Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §7.214.1-7.214.3

Rejection of Alternative Informants and Ephialtes's Guilt

Passage 1277 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While introducing an alternative story that others guided the Persians, Herodotus concludes that Ephialtes was the true culprit, based on the bounty set on him and his subsequent flight.

§7.214.1Ἐπιάλτης μὲν οὕτω ὕστερον τούτων ἀπέθανε, ἔστι δὲ ἕτερος λεγόμενος λόγος, ὡς Ὀνήτης τε ὁ Φαναγόρεω ἀνὴρ Καρύστιος καὶ Κορυδαλλὸς Ἀντικυρεὺς εἰσὶ οἱ εἴπαντες πρὸς βασιλέα τούτους τοὺς λόγους καὶ περιηγησάμενοι τὸ ὄρος τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι, οὐδαμῶς ἔμοιγε πιστός.
Thus Ephialtes died some time after these events. There is, however, another story told, that it was Onetes, son of Phanagoras, a Carystian, and Corydallus of Anticyra, who spoke these words to the king and guided the Persians round the mountain; but this is by no means credible to me.
§7.214.2τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ τῷδε χρὴ σταθμώσασθαι, ὅτι οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων Πυλαγόροι ἐπεκήρυξαν οὐκ ἐπὶ Ὀνήτῃ τε καὶ Κορυδαλλῷ ἀργύριον ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ Ἐπιάλτῃ τῷ Τρηχινίῳ, πάντως κου τὸ ἀτρεκέστατον πυθόμενοι· τοῦτο δὲ φεύγοντα Ἐπιάλτην ταύτην τὴν αἰτίην οἴδαμεν.
For, in the first place, we must judge this by the fact that the Greek deputies (Pylagori) set a price not on Onetes and Corydallus, but on Ephialtes of Trachis, having surely acquired the most accurate information; and in the second place, we know that Ephialtes fled for this very reason.
§7.214.3εἰδείη μὲν γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἐὼν μὴ Μηλιεὺς ταύτην τὴν ἀτραπὸν Ὀνήτης, εἰ τῇ χώρῃ πολλὰ ὡμιληκὼς εἴη· ἀλλʼ Ἐπιάλτης γὰρ ἐστὶ ὁ περιηγησάμενος τὸ ὄρος κατὰ τὴν ἀτραπόν, τοῦτον αἴτιον γράφω.
For even a man who was not a Malian, such as Onetes, might have known this path, if he had been well acquainted with the country; but since it was indeed Ephialtes who guided them round the mountain along the path, I write down this man as the guilty one.

Notes

  1. 7.214.1ὡς — Introducing an appositive noun clause explaining the content of the noun "λόγος".
  2. 7.214.2τοῦτο μὲν... τοῦτο δὲ — Functioning as a pair of adverbial phrases, meaning "on the one hand / in the first place... on the other hand / in the second place..." to align two independent arguments.
  3. 7.214.3καὶ ἐὼν μὴ Μηλιεὺς — A concessive participle construction using ἐών (= ὤν, Ionic dialect). It means "even if he were not a Malian," with μή used as the negative particle because it implies a hypothetical or general condition.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.214.1-7.214.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.214.1-7.214.3

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.