Herodotus · Histories §6.83.1-6.83.2

The Slaves' Rule and Expulsion in Argos

Passage 985 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Due to the depletion of Argive men, their slaves take control of the state until the surviving sons grow up and expel them to Tiryns, where a prophet named Cleandrus incites the slaves to wage war against their former masters.

§6.83.1Ἄργος δὲ ἀνδρῶν ἐχηρώθη οὕτω ὥστε οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτῶν ἔσχον πάντα τὰ πρήγματα ἄρχοντές τε καὶ διέποντες, ἐς ὃ ἐπήβησαν οἱ τῶν ἀπολομένων παῖδες·

Argos was so depleted of men that their slaves took possession of all affairs, ruling and managing them until the sons of those who had perished reached manhood.

ἔπειτα σφέας οὗτοι ἀνακτώμενοι ὀπίσω ἐς ἑωυτοὺς τὸ Ἄργος ἐξέβαλον· ἐξωθεύμενοι δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι μάχῃ ἔσχον Τίρυνθα.

Then, recovering Argos back for themselves, these sons drove out the slaves; and the slaves, being expelled, seized Tiryns by battle.

§6.83.2τέως μὲν δή σφι ἦν ἄρθμια ἐς ἀλλήλους, ἔπειτα δὲ ἐς τοὺς δούλους ἦλθε ἀνὴρ μάντις Κλέανδρος, γένος ἐὼν Φιγαλεὺς ἀπʼ Ἀρκαδίης·

For a time indeed there was a friendly agreement between them, but then a prophet named Cleandrus, a Phigalian from Arcadia by birth, came to the slaves.

οὗτος τοὺς δούλους ἀνέγνωσε ἐπιθέσθαι τοῖσι δεσπότῃσι.

This man persuaded the slaves to attack their masters.

ἐκ τούτου δὴ πόλεμός σφι ἦν ἐπὶ χρόνον συχνόν, ἐς ὃ δὴ μόγις οἱ Ἀργεῖοι ἐπεκράτησαν.

Consequently, there was war between them for a considerable time, until at last the Argives with difficulty prevailed.

Notes

6.83.1ἀνδρῶν ἐχηρώθη — The verb ἐχηρώθη (3rd person singular aorist passive of χηρόω, 'to deprive, make destitute') is accompanied by the genitive noun ἀνδρῶν, which functions as a genitive of separation or deprivation, meaning 'was depleted of men.'
6.83.1ἔσχον — The aorist form of the verb ἔχω functions here in an ingressive (or aspectual) sense, meaning 'took possession of' or 'seized,' rather than simply 'held' or 'possessed' as a continuous state.
6.83.2ἄρθμια — The neuter plural form of the adjective ἄρθμιος ('friendly, united') is used substantively in the impersonal construction ἦν ἄρθμια to mean 'friendly relations' or 'concord.' The singular verb ἦν is used with this neuter plural subject.
6.83.2ἀνέγνωσε — The verb ἀναγινώσκω is frequently used in the Ionic dialect of Herodotus with the meaning of 'to persuade' (corresponding to Attic ἀναπείθω). Here, taking the accusative (τοὺς δούλους) and the infinitive (ἐπιθέσθαι), it conveys 'persuaded the slaves to attack.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.83.1-6.83.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.83.1-6.83.2

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.