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Herodotus · Histories §7.88.1-7.88.2

Cavalry Commanders and the Accident of Pharnuches

Passage 1151 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Introduction of the cavalry commanders Harmamithres and Tithaeus, and the accident of the third commander Pharnuches, who fell from his horse, lost his command, and ordered the horse's legs to be cut off.

§7.88.1Ἵππαρχοι δὲ ἦσαν Ἁρμαμίθρης τε καὶ Τίθαιος Δάτιος παῖδες.
The cavalry commanders were Harmamithres and Tithaeus, the sons of Datis.
ὁ δὲ τρίτος σφι συνίππαρχος Φαρνούχης κατελέλειπτο ἐν Σάρδισι νοσέων.
But their third colleague in command, Pharnuches, had been left behind in Sardis because of illness.
ὡς γὰρ ὁρμῶντο ἐκ Σαρδίων, ἐπὶ συμφορὴν περιέπεσε ἀνεθέλητον· ἐλαύνοντι γάρ οἱ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ ἵππου ὑπέδραμε κύων, καὶ ὁ ἵππος οὐ προϊδὼν ἐφοβήθη τε καὶ στὰς ὀρθὸς ἀπεσείσατο τὸν Φαρνούχεα, πεσὼν δὲ αἷμά τε ἤμεε καὶ ἐς φθίσιν περιῆλθε ἡ νοῦσος.
For as they were setting out from Sardis, an unwanted disaster befell him: while he was riding, a dog ran under the feet of his horse, and the horse, not seeing it beforehand, was frightened, reared up, and threw Pharnuches off; having fallen, he vomited blood, and the sickness turned into a consumption.
§7.88.2τὸν δὲ ἵππον αὐτίκα κατʼ ἀρχὰς ἐποίησαν ὡς ἐκέλευε· ἀπαγαγόντες οἱ οἰκέται ἐς τὸν χῶρον ἐν τῷ περ κατέβαλε τὸν δεσπότην, ἐν τοῖσι γούνασι ἀπέταμον τὰ σκέλεα.
As for the horse, they immediately did to it as he ordered; the servants led it away to the very place where it had thrown its master, and cut off its legs at the knees.
Φαρνούχης μὲν οὕτω παρελύθη τῆς ἡγεμονίης.
In this way Pharnuches was deprived of his command.

Notes

  1. 7.88.1ἐλαύνοντι γάρ οἱ — The dative pronoun οἱ (to him) is in agreement with the present participle dative ἐλαύνοντι (riding), functioning as a dative of reference or interest, describing the situation: 'as he was riding (a dog ran under the feet of his horse)'.
  2. 7.88.2ἐν τοῖσι γούνασι — Meaning 'at the knees.' It specifies the precise location (the knee joints) where the horse's legs were cut off (ἀπέταμον τὰ σκέλεα).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.88.1-7.88.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.88.1-7.88.2

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