Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §7.111.1-7.111.2

Freedom of the Satrae and Dionysus' Mountain Oracle

Passage 1174 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The reasons why the Satrae have maintained their freedom up to Herodotus' time are explained, along with a description of the mountain oracle of Dionysus they possess.

§7.111.1σάτραι δὲ οὐδενός κω ἀνθρώπων ὑπήκοοι ἐγένοντο, ὅσον ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν, ἀλλὰ διατελεῦσι τὸ μέχρι ἐμεῦ αἰεὶ ἐόντες ἐλεύθεροι μοῦνοι Θρηίκων·
The Satrae, so far as we know, have never yet become subject to any man, but down to my own day they continue to be always free, alone of the Thracians.
οἰκέουσί τε γὰρ ὄρεα ὑψηλά, ἴδῃσί τε παντοίῃσι καὶ χιόνι συνηρεφέα, καὶ εἰσὶ τὰ πολέμια ἄκροι.
For they dwell in high mountains covered with all kinds of forests and with snow, and they are excellent in matters of war.
§7.111.2οὗτοι οἱ Διονύσου τὸ μαντήιον εἰσὶ ἐκτημένοι·
These are the ones who possess the oracle of Dionysus.
τὸ δὲ μαντήιον τοῦτο ἔστι μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων τῶν ὑψηλοτάτων, Βησσοὶ δὲ τῶν Σατρέων εἰσὶ οἱ προφητεύοντες τοῦ ἱροῦ, πρόμαντις δὲ ἡ χρέωσα κατά περ ἐν Δελφοῖσι, καὶ οὐδὲν ποικιλώτερον.
This oracle is indeed upon the highest of the mountains, and the Bessi, a tribe of the Satrae, are those who act as prophets of the shrine; and the priestess who delivers the responses is just as at Delphi, and not at all more complex.

Notes

  1. 7.111.1διατελεῦσι ... ἐόντες — The verb `διατελέω` (continue) takes the supplementary participle `ἐόντες` (being) to express the idiomatic meaning of "continue to be".
  2. 7.111.1τὰ πολέμια — Accusative of respect (or specification) modifying the adjective `ἄκροι` (excellent, foremost), meaning "in matters of war".
  3. 7.111.2τῶν Σατρέων — Partitive genitive, indicating that the `Βησσοὶ` (Bessi) are a division or tribe belonging to the larger group of the `Σάτραι` (Satrae).
  4. 7.111.2ἡ χρέωσα — The present active participle feminine singular of `χράω` (deliver an oracle) with the article, functioning substantively as "the woman who delivers the oracle" (the priestess). This is an Ionic form corresponding to Attic `ἡ χρῶσα`.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.111.1-7.111.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.111.1-7.111.2

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.