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Herodotus · Histories §8.13.1

Wreck of the Persian Detachment off Euboea

Passage 1315 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persian detachment ordered to sail around Euboea is devastated by the storm near the 'Hollows' of Euboea, an event described as a divine intervention to equalize the Persian and Greek forces.

§8.13.1καὶ τούτοισι μὲν τοιαύτη ἡ νὺξ ἐγίνετο, τοῖσι δὲ ταχθεῖσι αὐτῶν περιπλέειν Εὔβοιαν ἡ αὐτή περ ἐοῦσα νὺξ πολλὸν ἦν ἔτι ἀγριωτέρη, τοσούτω ὅσῳ ἐν πελάγεϊ φερομένοισι ἐπέπιπτε, καὶ τὸ τέλος σφι ἐγίνετο ἄχαρι.
Now for these men, the night was such as this; but for those of them who had been ordered to sail around Euboea, the very same night was still much more savage, inasmuch as it fell upon them while they were being carried along in the open sea, and their end became miserable.
ὡς γὰρ δὴ πλέουσι αὐτοῖσι χειμών τε καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπεγίνετο ἐοῦσι κατὰ τὰ Κοῖλα τῆς Εὐβοίης, φερόμενοι τῷ πνεύματι καὶ οὐκ εἰδότες τῇ ἐφέροντο ἐξέπιπτον πρὸς τὰς πέτρας·
For indeed, as they were sailing and were off the "Hollows" of Euboea, the storm and the torrential rain came upon them; carried along by the wind and not knowing where they were being carried, they were cast ashore against the rocks.
ἐποιέετό τε πᾶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅκως ἂν ἐξισωθείη τῷ Ἑλληνικῷ τὸ Περσικὸν μηδὲ πολλῷ πλέον εἴη.
Everything was being done by the god so that the Persian fleet might be made equal to the Greek and might not be much larger.

Notes

  1. §8.13.1τοῖσι δὲ ταχθεῖσι αὐτῶν περιπλέειν — The infinitive περιπλέειν depends on the passive participle τοῖσι ταχθεῖσι ("those who had been ordered", dative), specifying the command given. αὐτῶν is a partitive genitive referring to the whole Persian force.
  2. §8.13.1τοσούτω ὅσῳ — Dative of measure of difference. It means "by so much as...", emphasizing that the storm was much more severe for them because it caught them in the open sea, where they were completely exposed, unlike those near the shore at Aphetae.
  3. §8.13.1ὅκως ἂν ἐξισωθείη — A purpose clause introduced by ὅκως. Since the main verb is in the past tense (ἐποιέετο), the optative mood (ἐξισωθείη and εἴη) is used. The addition of ἄν (with ὅκως in Ionic) suggests a conditional purpose, 'in such a way that it might, under the circumstances, be made equal.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.13.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.13.1

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