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Herodotus · Histories §7.227.1

Bravery of Alpheus, Maron, and Dithyrambus

Passage 1290 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage mentions the sayings left by Dieneces of Sparta, and introduces the Spartan brothers Alpheus and Maron who fought most bravely after him, as well as Dithyrambus, the most renowned of the Thespians.

§7.227.1ταῦτα μὲν καὶ ἄλλα τοιουτότροπα ἔπεα φασὶ Διηνέκεα τὸν Λακεδαιμόνιον λιπέσθαι μνημόσυνα·
These and other similar sayings they say that Dieneces the Lacedaemonian left behind as a memorial.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἀριστεῦσαι λέγονται Λακεδαιμόνιοι δύο ἀδελφεοί, Ἀλφεός τε καὶ Μάρων Ὀρσιφάντου παῖδες.
After him, two Lacedaemonian brothers, Alpheus and Maron, the sons of Orsiphantus, are said to have distinguished themselves most.
Θεσπιέων δὲ εὐδοκίμεε μάλιστα τῷ οὔνομα ἦν Διθύραμβος Ἁρματίδεω.
And of the Thespians, he who won the greatest renown was Dithyrambus, the son of Harmatides, whose name it was.

Notes

  1. 7.227.1μνημόσυνα — Functions as a predicative accusative (or appositive) to the direct object of the infinitive `λιπέσθαι` (`ταῦτα μὲν καὶ ἄλλα τοιουτότροπα ἔπεα`), meaning "as a memorial" or "as a remembrance."
  2. 7.227.1μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον — The phrase "after this one" indicates that the two brothers are ranked next in bravery/distinction after Dieneces, who was described as the "best man" (ἀνὴρ ἄριστος) in the previous section.
  3. 7.227.1τῷ οὔνομα ἦν — `τῷ` is the dative of the relative pronoun (Ionic form equivalent to Attic ᾧ) used as a dative of possession. Combined with `οὔνομα ἦν` ("the name was to him"), it forms a relative clause meaning "whose name was."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.227.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.227.1

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