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Herodotus · Histories §7.106.1-7.106.2

Praise and Royal Honors for Mascames in Doriscus

Passage 1169 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage explains the exceptional status of Mascames, the governor left in Doriscus, who received yearly gifts from the Persian king, and notes that while all other Persian governors in Thrace and the Hellespont were driven out by the Greeks, Mascames successfully defended his post.

§7.106.1κατέλιπε δὲ ἄνδρα τοιόνδε Μασκάμην γενόμενον, τῷ μούνῳ Ξέρξης δῶρα πέμπεσκε ὡς ἀριστεύοντι πάντων ὅσους αὐτὸς κατέστησε ἢ Δαρεῖος ὑπάρχους, πέμπεσκε δὲ ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος· ὣς δὲ καὶ Ἀρτοξέρξης ὁ Ξέρξεω τοῖσι Μασκαμείοισι ἐκγόνοισι.
And he left Mascames, who had proved himself to be a man of such character, to whom alone Xerxes used to send gifts, as to the one who excelled all the governors whom he himself or Darius had appointed, and he used to send them every year; and in like manner also Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, to the descendants of Mascames.
κατέστασαν γὰρ ἔτι πρότερον ταύτης τῆς ἐλάσιος ὕπαρχοι ἐν τῇ Θρηίκῃ καὶ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου πανταχῇ.
For even before this expedition, governors had been established throughout Thrace and the Hellespont.
§7.106.2οὗτοι ὦν πάντες οἵ τε ἐκ Θρηίκης καὶ τοῦ Ἑλλησπόντου, πλὴν τοῦ ἐν Δορίσκῳ, ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων ὕστερον ταύτης τῆς στρατηλασίης ἐξαιρέθησαν· τὸν δὲ ἐν Δορίσκῳ Μασκάμην οὐδαμοί κω ἐδυνάσθησαν ἐξελεῖν πολλῶν πειρησαμένων.
Now all of these, both from Thrace and the Hellespont, except the one in Doriscus, were later driven out by the Greeks after this expedition; but as for Mascames in Doriscus, though many attempted, no one was ever yet able to drive him out.
διὰ τοῦτο δή οἱ τὰ δῶρα πέμπεται παρὰ τοῦ βασιλεύοντος αἰεὶ ἐν Πέρσῃσι.
For this very reason, gifts are always sent to him from the reigning king among the Persians.

Notes

  1. §7.106.1τῷ — An instance of the definite article functioning as a relative pronoun in the Ionic dialect, referring back to the antecedent Mascames.
  2. §7.106.1πέμπεσκε — An iterative imperfect form characterized by the Ionic suffix '-ske', emphasizing the habitual and repeated action of the king sending gifts every year.
  3. §7.106.1ὣς δὲ καὶ Ἀρτοξέρξης ὁ Ξέρξεω τοῖσι Μασκαμείοισι ἐκγόνοισι — An elliptical expression using the adverb 'hōs' (= houtōs). The verb 'pempeske' (or more generally 'epempe') from the preceding clause must be supplied: 'and in like manner Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes, [sent gifts] to the descendants of Mascames.'
  4. §7.106.2πολλῶν πειρησαμένων — A genitive absolute construction with the participle 'peirasamenōn', here conveying a concessive force ('although many attempted').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.106.1-7.106.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.106.1-7.106.2

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