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Herodotus · Histories §6.94.1-6.94.2

Darius Dispatches Datis and Artaphernes to Greece

Passage 1000 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While the war between Athens and Aegina continued, the Persian king Darius planned an expedition against Greece under this pretext. He relieved Mardonius of his command, appointed Datis and Artaphernes as new generals, and dispatched them with orders to enslave Athens and Eretria.

§6.94.1Ἀθηναίοισι μὲν δὴ πόλεμος συνῆπτο πρὸς Αἰγινήτας.
So war was joined for the Athenians against the Aeginetans.
ὁ δὲ Πέρσης τὸ ἑωυτοῦ ἐποίεε, ὥστε ἀναμιμνήσκοντός τε αἰεὶ τοῦ θεράποντος μεμνῆσθαί μιν τῶν Ἀθηναίων, καὶ Πεισιστρατιδέων προσκατημένων καὶ διαβαλλόντων Ἀθηναίους, ἅμα δὲ βουλόμενος ὁ Δαρεῖος ταύτης ἐχόμενος τῆς προφάσιος καταστρέφεσθαι τῆς Ἑλλάδος τοὺς μὴ δόντας αὐτῷ γῆν τε καὶ ὕδωρ.
Meanwhile, the Persian king was doing his own part, inasmuch as his servant was constantly reminding him to remember the Athenians, and the Peisistratidae were sitting by and slandering the Athenians; and at the same time Darius, clinging to this pretext, wished to subdue those of Greece who had not given him earth and water.
§6.94.2Μαρδόνιον μὲν δὴ φλαύρως πρήξαντα τῷ στόλῳ παραλύει τῆς στρατηγίης, ἄλλους δὲ στρατηγοὺς ἀποδέξας ἀπέστειλε ἐπὶ τε Ἐρέτριαν καὶ Ἀθήνας, Δᾶτίν τε ἐόντα Μῆδον γένος καὶ Ἀρταφρένεα τὸν Ἀρταφρένεος παῖδα, ἀδελφιδέον ἑωυτοῦ·
He therefore relieved Mardonius of his command, since he had fared miserably with his fleet, and having appointed other generals, he dispatched them against Eretria and Athens—namely Datis, who was a Mede by birth, and Artaphernes, the son of Artaphernes and his own nephew.
ἐντειλάμενος δὲ ἀπέπεμπε ἐξανδραποδίσαντας Ἀθήνας καὶ Ἐρέτριαν ἀνάγειν ἑωυτῷ ἐς ὄψιν τὰ ἀνδράποδα.
Sending them off, he gave them orders to enslave Athens and Eretria and bring the captives before his eyes.

Notes

  1. §6.94.1ὥστε — ὥστε introduces the infinitive μεμνῆσθαι of result (or purpose). μιν is the Ionic form of the third-person singular accusative pronoun αὐτόν, serving as the subject of the infinitive (the Persian king Darius).
  2. §6.94.1ταύτης ἐχόμενος τῆς προφάσιος — The middle participle ἐχόμενος governs the genitive (ταύτης τῆς προφάσιος), meaning "clinging to" or "holding onto" this pretext (i.e., using it as a pretext).
  3. §6.94.1τῆς Ἑλλάδος τοὺς μὴ δόντας — τῆς Ἑλλάδος is a partitive genitive qualifying the substantivized participle phrase τοὺς μὴ δόντας (those who did not give), meaning "those of Greece who did not give."
  4. §6.94.2ἀνάγειν — ἀνάγειν (to bring back) is an infinitive of command/purpose dependent on the participle ἐντειλάμενος (having ordered). The participle ἐξανδραποδίσαντας (having enslaved) is in the accusative plural to agree with the implied subject of the infinitive (the generals), rather than the subject of the main verb (Darius).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.94.1-6.94.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.94.1-6.94.2

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