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Herodotus · Histories §7.42.1-7.42.2

March to Ilium and Storm at Mount Ida

Passage 1105 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persian army marches from Lydia through the Caicus and Mysia toward the territory of Ilium, but while spending the night at the foot of Mount Ida, they are struck by a violent thunderstorm that destroys part of their force.

§7.42.1ἐποιέετο δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐκ τῆς Λυδίης ὁ στρατὸς ἐπί τε ποταμὸν Κάικον καὶ γῆν τὴν Μυσίην, ἀπὸ δὲ Καΐκου ὁρμώμενος, Κάνης ὄρος ἔχων ἐν ἀριστερῇ, διὰ τοῦ Ἀταρνέος ἐς Καρήνην πόλιν· ἀπὸ δὲ ταύτης διὰ Θήβης πεδίου ἐπορεύετο, Ἀδραμύττειόν τε πόλιν καὶ Ἄντανδρον τὴν Πελασγίδα παραμειβόμενος.
The army made its way from Lydia toward the river Caicus and the land of Mysia, and starting from the Caicus, keeping Mount Cane on the left, it went through Atarneus to the city of Carene; and from this city it marched through the plain of Thebe, passing by the city of Adramyttium and Pelasgian Antandrus.
§7.42.2τὴν Ἴδην δὲ λαβὼν ἐς ἀριστερὴν χεῖρα ἤιε ἐς τὴν Ἰλιάδα γῆν.
And keeping Mount Ida on his left hand, he went into the territory of Ilium.
καὶ πρῶτα μέν οἱ ὑπὸ τῇ Ἴδῃ νύκτα ἀναμείναντι βρονταί τε καὶ πρηστῆρες ἐπεσπίπτουσι καί τινα αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ συχνὸν ὅμιλον διέφθειραν.
And first, as he waited for the night under Ida, thunder and violent storms fell upon him, and destroyed a considerable number of his company there.

Notes

  1. §7.42.2οἱ ... ἀναμείναντι — A construction consisting of the dative pronoun `οἱ` (referring to Xerxes) and the agreeing dative aorist participle `ἀναμείναντι`. It functions as the indirect object of the verb `ἐπεσπίπτουσι` (fall upon), describing the circumstance: "when he had waited through the night, ... fell upon him."
  2. §7.42.2λαβὼν ἐς ἀριστερὴν χεῖρα — An expression parallel to `ἔχων ἐν ἀριστερῇ` (keeping on the left) in the preceding section (7.42.1). The aorist participle `λαβών` (having taken) indicates taking a direction in the march, meaning "keeping the mountain on his left hand" as he proceeded.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.42.1-7.42.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.42.1-7.42.2

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