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Herodotus · Histories §7.201.1

Encampments and Territories of Xerxes and the Greeks

Passage 1264 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

King Xerxes of Persia encamps in Trachis while the Greeks encamp in the pass of Thermopylae, with a description of the territories each side controls.

§7.201.1βασιλεὺς μὲν δὴ Ξέρξης ἐστρατοπεδεύετο τῆς Μηλίδος ἐν τῇ Τρηχινίῃ, οἱ δὲ δὴ Ἕλληνες ἐν τῇ διόδῳ.
Now King Xerxes was encamped in Trachis in the territory of Malis, and the Greeks in the pass.
καλέεται δὲ ὁ χῶρος οὗτος ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν πλεόνων Ἑλλήνων Θερμοπύλαι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων καὶ περιοίκων Πύλαι.
This place is called Thermopylae by most of the Greeks, but Pylae by the local inhabitants and neighbors.
ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο μέν νυν ἑκάτεροι ἐν τούτοισι τοῖσι χωρίοισι, ἐπεκράτεε δὲ ὃ μὲν τῶν πρὸς βορέην ἄνεμον ἐχόντων πάντων μέχρι Τρηχῖνος, οἳ δὲ τῶν πρὸς νότον καὶ μεσαμβρίην φερόντων τὸ ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς ἠπείρου.
Now both sides were encamped in these places; and the one was master of all that lay to the north as far as Trachis, and the others of all that tended toward the south and midday on this continent.

Notes

  1. 7.201.1τῆς Μηλίδος ἐν τῇ Τρηχινίῃ — τῆς Μηλίδος (Malis) is a partitive genitive depending on ἐν τῇ Τρηχινίῃ (in Trachis), meaning 'in Trachis within the territory of Malis'.
  2. 7.201.1ὃ μὲν ... οἳ δὲ — Demonstrative pronouns expressing contrast between the subjects: the singular ὃ μὲν refers to King Xerxes, while the plural οἳ δὲ refers to the Greeks. The verb ἐπεκράτεε (was master of) is singular, and for the second clause, the plural ἐπεκράτεον is understood to be omitted to agree with οἳ δὲ.
  3. 7.201.1τῶν πρὸς βορέην ἄνεμον ἐχόντων — ἐχόντων is used intransitively to mean 'lying, tending (in a certain direction)' (πρὸς ... ἔχειν). The entire phrase is in the genitive plural because the governing verb ἐπεκράτεε takes a genitive object. It modifies an omitted noun (like χωρίων 'places' or ἔθνεων 'peoples') or is used substantively.
  4. 7.201.1τὸ ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς ἠπείρου — The neuter singular accusative article τὸ, accompanied by the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς ἠπείρου (on this continent), functions as an adverbial accusative (accusative of respect), meaning 'as far as regards this continent' or 'on this continent'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.201.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.201.1

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