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Herodotus · Histories §7.99.1-7.99.3

Artemisia's Lineage and Role in the Persian Fleet

Passage 1162 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Herodotus introduces Artemisia, the female tyrant of Halicarnassus and other cities, who joined the Persian expedition against Greece by her own free will and courage after her husband's death, describing her origin, her fleet's excellence, and the Doric ancestry of her subjects.

§7.99.1τῶν μέν νυν ἄλλων οὐ παραμέμνημαι ταξιάρχων ὡς οὐκ ἀναγκαζόμενος, Ἀρτεμισίης δὲ τῆς μάλιστα θῶμα ποιεῦμαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα στρατευσαμένης γυναικός· ἥτις ἀποθανόντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτή τε ἔχουσα τὴν τυραννίδα καὶ παιδὸς ὑπάρχοντος νεηνίεω ὑπὸ λήματός τε καὶ ἀνδρηίης ἐστρατεύετο, οὐδεμιῆς οἱ ἐούσης ἀναγκαίης.
Now, I do not mention the other officers, as I am not compelled to do so, but I marvel most of all at Artemisia, a woman who marched against Greece; who, after her husband died, held the tyranny herself, and although she had a son who was a young man, she joined the campaign out of spirit and courage, though no necessity was laid upon her.
§7.99.2οὔνομα μὲν δὴ ἦν αὐτῇ Ἀρτεμισίη, θυγάτηρ δὲ ἦν Λυγδάμιος, γένος δὲ ἐξ Ἁλικαρνησσοῦ τὰ πρὸς πατρός, τὰ μητρόθεν δὲ Κρῆσσα.
Her name indeed was Artemisia, and she was the daughter of Lygdamis, by descent from Halicarnassus on her father's side, and on her mother's side she was a Cretan.
ἡγεμόνευε δὲ Ἁλικαρνησσέων τε καὶ Κῴων καὶ Νισυρίων τε καὶ Καλυδνίων, πέντε νέας παρεχομένη.
She was the leader of the Halicarnassians, the Coans, the Nisyrians, and the Calydnians, providing five ships.
§7.99.3καὶ συναπάσης τῆς στρατιῆς, μετά γε τὰς Σιδωνίων, νέας εὐδοξοτάτας παρείχετο, πάντων τε τῶν συμμάχων γνώμας ἀρίστας βασιλέι ἀπεδέξατο.
And of the whole fleet, next to those of the Sidonians, she provided the most famous ships, and of all the allies she declared the best opinions to the King.
τῶν δὲ κατέλεξα πολίων ἡγεμονεύειν αὐτήν, τὸ ἔθνος ἀποφαίνω πᾶν ἐὸν Δωρικόν, Ἁλικαρνησσέας μὲν Τροιζηνίους, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους Ἐπιδαυρίους.
As for the cities which I mentioned that she ruled, I declare that the whole stock is Doric, the Halicarnassians being Troezenians, and the others Epidaurians.
ἐς μὲν τοσόνδε ὁ ναυτικὸς στρατὸς εἴρηται.
So far, then, the naval force has been described.

Notes

  1. §7.99.1ὡς οὐκ ἀναγκαζόμενος — The conjunction ὡς with the participle ἀναγκαζόμενος expresses a subjective reason on the part of the subject (the author): "as not being compelled."
  2. §7.99.1θῶμα ποιεῦμαι — An idiomatic phrase meaning "I make a wonder of" (i.e., "I marvel at"), which functions transitively and takes the genitive (Ἀρτεμισίης ... γυναικός) as its object.
  3. §7.99.1παιδὸς ὑπάρχοντος νεηνίεω — A genitive absolute construction expressing concession: "although she had a son who was a young man." The Ionic form νεηνίεω (corresponding to Attic νεανίου) functions as the complement of the participle ὑπάρχοντος.
  4. §7.99.3τῶν δὲ κατέλεξα πολίων ἡγεμονεύειν αὐτήν — A case of relative attraction and assimilation, equivalent to τῶν δὲ πολίων, ὧν κατέλεξα ἡγεμονεύειν αὐτήν ("as for the cities which I mentioned that she ruled"). The whole phrase stands at the beginning in the genitive to introduce the topic, while the accusative with infinitive ἡγεμονεύειν αὐτήν functions as the complement of κατέλεξα.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.99.1-7.99.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.99.1-7.99.3

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