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Herodotus · Histories §7.191.1-7.191.2

Defense from Wrecks and the Magi Calming the Storm

Passage 1254 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Fearing a potential attack by the Thessalians due to their heavy losses from the storm, the Persian generals built a barricade from the wrecks. The Magi eventually appeased the storm on the fourth day by offering sacrifices to the wind and the sea goddesses, guided by local Ionian lore.

§7.191.1σιταγωγῶν δὲ ὁλκάδων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πλοίων διαφθειρομένων οὐκ ἐπῆν ἀριθμός.
There was no number to the grain-carrying transports and other vessels that were destroyed.
ὥστε δείσαντες οἱ στρατηγοὶ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ στρατοῦ μή σφι κεκακωμένοισι ἐπιθέωνται οἱ Θεσσαλοί, ἕρκος ὑψηλὸν ἐκ τῶν ναυηγίων περιεβάλοντο·
Consequently, the generals of the fleet, fearing lest the Thessalians should attack them in their crippled state, threw up a high barricade around themselves from the wrecks.
§7.191.2ἡμέρας γὰρ δὴ ἐχείμαζε τρεῖς.
For indeed the storm raged for three days.
τέλος δὲ ἔντομά τε ποιεῦντες καὶ καταείδοντες γόησι οἱ Μάγοι τῷ ἀνέμῳ, πρός τε τούτοισι καὶ τῇ Θέτι καὶ τῇσι Νηρηίσι θύοντες, ἔπαυσαν τετάρτῃ ἡμέρῃ, ἢ ἄλλως κως αὐτὸς ἐθέλων ἐκόπασε.
But at last, by offering victims and chanting incantations to the wind, and moreover by sacrificing to Thetis and the Nereids, the Magi made it cease on the fourth day, or perhaps of its own accord it blew itself out in some other way.
τῇ δὲ Θέτι ἔθυον πυθόμενοι παρὰ τῶν Ἰώνων τὸν λόγον. ὡς ἐκ τοῦ χώρου τούτου ἁρπασθείη ὑπὸ Πηλέος, εἴη τε ἅπασα ἡ ἀκτὴ ἡ Σηπιὰς ἐκείνης τε καὶ τῶν ἀλλέων Νηρηίδων.
They sacrificed to Thetis because they had heard the story from the Ionians, how she had been carried off from this place by Peleus, and how the whole coast of Sepias belonged to her and the other Nereids.

Notes

  1. §7.191.1σφι κεκακωμένοισι — Dative object governed by the verb `ἐπιθέωνται` (from `ἐπιτίθεμαι`, 'to attack'). The personal pronoun `σφι` (referring to the Persians) agrees in case and number with the perfect passive participle `κεκακωμένοισι` ('crippled' or 'damaged').
  2. §7.191.2ἔπαυσαν — First aorist active, third-person plural of `παύω`. While it can be interpreted intransitively ('the storm ceased'), it is better to take `οἱ Μάγοι` (the Magi) as the subject and the verb transitively ('they laid/appeased the wind'). This provides a natural contrast with the following alternative clause, 'or the wind of its own accord blew itself out (`ἐκόπασε`)'.
  3. §7.191.2ὡς ἐκ τοῦ χώρου τούτου ἁρπασθείη — The conjunction `ὡς` introduces indirect discourse depending on the past verbal expressions `πυθόμενοι` and `ἔθυον`. Due to the sequence of tenses after a historical past main verb, the optative mood (`ἁρπασθείη` and `εἴη`) is used instead of the indicative. It forms a noun clause explaining the content of the story (`τὸν λόγον`) heard from the Ionians.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.191.1-7.191.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.191.1-7.191.2

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