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Herodotus · Histories §8.42.1-8.42.2

Gathering of Greek Reinforcements at Salamis

Passage 1344 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The remaining Greek naval force gathered from Troezen to join the fleet at Salamis, resulting in a larger force than at Artemisium. Eurybiades of Sparta remained in overall command, but the Athenians provided by far the largest and best-sailing contingent of ships.

§8.42.1ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ ἀπʼ Ἀρτεμισίου ἐς Σαλαμῖνα κατέσχον τὰς νέας, συνέρρεε καὶ ὁ λοιπὸς πυνθανόμενος ὁ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ναυτικὸς στρατὸς ἐκ Τροίζηνος· ἐς γὰρ Πώγωνα τὸν Τροιζηνίων λιμένα προείρητο συλλέγεσθαι.
When those from Artemisium had put in their ships at Salamis, the rest of the Greek naval force, having heard the news, also flocked there from Troezen; for it had been ordered beforehand that they should gather at Pogon, the harbor of the Troezenians.
συνελέχθησάν τε δὴ πολλῷ πλεῦνες νέες ἢ ἐπʼ Ἀρτεμισίῳ ἐναυμάχεον καὶ ἀπὸ πολίων πλεύνων.
Thus, many more ships were assembled than had fought at Artemisium, and from more cities.
§8.42.2ναύαρχος μέν νυν ἐπῆν ὡυτὸς ὅς περ ἐπʼ Ἀρτεμισίῳ, Εὐρυβιάδης ὁ Εὐρυκλείδεω ἀνὴρ Σπαρτιήτης, οὐ μέντοι γένεος τοῦ βασιληίου ἐών· νέας δὲ πολλῷ πλείστας τε καὶ ἄριστα πλεούσας παρείχοντο Ἀθηναῖοι.
Now, the admiral in command was the very same as at Artemisium, Eurybiades the son of Eurycleides, a Spartan, though he was not of the royal house; but the Athenians provided by far the most and the best-sailing ships.

Notes

  1. 8.42.1πυνθανόμενος — Present participle in the nominative masculine singular, modifying the subject "the rest of the Greek naval force". The verb πυνθάνομαι ("to learn", "to hear") here functions as a circumstantial participle expressing cause or attendant circumstance ("having heard the news").
  2. 8.42.1προείρητο — Pluperfect passive used impersonally, with the following infinitive συλλέγεσθαι serving as the subject. It means "it had been ordered beforehand to assemble".
  3. 8.42.2γένεος τοῦ βασιληίου ἐών — Ionic participle of the copula verb (ἐών for ὤν) taking a genitive of origin (γένεος τοῦ βασιληίου). Negated by οὐ μέντοι, it yields a concessive meaning: "although he was not of the royal house".
  4. 8.42.2ἄριστα πλεούσας — ἄριστα is the neuter plural accusative of the adjective ἄριστος, used adverbially to mean "best". πλεούσας is the present active participle (fing feminine accusative plural) of πλέω ("to sail"), modifying "ships" (νέας), meaning "the best-sailing (ships)".

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.42.1-8.42.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.42.1-8.42.2

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