Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §6.97.1-6.97.2

Datis Spares Sacred Delos and Offers Incense

Passage 1003 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While the Persians carry out their campaign, the Delians flee their island. However, the Persian general Datis respects the sanctity of Delos, urges them to return, and makes a grand offering of frankincense on the altar.

§6.97.1ἐν ᾧ δὲ οὗτοι ταῦτα ἐποίευν, οἱ Δήλιοι ἐκλιπόντες καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν Δῆλον οἴχοντο φεύγοντες ἐς Τῆνον.
While these men were doing this, the Delians also, abandoning Delos themselves, went fleeing to Tenos.
τῆς δὲ στρατιῆς καταπλεούσης ὁ Δᾶτις προπλώσας οὐκ ἔα τὰς νέας πρὸς τὴν Δῆλον προσορμίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πέρην ἐν τῇ Ῥηναίῃ· αὐτὸς δὲ πυθόμενος ἵνα ἦσαν οἱ Δήλιοι, πέμπων κήρυκα ἠγόρευέ σφι τάδε. §6.97.2ἄνδρες ἱροί, τί φεύγοντες οἴχεσθε, οὐκ ἐπιτήδεα καταγνόντες κατʼ ἐμεῦ;
As the fleet was sailing down, Datis, having sailed ahead, did not allow the ships to anchor at Delos, but rather opposite on Rhenaea; and he, having learned where the Delians were, sent a herald and spoke to them as follows: "Sacred men, why have you gone fleeing, having judged unfavorable things against me?
ἐγὼ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτό γε φρονέω καὶ μοι ἐκ βασιλέος ὧδε ἐπέσταλται, ἐν τῇ χώρῃ οἱ δύο θεοὶ ἐγένοντο, ταύτην μηδὲν σίνεσθαι, μήτε αὐτὴν τὴν χώρην μήτε τοὺς οἰκήτορας αὐτῆς.
For I myself at least have so much understanding, and it has been commanded to me thus by the king: to do no harm to the land in which the two gods were born, neither to the land itself nor to its inhabitants.
νῦν ὦν καὶ ἄπιτε ἐπὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν νῆσον νέμεσθε. ταῦτα μὲν ἐπεκηρυκεύσατο τοῖσι Δηλίοισι, μετὰ δὲ λιβανωτοῦ τριηκόσια τάλαντα κατανήσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ ἐθυμίησε.
Now, therefore, return to your own property and possess your island." These things indeed he announced by herald to the Delians, and afterward, having piled up three hundred talents of frankincense upon the altar, he burned it as an offering.

Notes

  1. §6.97.1οἴχοντο φεύγοντες — The verb "οἴχομαι" with the participle "φεύγοντες" functions as a periphrasis emphasizing the completion or continuous state of the departure ("went fleeing" or "fled away").
  2. §6.97.1οὐκ ἔα ... ἀλλὰ πέρην ἐν τῇ Ῥηναίῃ — "ἔα" is the imperfect 3rd person singular of "ἐάω" (Ionic dialect form). "οὐκ ἐάω" means "did not allow". After "ἀλλὰ", the infinitive "προσορμίζεσθαι" (to anchor) is implied from the previous clause, yielding the sense "but ordered them to anchor opposite on Rhenaea."
  3. §6.97.2οὐκ ἐπιτήδεα καταγνόντες κατʼ ἐμεῦ — The verb "καταγιγνώσκω" takes a genitive of the person ("κατʼ ἐμεῦ") and an accusative of the charge/judgment ("οὐκ ἐπιτήδεα", literally "unsuitable things"), meaning "having passed an unfavorable judgment against me."
  4. §6.97.2ἐπὶ τοσοῦτό γε φρονέω — The verb "φρονέω" means "to think" or "to have understanding". Combined with the prepositional phrase "ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο" and the particle "γε", it expresses "I myself at least have so much understanding/prudence" (not to harm a sacred site).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.97.1-6.97.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.97.1-6.97.2

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.