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Herodotus · Histories §7.9C.1

Mardonius on Persian Superiority and Urging Action

Passage 1061 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Mardonius argues that no Greek would dare to oppose the king who leads the vast Asiatic army and fleet, asserting that even if they fight, they will realize Persian military superiority, and urges that nothing should be left untried.

§7.9C.1σοὶ δὲ δὴ μέλλει τίς ὦ βασιλεῦ ἀντιώσεσθαι πόλεμον προφέρων, ἄγοντι καὶ πλῆθος τὸ ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίης καὶ νέας τὰς ἁπάσας;
And who, O King, is going to oppose you by bringing war, when you lead both the multitude from Asia and all the ships?
ὡς μὲν ἐγὼ δοκέω, οὐκ ἐς τοῦτο θράσεος ἀνήκει τὰ Ἑλλήνων πρήγματα· εἰ δὲ ἄρα ἔγωγε ψευσθείην γνώμῃ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἐπαερθέντες ἀβουλίῃ ἔλθοιεν ἡμῖν ἐς μάχην, μάθοιεν ἂν ὡς εἰμὲν ἀνθρώπων ἄριστοι τὰ πολέμια.
As I indeed think, the affairs of the Greeks have not reached such a point of boldness; but if, after all, I should be deceived in my judgment, and they, elated by folly, should come to battle with us, they would learn that we are the best of men in matters of war.
ἔστω δʼ ὦν μηδὲν ἀπείρητον· αὐτόματον γὰρ οὐδέν, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ πείρης πάντα ἀνθρώποισι φιλέει γίνεσθαι.
At all events, let nothing be untried; for nothing happens of its own accord, but all things are accustomed to come to men through trial.

Notes

  1. §7.9C.1ἄγοντι — Dative singular present participle, agreeing with the personal pronoun σοὶ at the beginning of the sentence (the object of ἀντιώσεσθαι), expressing the circumstance: 'when you lead / though you lead'.
  2. §7.9C.1ἐς τοῦτο θράσεος — The genitive θράσεος (Ionic form of θράσους, from θράσος) is a partitive genitive qualifying the neuter demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο, meaning 'to this point of boldness'.
  3. §7.9C.1ψευσθείην γνώμῃ — ψευσθείην is the first-person singular aorist passive optative of ψεύδω (to deceive), here used in a hypothetical condition, and γνώμῃ is a dative of respect. The phrase means 'if I should be deceived in my judgment'.
  4. §7.9C.1ἀνθρώποισι φιλέει γίνεσθαι — ἀνθρώποισι is the Ionic dative plural for ἀνθρώποις. φιλέει is the uncontracted Ionic form of φιλεῖ (from φιλέω), which with the infinitive γίνεσθαι means 'is accustomed to happen' or 'wont to happen for men'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.9C.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.9C.1

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