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Herodotus · Histories §8.31.1

Persian Invasion of Doris and Its Sparing

Passage 1333 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Out of anger toward the Phocians, the Thessalians guide the Persian army to invade Doris from Trachinia, but Doris is spared from destruction as they support the Medes.

§8.31.1ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνηνείχθησαν οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι, οὕτω δὴ οἱ Θεσσαλοὶ κεχολωμένοι τοῖσι Φωκεῦσι ἐγένοντο ἡγεμόνες τῷ βαρβάρῳ τῆς ὁδοῦ.
When these words were reported to them, the Thessalians, being extremely angry with the Phocians, became guides for the barbarian on his way.
ἐκ μὲν δὴ τῆς Τρηχινίης ἐς τὴν Δωρίδα ἐσέβαλον· τῆς γὰρ Δωρίδος χώρης ποδεὼν στεινὸς ταύτῃ κατατείνει, ὡς τριήκοντα σταδίων μάλιστά κῃ εὖρος, κείμενος μεταξὺ τῆς τε Μηλίδος καὶ Φωκίδος χώρης, ἥ περ ἦν τὸ παλαιὸν Δρυοπίς·
They invaded Doris from Trachinia; for a narrow strip of the Dorian land extends in this direction, about thirty stades in width, lying between Melis and Phocis, which was anciently called Dryopis.
ἡ δὲ χώρη αὕτη ἐστὶ μητρόπολις Δωριέων τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ.
This region is the mother-country of the Dorians in the Peloponnese.
ταύτην ὦν τὴν Δωρίδα γῆν οὐκ ἐσίναντο ἐσβαλόντες οἱ βάρβαροι· ἐμήδιζόν τε γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἐδόκεε Θεσσαλοῖσι.
Therefore, when the barbarians invaded this Dorian land, they did not lay it waste; for the Dorians sided with the Medes, and it did not seem good to the Thessalians to do so.

Notes

  1. §8.31.1τῷ βαρβάρῳ — The dative τῷ βαρβάρῳ is dependent on the noun ἡγεμόνες, expressing "guides for the barbarian" and functioning similarly to a genitive of relation.
  2. §8.31.1εὖρος — εὖρος (width) is an accusative of specification (or respect), used adverbially to denote "in width" in expressions of measurement.
  3. §8.31.1οὐκ ἐδόκεε Θεσσαλοῖσι — An impersonal use (or third-person singular of δοκέω) meaning "it did not seem good to the Thessalians," implying that an infinitive clause representing "to lay it waste" is understood as the subject, expressing their disapproval of plundering Doris.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.31.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.31.1

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