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Herodotus · Histories §7.59.1-7.59.3

Numbering of the Army and Beaching of Ships at Doriscus

Passage 1122 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Xerxes decided to draw up and number his army on the plain of Doriscus, where the navy hauled up and dried their ships on the adjacent beach, while Xerxes began the numbering.

§7.59.1ὁ δὲ Δορίσκος ἐστὶ τῆς Θρηίκης αἰγιαλός τε καὶ πεδίον μέγα, διὰ δὲ αὐτοῦ ῥέει ποταμὸς μέγας Ἕβρος· ἐν τῷ τεῖχός τε ἐδέδμητο βασιλήιον τοῦτο τὸ δὴ Δορίσκος κέκληται, καὶ Περσέων φρουρὴ ἐν αὐτῷ κατεστήκεε ὑπὸ Δαρείου ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου ἐπείτε ἐπὶ Σκύθας ἐστρατεύετο.
Doriscus is a beach and a great plain of Thrace, through which flows a great river, the Hebrus; on it had been built this royal fortress which is indeed called Doriscus, and a Persian garrison had been established in it by Darius from that time when he marched against the Scythians.
§7.59.2ἔδοξε ὦν τῷ Ξέρξῃ ὁ χῶρος εἶναι ἐπιτήδεος ἐνδιατάξαι τε καὶ ἐξαριθμῆσαι τὸν στρατόν, καὶ ἐποίεε ταῦτα.
It seemed, therefore, to Xerxes that the place was suitable for drawing up and numbering the army, and he did so.
τὰς μὲν δὴ νέας τὰς πάσας ἀπικομένας ἐς Δορίσκον οἱ ναύαρχοι κελεύσαντος Ξέρξεω ἐς τὸν αἰγιαλὸν τὸν προσεχέα Δορίσκῳ ἐκόμισαν, ἐν τῷ Σάλη τε Σαμοθρηικίη πεπόλισται πόλις καὶ Ζώνη, τελευτᾷ δὲ αὐτοῦ Σέρρειον ἄκρη ὀνομαστή.
As for all the ships that had arrived at Doriscus, the admirals, at the command of Xerxes, brought them to the beach adjacent to Doriscus, where the Samothracian cities of Sale and Zone are built, and its extremity is the famous Cape Serreum.
ὁ δὲ χῶρος οὗτος τὸ παλαιὸν ἦν Κικόνων.
This region in ancient times belonged to the Cicones.
§7.59.3ἐς τοῦτον τὸν αἰγιαλὸν κατασχόντες τὰς νέας ἀνέψυχον ἀνελκύσαντες.
Having brought their ships to this beach, they hauled them up and let them dry.
ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ Δορίσκῳ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον τῆς στρατιῆς ἀριθμὸν ἐποιέετο.
Meanwhile, he was making the numbering of the army at Doriscus.

Notes

  1. 7.59.1ἐν τῷ — Relative pronoun used as a demonstrative with the preposition ἐν, referring back to the preceding πεδίον (plain).
  2. 7.59.2ἐνδιατάξαι τε καὶ ἐξαριθμῆσαι — Infinitives depending on the adjective ἐπιτήδεος (suitable), expressing purpose or specification ("suitable for drawing up and numbering").
  3. 7.59.3ἀνέψυχον ἀνελκύσαντες — The aorist participle ἀνελκύσαντες denotes an action prior to the imperfect verb ἀνέψυχον ("having hauled them up, they let them dry").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.59.1-7.59.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.59.1-7.59.3

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