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Herodotus · Histories §7.221.1

The Seer Megistias' Refusal to Retreat

Passage 1284 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The fact that Leonidas tried to dismiss the seer Megistias for his safety, but the seer himself chose to remain while sending away his only son, is presented as strong evidence that Leonidas sent the allies away out of concern for them.

§7.221.1μαρτύριον δέ μοι καὶ τόδε οὐκ ἐλάχιστον τούτου πέρι γέγονε, ὅτι καὶ τὸν μάντιν ὃς εἵπετο τῇ στρατιῇ ταύτῃ, Μεγιστίην τὸν Ἀκαρνῆνα, λεγόμενον εἶναι τὰ ἀνέκαθεν ἀπὸ Μελάμποδος, τοῦτον εἴπαντα ἐκ τῶν ἱρῶν τὰ μέλλοντά σφι ἐκβαίνειν, φανερός ἐστι Λεωνίδης ἀποπέμπων, ἵνα μὴ συναπόληταί σφι.
And of this, this also has become for me a no small proof, that Leonidas is manifest in trying to send away the seer who followed this army, Megistias the Acarnanian, who was said to be by descent from Melampus, after he had declared from the victims what was going to happen to them, so that he might not perish with them.
ὁ δὲ ἀποπεμπόμενος αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἀπέλιπε, τὸν δὲ παῖδα συστρατευόμενον, ἐόντα οἱ μουνογενέα, ἀπέπεμψε.
But he, though being sent away, did not himself depart, but sent away his son who was campaigning with him, who was his only child.

Notes

  1. 7.221.1τόδε ... ὅτι — The demonstrative pronoun `τόδε` is proleptic, with its contents being fully explained by the subsequent `ὅτι` clause in an appositional relation.
  2. 7.221.1τὸν μάντιν ... τοῦτον — The accusative noun phrase `τὸν μάντιν` is placed at the beginning of the `ὅτι` clause for emphasis, and is subsequently resumed by the demonstrative pronoun `τοῦτον` after the intervening relative clause and appositional elements.
  3. 7.221.1φανερός ἐστι Λεωνίδης ἀποπέμπων — The adjective `φανερός` is used in a personal construction agreeing with the subject `Λεωνίδης`, and with the participle `ἀποπέμπων` (which carries an imperfective or conative force) it means 'it is clear that Leonidas was trying to send him away.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.221.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.221.1

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