Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §8.34.1

Division of the Persian Army and Advance into Boeotia

Passage 1336 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The barbarian army split into two after reaching Panopeus, and the main force led by Xerxes invaded Boeotia. The Boeotian cities were protected by Macedonian garrisons to demonstrate their allegiance to the Persians.

§8.34.1παραποταμίους δὲ παραμειβόμενοι οἱ βάρβαροι ἀπίκοντο ἐς Πανοπέας.
Passing by Parapotamioi, the barbarians arrived at Panopeus.
ἐνθεῦτεν δὲ ἤδη διακρινομένη ἡ στρατιὴ αὐτῶν ἐσχίζετο.
From there already their army, being divided, split.
τὸ μὲν πλεῖστον καὶ δυνατώτατον τοῦ στρατοῦ ἅμα αὐτῷ Ξέρξῃ πορευόμενον ἐπʼ Ἀθήνας ἐσέβαλε ἐς Βοιωτούς, ἐς γῆν τὴν Ὀρχομενίων.
The largest and strongest part of the army, marching against Athens together with Xerxes himself, invaded Boeotia, into the land of the Orchomenians.
Βοιωτῶν δὲ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος ἐμήδιζε, τὰς δὲ πόλις αὐτῶν ἄνδρες Μακεδόνες διατεταγμένοι ἔσωζον, ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἀποπεμφθέντες· ἔσωζον δὲ τῇδε, δῆλον βουλόμενοι ποιέειν Ξέρξῃ ὅτι τὰ Μήδων Βοιωτοὶ φρονέοιεν.
The entire multitude of the Boeotians sided with the Medes, but their cities were protected by Macedonian men who had been stationed there, having been sent by Alexander; and they protected them for this reason, wishing to make it clear to Xerxes that the Boeotians favored the cause of the Medes.

Notes

  1. 8.34.1παραποταμίους — Although it could be taken as an appellative adjective referring to "river-dwellers" or "by-the-river areas," it is here interpreted as the proper noun referring to the town "Parapotamioi" listed in the previous section (§8.33.1).
  2. 8.34.1τῇδε — The demonstrative adverb τῇδε (in this way, for this reason) prospectively refers to the purpose or intention expressed by the following participle phrase δῆλον βουλόμενοι... (wishing to make it clear...).
  3. 8.34.1φρονέοιεν — A verb in the clause introduced by the conjunction ὅτι. Since the main verb is in a past tense (ἔσωζον), it is in the optative of indirect discourse (optativus obliquus).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.34.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.34.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.