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Herodotus · Histories §8.60.1

Themistocles' New Argument to Remain at Salamis

Passage 1362 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Themistocles responds gently to Adeimantus, avoids criticizing the allies in their presence, and instead presents Eurybiades with a different line of argument for staying at Salamis.

§8.60.1τότε μὲν ἠπίως πρὸς τὸν Κορίνθιον ἀμείψατο, πρὸς δὲ τὸν Εὐρυβιάδην ἔλεγε ἐκείνων μὲν ἔτι οὐδὲν τῶν πρότερον λεχθέντων, ὡς ἐπεὰν ἀπαείρωσι ἀπὸ Σαλαμῖνος διαδρήσονται· παρεόντων γὰρ τῶν συμμάχων οὐκ ἔφερέ οἱ κόσμον οὐδένα κατηγορέειν·
At that time he replied gently to the Corinthian, but to Eurybiades he said no longer any of those things that had been said before, namely, how they would disperse if they should depart from Salamis; for since the allies were present, it did not bring him any credit to accuse them.
ὁ δὲ ἄλλου λόγου εἴχετο, λέγων τάδε.
Instead, he held to another line of argument, speaking as follows.

Notes

  1. §8.60.1ἐκείνων μὲν ἔτι οὐδὲν τῶν πρότερον λεχθέντων — The genitive phrase ἐκείνων ... τῶν πρότερον λεχθέντων is a partitive genitive depending on οὐδέν, meaning "nothing of those things previously said." The subsequent ὡς-clause (ὡς ἐπεὰν ἀπαείρωσι...) functions as an appositive clause explaining the content of these "previously said things."
  2. §8.60.1παρεόντων γὰρ τῶν συμμάχων — A genitive absolute construction consisting of the present participle παρεόντων and the noun τῶν συμμάχων, expressing cause ("since the allies were present").
  3. §8.60.1οὐκ ἔφερέ οἱ κόσμον οὐδένα κατηγορέειν — οὐκ ἔφερε ... κόσμον is an idiomatic expression meaning "did not bring any credit/honor." The dative pronoun οἱ refers to Themistocles. The infinitive κατηγορέειν ("to accuse") functions as the grammatical subject of the clause.
  4. §8.60.1ἄλλου λόγου εἴχετο — The middle voice of the verb ἔχομαι takes a genitive (ἄλλου λόγου), meaning "to hold on to" or "to cling to." Here, it indicates that Themistocles abandoned his previous argument (the threat of the allies' flight) and clung instead to another line of reasoning (the strategic advantages of staying at Salamis).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.60.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.60.1

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