόγος αἱρέει ἀναδεχθῆναι ἔκ γε ἂν τούτων ἀσπίδα ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ λόγῳ.
Thus, reason does not even allow that a shield would have been raised by them at least for such a reason.
ἀνεδέχθη μὲν γὰρ ἀσπίς, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι ἄλλως εἰπεῖν· ἐγένετο γάρ· ὃς μέντοι ἦν ὁ ἀναδέξας, οὐκ ἔχω προσωτέρω εἰπεῖν τούτων.
For a shield was indeed raised, and this cannot be said otherwise, for it did happen; however, as to who it was that raised it, I cannot say anything further than this.

Notes

  1. 6.124.1ἀλλὰ γὰρ — An idiomatic formula introducing a potential counter-argument (but indeed / but perhaps). Here it introduces the hypothetical suspicion that they might have betrayed the city out of grievance.
  2. 6.124.1ἐτετιμέατο — The third-person plural pluperfect passive of τιμάω in the Ionic dialect, corresponding to Attic ἐτετίμηντο.
  3. 6.124.2λόγος αἱρέει — An idiom characteristic of Herodotus meaning 'reason captures' or 'logic allows', governing the following infinitive phrase ἀναδεχθῆναι, meaning 'it does not stand to reason that...'.
  4. 6.124.2ἔκ γε ἂν τούτων — The particle ἂν goes with the infinitive ἀναδεχθῆναι, adding a potential or hypothetical nuance to a past event ('that it would have been raised by them').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.124.1-6.124.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.124.1-6.124.2

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