Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §6.14.1-6.14.3

Desertion of Samians and Other Ionians at Lade

Passage 916 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

As the sea-fight between the Phoenicians and the Ionians begins, the Samians, honoring their secret agreement, sail away except for eleven ships, and the Lesbians and most other Ionians follow suit.

§6.14.1τότε ὦν ἐπεὶ ἐπέπλεον οἱ Φοίνικες, οἱ Ἴωνες ἀντανῆγον καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς νέας ἐπὶ κέρας.
Then indeed, when the Phoenicians sailed against them, the Ionians themselves also led out their ships in column to meet them.
ὡς δὲ καὶ ἀγχοῦ ἐγίνοντο καὶ συνέμισγον ἀλλήλοισι, τὸ ἐνθεῦτεν οὐκ ἔχω ἀτρεκέως συγγράψαι οἵτινες τῶν Ἰώνων ἐγίνοντο ἄνδρες κακοὶ ἢ ἀγαθοὶ ἐν τῇ ναυμαχίῃ ταύτῃ· ἀλλήλους γὰρ καταιτιῶνται.
And when they got close and joined battle with one another, from that point on I cannot write with certainty which of the Ionians proved themselves cowardly or brave in this sea-fight; for they accuse one another.
§6.14.2λέγονται δὲ Σάμιοι ἐνθαῦτα κατὰ τὰ συγκείμενα πρὸς τὸν Αἰάκεα ἀειράμενοι τὰ ἱστία ἀποπλῶσαι ἐκ τῆς τάξιος ἐς τὴν Σάμον, πλὴν ἕνδεκα νεῶν·
It is said, however, that the Samians on this occasion, according to the agreement made with Aeaces, hoisted their sails and sailed away from the line of battle to Samos, with the exception of eleven ships.
τουτέων δὲ οἱ τριήραρχοι παρέμενον καὶ ἐναυμάχεον ἀνηκουστήσαντες τοῖσι στρατηγοῖσι·
The trierarchs of these remained and fought, disobeying their generals.
§6.14.3καί σφι τὸ κοινὸν τῶν Σαμίων ἔδωκε διὰ τοῦτο τὸ πρῆγμα ἐν στήλῃ ἀναγραφῆναι πατρόθεν ὡς ἀνδράσι ἀγαθοῖσι γενομένοισι, καὶ ἔστι αὕτη ἡ στήλη ἐν τῇ ἀγορῇ.
And for this deed, the Samian commonwealth granted them to be inscribed on a pillar with their fathers' names as men who had been brave, and this pillar is in the marketplace.
ἰδόμενοι δὲ καὶ Λέσβιοι τοὺς προσεχέας φεύγοντας τὠυτὸ ἐποίευν τοῖσι Σαμίοισι· ὣς δὲ καὶ οἱ πλεῦνες τῶν Ἰώνων ἐποίευν τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα.
The Lesbians also, seeing those next to them fleeing, did the same as the Samians; and so indeed did the majority of the Ionians do these very same things.

Notes

  1. §6.14.1τὸ ἐνθεῦτεν — An adverbial accusative of time, or functioning as the direct object of `συγγράψαι` in apposition with the following indirect question clause `οἵτινες...`. It means 'from that point on' or 'the subsequent events.'
  2. §6.14.2λέγονται δὲ Σάμιοι ... ἀποπλῶσαι — A personal passive construction, highly common in Greek, meaning 'the Samians are said to have sailed away,' which is preferred over the impersonal construction ('it is said that the Samians sailed away').
  3. §6.14.2ἀνηκουστήσαντες — Aorist active participle of `ἀνηκουστέω` (to disobey), governing the dative `τοῖσι στρατηγοῖσι`. It expresses the attendant circumstance or manner ('disobeying' or 'in disobedience to').
  4. §6.14.3ἔδωκε... ἀναγραφῆναι — The verb `δίδωμι` (to give/grant) construed with the infinitive `ἀναγραφῆναι`, meaning 'granted [them] to be inscribed' or 'permitted [them] to be inscribed,' with `σφι` (to them) acting as the dative subject of the infinitive.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.14.1-6.14.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.14.1-6.14.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.