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Herodotus · Histories §7.10F.1

Artabanus on the Peril of Haste and Value of Delay

Passage 1068 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Artabanus advises Xerxes that haste in any matter leads to errors and great losses, whereas caution and delay bring long-term benefits.

§7.10F.1ἐπειχθῆναι μέν νυν πᾶν πρῆγμα τίκτει σφάλματα, ἐκ τῶν ζημίαι μεγάλαι φιλέουσι γίνεσθαι· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐπισχεῖν ἔνεστι ἀγαθά, εἰ μὴ παραυτίκα δοκέοντα εἶναι, ἀλλʼ ἀνὰ χρόνον ἐξεύροι τις ἄν.
For to hasten every matter begets errors, from which great losses are wont to arise; but in holding back there are benefits, even if they do not seem to be so immediately, yet in course of time one would discover them.

Notes

  1. §7.10F.1ἐπειχθῆναι — The aorist passive infinitive, taking `πᾶν πρῆγμα` as its subject in an accusative-with-infinitive construction, which functions as the subject of `τίκτει`. It literally means 'for every matter to be hastened'.
  2. §7.10F.1φιλέουσι — The verb `φιλέω` with an infinitive (here `γίνεσθαι`) expresses habit or tendency, meaning 'to be wont to' or 'usually to', a usage common in Herodotus' Ionic Greek.
  3. §7.10F.1δοκέοντα — Neuter plural present participle (Ionic for `δοκοῦντα`) agreeing with `ἀγαθά` from the main clause. It functions as 'seeming [to be benefits]' with the infinitive `εἶναι`.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.10F.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.10F.1

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