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Herodotus · Histories §6.40.1-6.40.2

Invasion of the Scythians and Flight of Miltiades

Passage 942 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Miltiades, newly arrived in the Chersonese, faced severe troubles. Three years prior to the current events, the nomadic Scythians, provoked by King Darius, invaded the region, forcing Miltiades to flee until the Dolonci restored him.

§6.40.1οὗτος δὲ ὁ Κίμωνος Μιλτιάδης νεωστὶ μὲν ἐληλύθεε ἐς τὴν Χερσόνησον, κατελάμβανε δέ μιν ἐλθόντα ἄλλα τῶν καταλαβόντων πρηγμάτων χαλεπώτερα.
This Miltiades, the son of Cimon, had only recently arrived in the Chersonese, but upon his arrival, other troubles even more severe than those that had already confronted him befell him.
τρίτῳ μὲν γὰρ ἔτεϊ πρὸ τούτων Σκύθας ἐκφεύγει.
For in the third year before these events, he had fled from the Scythians.
Σκύθαι γὰρ οἱ νομάδες ἐρεθισθέντες ὑπὸ βασιλέος Δαρείου συνεστράφησαν καὶ ἤλασαν μέχρι τῆς Χερσονήσου ταύτης·
Indeed, the nomadic Scythians, provoked by King Darius, had banded together and marched as far as this Chersonese.
§6.40.2τούτους ἐπιόντας οὐκ ὑπομείνας ὁ Μιλτιάδης ἔφευγε Χερσόνησον, ἐς ὃ οἵ τε Σκύθαι ἀπαλλάχθησαν καὶ ἐκεῖνον Δόλογκοι κατήγαγον ὀπίσω.
Not awaiting their onset, Miltiades fled from the Chersonese, until the Scythians departed and the Dolonci brought him back again.
ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τρίτῳ ἔτεϊ πρότερον ἐγεγόνεε τῶν τότε μιν κατεχόντων.
These things, indeed, had happened three years prior to the troubles that were then surrounding him.

Notes

  1. 6.40.1ἄλλα τῶν καταλαβόντων πρηγμάτων χαλεπώτερα — The phrase τῶν καταλαβόντων πρηγμάτων (the circumstances that had already befallen him) functions as the genitive of comparison with the comparative adjective χαλεπώτερα. This introduces another past misfortune (ἄλλα) that was even harsher than his current situation.
  2. 6.40.1τρίτῳ μὲν γὰρ ἔτεϊ πρὸ τούτων — The dative τρίτῳ ἔτεϊ expresses the degree of difference (three years) modifying πρὸ τούτων (before these things), meaning 'in the third year before these events'. It runs parallel to τρίτῳ ἔτεϊ πρότερον in 6.40.2.
  3. 6.40.2τῶν τότε μιν κατεχόντων — This is the genitive of comparison depending on the comparative adverb πρότερον. The participle κατεχόντων (possessing, surrounding) takes μιν (him) as its object, referring to the troubles that were encompassing him at that time.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.40.1-6.40.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.40.1-6.40.2

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