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Herodotus · Histories §6.49.1-6.49.2

Aegina's Submission and Athens' Accusation

Passage 951 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Many mainland Greeks and all the islanders, especially the Aeginetans, surrendered earth and water to Persia. Suspicious of Aegina's hostile intentions, Athens accused them of treason before Sparta.

§6.49.1οὗτοί τε δὴ παρεσκευάζοντο ταῦτα, καὶ τοῖσι ἥκουσι ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα κήρυξι πολλοὶ μὲν ἠπειρωτέων ἔδοσαν τὰ προΐσχετο αἰτέων ὁ Πέρσης, πάντες δὲ νησιῶται ἐς τοὺς ἀπικοίατο αἰτήσοντες.
So they were preparing these things; and as for the heralds who had come to Greece, many of the mainlanders gave what the Persian demanded by his proposal, and all the islanders did so, to whomsoever the heralds had come to make the demand.
οἵ τε δὴ ἄλλοι νησιῶται διδοῦσι γῆν τε καὶ ὕδωρ Δαρείῳ καὶ δὴ καὶ Αἰγινῆται.
Thus the other islanders gave earth and water to Darius, and in particular the Aeginetans.
§6.49.2ποιήσασι δέ σφι ταῦτα ἰθέως Ἀθηναῖοι ἐπεκέατο, δοκέοντές τε ἐπὶ σφίσι ἐπέχοντας τοὺς Αἰγινήτας δεδωκέναι ὡς ἅμα τῷ Πέρσῃ ἐπὶ σφέας στρατεύωνται, καὶ ἄσμενοι προφάσιος ἐπελάβοντο, φοιτέοντές τε ἐς τὴν Σπάρτην κατηγόρεον τῶν Αἰγινητέων τὰ πεποιήκοιεν προδόντες τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
When they had done this, the Athenians immediately turned against them, thinking that the Aeginetans had given it with a design against them, so that they might campaign against them together with the Persian; and they gladly seized the pretext, and frequently going to Sparta, they accused the Aeginetans of what they had done in betraying Greece.

Notes

  1. 6.49.1ἐς τοὺς ἀπικοίατο αἰτήσοντες — The antecedent of the relative pronoun `τοὺς` is `νησιῶται`. The verb `ἀπικοίατο` is the Ionic form of the optative 3rd person plural (corresponding to `ἀπίκοιντο`), representing an oblique optative in a relative clause depending on a historical main verb, or expressing repetition. The future active participle `αἰτήσοντες` expresses purpose ('in order to demand').
  2. 6.49.2ἐπέχοντας — The accusative plural present participle of `ἐπέχω` ('to direct', 'to have a design'), agreeing with `τοὺς Αἰγινήτας`, which is the subject accusative of the infinitive `δεδωκέναι`. It implies an ellipsis of `νοῦν` (mind, intention), meaning 'holding a hostile design' against them (`ἐπὶ σφίσι`, i.e., the Athenians).
  3. 6.49.2τὰ πεποιήκοιεν — The perfect active optative 3rd person plural of `ποιέω`. Since the governing verb of the main clause `κατηγόρεον` is in a past tense (imperfect), the oblique optative is used in the indirect relative clause.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.49.1-6.49.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.49.1-6.49.2

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