Herodotus · Histories §6.55.1

Transition to Unrecorded Spartan Customs

Passage 957 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Herodotus declares that he will omit the story of how the Dorians' kings obtained their thrones despite being of Egyptian origin, since other writers have already covered it, and will instead focus on what others have left unrecorded.

§6.55.1καὶ ταῦτα μέν νυν περὶ τούτων εἰρήσθω.

And let these things indeed now be said concerning these matters.

ὅ τι δὲ ἐόντες Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ ὅ τι ἀποδεξάμενοι ἔλαβον τὰς Δωριέων βασιληίας, ἄλλοισι γὰρ περὶ αὐτῶν εἴρηται, ἐάσομεν αὐτά· τὰ δὲ ἄλλοι οὐ κατελάβοντο, τούτων μνήμην ποιήσομαι.

But as to how they, being Egyptians, and by what achievement they received the kingships of the Dorians, since this has been told by others, we shall pass it over; but of those things which others have not recorded, I will make mention.

Notes

6.55.1ὅ τι ... ὅ τι — The two indirect interrogatives ὅ τι introduce an indirect question clause dependent on ἐάσομεν (or referring to its object αὐτά). The first ὅ τι functions adverbially ("how" or "for what reason"), and the second ὅ τι serves as the direct object of the participle ἀποδεξάμενοι ("by displaying what").
6.55.1ἀποδεξάμενοι — The aorist middle participle of ἀποδείκνυμι (Ionic form for ἀποδείκνυμι, corresponding to Attic ἀποδειξάμενοι), meaning "to display, perform, or achieve (deeds)." It takes the preceding ὅ τι as its object, yielding the sense of "by performing what achievement."
6.55.1ἄλλοισι — The dative plural ἄλλοισι acts as the dative of agent with the perfect passive verb εἴρηται, equivalent to ὑπʼ ἄλλων ("by others").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.55.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.55.1

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.