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Herodotus · Histories §7.171.1-7.171.2

Crete's Desolation and Why They Denied Aid

Passage 1234 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author returns from the digression on the Rhegines and Tarentines to describe the resettlement of Crete after Minos, the impact of the Trojan War followed by famine, and how the Pythia's advice dissuaded the Cretans from helping the Greeks.

§7.171.1ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν κατὰ Ῥηγίνους τε καὶ Ταραντίνους τοῦ λόγου μοι παρενθήκη γέγονε·
But the matters concerning the Rhegines and Tarentines have become a digression in my story.
ἐς δὲ τὴν Κρήτην ἐρημωθεῖσαν, ὡς λέγουσι Πραίσιοι, ἐσοικίζεσθαι ἄλλους τε ἀνθρώπους καὶ μάλιστα Ἕλληνας, τρίτῃ δὲ γενεῇ μετὰ Μίνων τελευτήσαντα γενέσθαι τὰ Τρωικά, ἐν τοῖσι οὐ φλαυροτάτους φαίνεσθαι ἐόντας Κρῆτας τιμωροὺς Μενέλεῳ.
Now, into Crete, which had been left desolate, as the Praesians say, other men and especially Greeks came to settle; and in the third generation after the death of Minos the Trojan war took place, in which the Cretans showed themselves to be by no means the least important as helpers of Menelaus.
§7.171.2ἀπὸ τούτων δέ σφι ἀπονοστήσασι ἐκ Τροίης λιμόν τε καὶ λοιμὸν γενέσθαι καὶ αὐτοῖσι καὶ τοῖσι προβάτοισι, ἔστε τὸ δεύτερον ἐρημωθείσης Κρήτης μετὰ τῶν ὑπολοίπων τρίτους αὐτὴν νῦν νέμεσθαι Κρῆτας.
But when they returned from Troy, famine and pestilence came upon them, both upon themselves and upon their cattle, until, Crete having been left desolate for the second time, the Cretans who now inhabit it came to dwell there as the third inhabitants along with the survivors.
ἡ μὲν δὴ Πυθίη ὑπομνήσασα ταῦτα ἔσχε βουλομένους τιμωρέειν τοῖσι Ἕλλησι.
Thus indeed the Pythia, by reminding them of these things, stopped them when they wished to help the Greeks.

Notes

  1. §7.171.1μετὰ Μίνων τελευτήσαντα — The preposition `μετά` with the accusative means 'after.' Here, the accusative noun `Μίνων` (Ionic accusative of `Μίνως`) agrees with the accusative aorist participle `τελευτήσαντα` (having died), meaning 'after the death of Minos' (literally, 'after Minos having died').
  2. §7.171.1οὐ φλαυροτάτους — An example of litotes ('not the least important'), meaning 'highly distinguished' or 'very prominent'.
  3. §7.171.2ἔσχε βουλομένους — The verb `ἔχω` (aorist `ἔσχον`) with an accusative (`βουλομένους`) and an infinitive (`τιμωρέειν`) means 'to prevent or restrain someone from doing something.' The participle `βουλομένους` serves as the object of `ἔσχε` ('restrained them, who wished to help').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.171.1-7.171.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.171.1-7.171.2

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