Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §7.206.1-7.206.2

Reasons for the Advance Guard and the Delay of the Main Army

Passage 1269 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage explains how the Spartans and other allies sent advance guards to Thermopylae first, while delaying their main forces due to religious festivals.

§7.206.1τούτους μὲν τοὺς ἀμφὶ Λεωνίδην πρώτους ἀπέπεμψαν Σπαρτιῆται, ἵνα τούτους ὁρῶντες οἱ ἄλλοι σύμμαχοι στρατεύωνται μηδὲ καὶ οὗτοι μηδίσωσι, ἢν αὐτοὺς πυνθάνωνται ὑπερβαλλομένους·
The Spartans sent these men under Leonidas first, so that the other allies, seeing them, might take the field, and might not themselves also medize if they should learn that they (the Spartans) were delaying.
μετὰ δέ, Κάρνεια γάρ σφι ἦν ἐμποδών, ἔμελλον ὁρτάσαντες καὶ φυλακὰς λιπόντες ἐν τῇ Σπάρτῃ κατὰ τάχος βοηθέειν πανδημεί.
After this, however, for the Carneia was in their way, they intended, once they had celebrated the festival and left guards in Sparta, to bring help quickly with their entire force.
§7.206.2ὣς δὲ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν συμμάχων ἐνένωντο καὶ αὐτοὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα ποιήσειν· ἦν γὰρ κατὰ τὠυτὸ Ὀλυμπιὰς τούτοισι τοῖσι πρήγμασι συμπεσοῦσα· οὔκων δοκέοντες κατὰ τάχος οὕτω διακριθήσεσθαι τὸν ἐν Θερμοπύλῃσι πόλεμον ἔπεμπον τοὺς προδρόμους.
And in like manner the rest of the allies also had intended themselves to do other such things; for the Olympic festival happened to coincide with these events at the very same time; thinking therefore that the war at Thermopylae would not be decided so quickly, they sent their advance guards.

Notes

  1. §7.206.1αὐτοὺς πυνθάνωνται ὑπερβαλλομένους — αὐτούς refers to the Spartans as the subject of the participle, and ὑπερβαλλομένους is the present participle of ὑπερβάλλομαι meaning "to delay" or "to put off". The phrase forms a conditional clause with ἢν + subjunctive: "if they (the other allies) should learn that they (the Spartans) are delaying." οὗτοι refers to the other allies.
  2. §7.206.1μετὰ δέ — μετά is used adverbially here, meaning "afterward" or "later", without governing a noun.
  3. §7.206.2ἕτερα τοιαῦτα — Literally "other such things," referring to taking a similar course of action as the Spartans, i.e., sending an advance guard first and the main force later after the festival.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.206.1-7.206.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.206.1-7.206.2

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.