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Herodotus · Histories §7.67.1-7.67.2

Equipment and Commanders of Caspians, Sarangians, and Pactyes

Passage 1130 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The military equipment and commanders of the Caspians, Sarangians, and Pactyes are described.

§7.67.1Κάσπιοι δὲ σισύρνας τε ἐνδεδυκότες καὶ τόξα ἐπιχώρια καλάμινα ἔχοντες καὶ ἀκινάκας ἐστρατεύοντο.
The Caspians marched wearing coats of skin, and having native bows of cane and short swords.
οὗτοι μὲν οὕτω ἐσκευάδατο, ἡγεμόνα παρεχόμενοι Ἀριόμαρδον τὸν Ἀρτυφίου ἀδελφεόν, Σαράγγαι δὲ εἵματα μὲν βεβαμμένα ἐνέπρεπον ἔχοντες, πέδιλα δὲ ἐς γόνυ ἀνατείνοντα εἶχον, τόξα δὲ καὶ αἰχμὰς Μηδικάς.
They were equipped in this way, presenting Ariomardus, the brother of Artyphius, as their commander. The Sarangians stood out, wearing dyed garments, and they had boots reaching up to the knee, and Median bows and lances.
Σαραγγέων δὲ ἦρχε Φερενδάτης ὁ Μεγαβάζου.
Pherendates son of Megabazus commanded the Sarangians.
§7.67.2Πάκτυες δὲ σισυρνοφόροι τε ἦσαν καὶ τόξα ἐπιχώρια εἶχον καὶ ἐγχειρίδια.
The Pactyes were wearers of skin coats and had native bows and daggers.
Πάκτυες δὲ ἄρχοντα παρείχοντο Ἀρταΰντην τὸν Ἰθαμίτρεω.
The Pactyes presented Artayntes son of Ithamitres as their commander.

Notes

  1. §7.67.1ἀκινάκας — The accusative plural 'ἀκινάκας' (short swords) is coordinated with 'τόξα' as the object of the preceding active participle 'ἔχοντες', rather than being directly governed by the main verb 'ἐστρατεύοντο'.
  2. §7.67.1ἡγεμόνα παρεχόμενοι Ἀριόμαρδον — The middle participle 'παρεχόμενοι' takes a double accusative construction consisting of the object 'Ἀριόμαρδον' and the predicative accusative 'ἡγεμόνα'. The middle voice yields an indirect reflexive sense ('presenting for themselves'). The same structure is repeated in §7.67.2 with 'ἄρχοντα παρείχοντο Ἀρταΰντην'.
  3. §7.67.1εἵματα μὲν βεβαμμένα ἐνέπρεπον ἔχοντες — The active participle 'ἔχοντες' functions adverbially to express the manner or cause ('by wearing dyed garments' or 'wearing dyed garments') in relation to the main verb 'ἐνέπρεπον' ('they were conspicuous').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.67.1-7.67.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.67.1-7.67.2

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