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Herodotus · Histories §8.32.1-8.32.2

Phocian Flight to Parnassus and Persian Devastation

Passage 1334 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persians invade Phocis, but the Phocians escape by fleeing to the heights of Parnassus and to Amphissa. Led by the Thessalians, the Persian army ravages the entire Phocian territory, burning down cities and temples.

§8.32.1ὡς δὲ ἐκ τῆς Δωρίδος ἐς τὴν Φωκίδα ἐσέβαλον, αὐτοὺς μὲν τοὺς Φωκέας οὐκ αἱρέουσι.
When they invaded Phocis from Doris, they did not capture the Phocians themselves.
οἳ μὲν γὰρ τῶν Φωκέων ἐς τὰ ἄκρα τοῦ Παρνησοῦ ἀνέβησαν.
For some of the Phocians went up to the heights of Parnassus.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐπιτηδέη δέξασθαι ὅμιλον τοῦ Παρνησοῦ ἡ κορυφή, κατὰ Νέωνα πόλιν κειμένη ἐπʼ ἑωυτῆς· Τιθορέα οὔνομα αὐτῇ·
There is a peak of Parnassus well suited to receive a crowd, lying by itself near the city of Neon; its name is Tithorea.
ἐς τὴν δὴ ἀνηνείκαντο καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀνέβησαν.
To this very peak they carried up their belongings and went up themselves.
§8.32.2οἳ δὲ πλεῦνες αὐτῶν ἐς τοὺς Ὀζόλας Λοκροὺς ἐξεκομίσαντο, ἐς Ἄμφισσαν πόλιν τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Κρισαίου πεδίου οἰκημένην.
But the majority of them evacuated to the Ozolian Locrians, to the city of Amphissa, which is situated above the Crisaean plain.
οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι τὴν χώρην πᾶσαν ἐπέδραμον τὴν Φωκίδα· Θεσσαλοὶ γὰρ οὕτω ἦγον τὸν στρατόν·
Meanwhile, the barbarians overran the whole Phocian land; for the Thessalians led the army in this manner.
ὁκόσα δὲ ἐπέσχον, πάντα ἐπέφλεγον καὶ ἔκειρον, καὶ ἐς τὰς πόλις ἐνιέντες πῦρ καὶ ἐς τὰ ἱρά.
And whatever places they occupied, they burnt and ravaged them all, setting fire both to the cities and to the temples.

Notes

  1. §8.32.1οἳ μὲν — The article `οἵ` is used as a demonstrative pronoun, corresponding to `οἳ δὲ πλεῦνες` in §8.32.2 to form the contrast "some... but the majority...".
  2. §8.32.1ἐπʼ ἑωυτῆς — A prepositional phrase consisting of `ἐπί` and the genitive of the reflexive pronoun, idiomatically meaning "by itself", "independently", or "isolated".
  3. §8.32.1ἀνηνείκαντο — The third-person plural aorist middle of `ἀναφέρω`. The middle voice (dynamic or interest middle) implies "they carried up (their belongings) for themselves," with the direct object (such as property or possessions) being omitted.
  4. §8.32.2ἐπέσχον — The third-person plural aorist of `ἐπέχω`. It is used here in an intransitive or absolute sense, meaning "to occupy", "overrun", or "reach/hold (territory)".

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.32.1-8.32.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.32.1-8.32.2

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