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Herodotus · Histories §8.2.1-8.2.2

Total Number of Ships and Command of Eurybiades

Passage 1304 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The total number of Greek allied ships assembled at Artemisium is stated to be 271, and it is explained that Eurybiades of Sparta was appointed commander-in-chief because the allies refused to follow Athenian leadership.

§8.2.1ἦσαν μὲν ὦν οὗτοι οἱ στρατευόμενοι ἐπʼ Ἀρτεμίσιον, εἴρηται δέ μοι καὶ ὡς τὸ πλῆθος ἕκαστοι τῶν νεῶν παρείχοντο.
These, then, were those who went on the campaign to Artemisium, and it has also been stated by me how great a number of ships each of them provided.
ἀριθμὸς δὲ τῶν συλλεχθεισέων νεῶν ἐπʼ Ἀρτεμίσιον ἦν, πάρεξ τῶν πεντηκοντέρων, διηκόσιαι καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ μία.
The number of the ships assembled at Artemisium, apart from the pentekonters, was two hundred and seventy-one.
§8.2.2τὸν δὲ στρατηγὸν τὸν τὸ μέγιστον κράτος ἔχοντα παρείχοντο Σπαρτιῆται Εὐρυβιάδην Εὐρυκλείδεω· οἱ γὰρ σύμμαχοι οὐκ ἔφασαν, ἢν μὴ ὁ Λάκων ἡγεμονεύῃ, Ἀθηναίοισι ἕψεσθαι ἡγεομένοισι, ἀλλὰ λύσειν τὸ μέλλον ἔσεσθαι στράτευμα.
As for the general holding the greatest power, the Spartans provided Eurybiades, the son of Eurycleides; for the allies declared that if the Laconian were not the leader, they would not follow the Athenians as leaders, but would dissolve the army that was about to be formed.

Notes

  1. §8.2.1ὡς τὸ πλῆθος — ὡς introduces an indirect question, meaning "how great (a number)". Alternatively, ὡς may mean "how" with τὸ πλῆθος functioning as an accusative of specification ("in respect to the number"), but in either case, the phrase refers to the quantity of ships provided by each group.
  2. §8.2.2οὐκ ἔφασαν ... Ἀθηναίοισι ἕψεσθαι ... ἀλλὰ λύσειν — οὐκ ἔφασαν ("they said they would not", οὔ φημι) expresses a refusal. The first infinitive ἕψεσθαι falls under the negation of οὐκ ("they said they would not follow"), whereas the second infinitive λύσειν, introduced by ἀλλά ("but rather"), requires the supply of a positive verb of saying (ἔφασαν), meaning "but said they would dissolve".

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.2.1-8.2.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.2.1-8.2.2

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