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Herodotus · Histories §8.6.1-8.6.2

Persian Arrival at Aphetae and Plan to Encircle the Greeks

Passage 1308 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persians arrive at Aphetae and desire to attack the Greek fleet at Artemisium, but they decide against a direct frontal assault to prevent any Greeks from escaping under the cover of night.

§8.6.1οὕτω δὴ κατέμεινάν τε ἐν τῇ Εὐβοίῃ καὶ ἐναυμάχησαν, ἐγένετο δὲ ὧδε.
Thus indeed they remained in Euboea and fought a naval battle, and it happened in the following way.
ἐπείτε δὴ ἐς τὰς Ἀφέτας περὶ δείλην πρωίην γινομένην ἀπίκατο οἱ βάρβαροι, πυθόμενοι μὲν ἔτι καὶ πρότερον περὶ τὸ Ἀρτεμίσιον ναυλοχέειν νέας Ἑλληνίδας ὀλίγας, τότε δὲ αὐτοὶ ἰδόντες, πρόθυμοι ἦσαν ἐπιχειρέειν, εἴ κως ἕλοιεν αὐτάς.
When the barbarians had arrived at Aphetae around early afternoon, having already heard even earlier that a few Greek ships were lying in wait around Artemisium, and then seeing them for themselves, they were eager to attack, if by any means they might capture them.
§8.6.2ἐκ μὲν δὴ τῆς ἀντίης προσπλέειν οὔ κώ σφι ἐδόκεε τῶνδε εἵνεκα, μή κως ἰδόντες οἱ Ἕλληνες προσπλέοντας ἐς φυγὴν ὁρμήσειαν φεύγοντάς τε εὐφρόνη καταλαμβάνῃ· καὶ ἔμελλον δῆθεν ἐκφεύξεσθαι, ἔδει δὲ μηδὲ πυρφόρον τῷ ἐκείνων λόγῳ ἐκφυγόντα περιγενέσθαι.
Now, it did not yet seem best to them to sail against them from the opposite direction for the following reasons: lest the Greeks, seeing them sailing against them, should start to flee, and night should overtake them as they fled; and they would indeed, they supposed, escape, whereas according to their own calculation, not even a fire-bearer ought to escape and survive.

Notes

  1. 8.6.1περὶ δείλην πρωίην γινομένην — This phrase means "around the time when early afternoon was coming on." The noun δείλη (afternoon) qualified by the adjective πρωίη (early) refers to the first part of the afternoon (just after midday), and the present participle γινομένην denotes the transition into that specific time.
  2. 8.6.1εἴ κως ἕλοιεν αὐτάς — The conjunction εἰ followed by the optative ἕλοιεν. Since the main verb of the clause is in the past tense (ἦσαν), this construction expresses an expectation, attempt, or indirect question in past time ("if by some means they might capture them").
  3. 8.6.2μή κως ... ὁρμήσειαν ... καταλαμβάνῃ — In this fearing/negative purpose clause introduced by μή following a historical main verb (ἐδόκεε), an aorist optative (ὁρμήσειαν) is coordinated with a present subjunctive (καταλαμβάνῃ). The retention of the subjunctive highlights the vividness and immediate threat of night overtaking the fleeing Greeks.
  4. 8.6.2ἔδει δὲ μηδὲ πυρφόρον ... ἐκφυγόντα περιγενέσθαι — The πυρφόρος (fire-bearer) was a sacred official who carried the sacrificial fire for the army and was traditionally spared even in total defeat. Consequently, the phrase "not even a fire-bearer" functions as a proverbial idiom meaning "absolutely no one" or "not a single survivor left to tell the tale."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.6.1-8.6.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.6.1-8.6.2

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