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Herodotus · Histories §6.4.1-6.4.2

Histiaeus's letters and executions at Sardis

Passage 906 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Histiaeus sends letters to the Persians in Sardis via Hermippus, but the messenger delivers them to Artaphernes instead. Artaphernes uses this to uncover the plot and executes many of the Persian conspirators.

§6.4.1μετὰ δὲ ὁ Ἱστιαῖος διʼ ἀγγέλου ποιεύμενος Ἑρμίππου ἀνδρὸς Ἀταρνίτεω τοῖσι ἐν Σάρδισι ἐοῦσι Περσέων ἔπεμπε βυβλία, ὡς προλελεσχηνευμένων αὐτῷ ἀποστάσιος πέρι.
After this, Histiaeus, employing Hermippus, a man of Atarneus, as a messenger, sent letters to the Persians who were in Sardis, on the pretext that a discussion had already been held with him concerning a revolt.
ὁ δὲ Ἕρμιππος πρὸς τοὺς μὲν ἀπεπέμφθη οὐ διδοῖ, φέρων δὲ ἐνεχείρισε τὰ βυβλία Ἀρταφρένεϊ· §6.4.2ὁ δὲ μαθὼν πᾶν τὸ γινόμενον ἐκέλευε τὸν Ἕρμιππον τὰ μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Ἱστιαίου δοῦναι φέροντα τοῖσί περ ἔφερε, τὰ δὲ ἀμοιβαῖα τὰ παρὰ τῶν Περσέων ἀντιπεμπόμενα Ἱστιαίω ἑωυτῷ δοῦναι.
But Hermippus did not give them to those to whom he had been sent, but carried and delivered the letters to Artaphernes. Artaphernes, having learned all that was going on, ordered Hermippus to carry and give the letters from Histiaeus to the very ones to whom he was carrying them, and to give to himself the replies sent back in return from the Persians to Histiaeus.
τούτων δὲ γενομένων φανερῶν ἀπέκτεινε ἐνθαῦτα πολλοὺς Περσέων ὁ Ἀρταφρένης.
When these things were revealed, Artaphernes then put many of the Persians to death.

Notes

  1. 6.4.1ὡς προλελεσχηνευμένων — An impersonal genitive absolute combining the conjunction ὡς with the perfect passive participle προλελεσχηνευμένων (from προλεσχηνεύομαι, 'to discuss beforehand') in the neuter plural. The particle ὡς indicates a subjective reason or pretext ('under the pretext that...'), representing Histiaeus's subjective intention or the appearance he wanted to present to the recipients.
  2. 6.4.1οὐ διδοῖ — The form διδοῖ is the third-person singular present indicative of δίδωμι in the Ionic dialect (contracted from διδόει as if it were a regular contract verb), corresponding to the standard Attic δίδωσι.
  3. 6.4.2τοῖσί περ ἔφερε — The word τοῖσι is the dative plural of the demonstrative/relative pronoun (Ionic dialect) used in place of the relative pronoun οἷς, with the antecedent (τούτοις) omitted. It means 'to the very ones to whom...'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.4.1-6.4.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.4.1-6.4.2

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