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Herodotus · Histories §6.99.1-6.99.2

Persian Levies on the Cyclades and Siege of Carystus

Passage 1005 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persian forces sailed from Delos to other islands to recruit troops and take hostages, and subsequently besieged and forced the submission of Carystus on Euboea.

§6.99.1οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ὡς ἀπήειραν ἐκ τῆς Δήλου, προσῖσχον πρὸς τὰς νήσους, ἐνθεῦτεν δὲ στρατιήν τε παρελάμβανον καὶ ὁμήρους τῶν νησιωτέων παῖδας ἐλάμβανον.
The barbarians, when they departed from Delos, touched at the islands, and from there they took recruited troops and received the children of the islanders as hostages.
§6.99.2ὡς δὲ περιπλέοντες τὰς νήσους προσέσχον καὶ ἐς Κάρυστον, οὐ γὰρ δή σφι οἱ Καρύστιοι οὔτε ὁμήρους ἐδίδοσαν οὔτε ἔφασαν ἐπὶ πόλιας ἀστυγείτονας στρατεύεσθαι, λέγοντες Ἐρέτριάν τε καὶ Ἀθήνας, ἐνθαῦτα τούτους ἐπολιόρκεόν τε καὶ τὴν γῆν σφεων ἔκειρον, ἐς ὃ καὶ οἱ Καρύστιοι παρέστησαν ἐς τῶν Περσέων τὴν γνώμην.
When, sailing around the islands, they put in also at Carystus—for indeed the Carystians would neither give them hostages nor did they say they would march against neighboring cities, meaning Eretria and Athens—thereupon the Persians besieged them and ravaged their land, until the Carystians too submitted to the will of the Persians.

Notes

  1. §6.99.1ὁμήρους τῶν νησιωτέων παῖδας — Meaning "the children of the islanders as hostages." `παῖδας` ("children") is the primary noun, while `ὁμήρους` ("hostages") functions in apposition or predicatively.
  2. §6.99.2οὐ γὰρ δή σφι οἱ Καρύστιοι... λέγοντες Ἐρέτριάν τε καὶ Ἀθήνας — A parenthetical clause inserted between the subordinate clause introduced by `ὡς` ("when") and the main clause starting with `ἐνθαῦτα` ("thereupon"). It explains the cause (the Carystians' refusal to give hostages or participate in the campaign) that led to the Persian siege.
  3. §6.99.2ἐς ὃ — An Ionic expression equivalent to Attic `ἕως` ("until"). Used here with the indicative (`παρέστησαν`) to denote an actual past result ("until at last they submitted").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.99.1-6.99.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.99.1-6.99.2

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