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Herodotus · Histories §7.105.1

Appointment of Mascames and the Advance Through Thrace

Passage 1168 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Xerxes laughs off Demaratus's warning and, after replacing the governor of Doriscus with Mascames, resumes his army's march through Thrace toward Greece.

§7.105.1ὃ μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ἀμείψατο, Ξέρξης δὲ ἐς γέλωτά τε ἔτρεψε καὶ οὐκ ἐποιήσατο ὀργὴν οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλʼ ἠπίως αὐτὸν ἀπεπέμψατο. τούτῳ δὲ ἐς λόγους ἐλθὼν Ξέρξης, καὶ ὕπαρχον ἐν τῷ Δορίσκῳ τούτῳ καταστήσας Μασκάμην τὸν Μεγαδόστεω, τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ Δαρείου σταθέντα καταπαύσας, ἐξήλαυνε τὸν στρατὸν διὰ τῆς Θρηίκης ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
He indeed answered thus, but Xerxes turned it into laughter and showed no anger at all, but dismissed him kindly. Having entered into conversation with him, Xerxes, after appointing Mascames, son of Megadostes, as governor in this Doriscus, and dismissing the one who had been established by Darius, marched his army through Thrace against Greece. He indeed answered thus, but Xerxes turned it into laughter and showed no anger at all, but dismissed him kindly. Having entered into conversation with him, Xerxes, after appointing Mascames, son of Megadostes, as governor in this Doriscus, and dismissing the one who had been established by Darius, marched his army through Thrace against Greece.

Notes

  1. §7.105.1ὃ μὲν — This ὃ is not a relative pronoun but is used as a third-person demonstrative pronoun representing the subject (referring to Demaratus), standing in contrast with the subsequent Ξέρξης δὲ.
  2. §7.105.1ἐς γέλωτά τε ἔτρεψε — The direct object of the active transitive verb ἔτρεψε (aorist), referring to Demaratus's words or the situation, is omitted. The literal meaning is 'turned [it] into laughter,' indicating that Xerxes did not take it seriously.
  3. §7.105.1τούτῳ — A dative pronoun connected with the participle phrase ἐς λόγους ἐλθὼν ('entering into conversation'), referring here to Demaratus.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.105.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.105.1

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