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Herodotus · Histories §8.78.1

The Greek Generals' Heated Debate Unaware of Encirclement

Passage 1386 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While the Greek generals at Salamis engaged in a heated debate, they were unaware that the Persian fleet was already encircling them.

§8.78.1τῶν δὲ ἐν Σαλαμῖνι στρατηγῶν ἐγίνετο ὠθισμὸς λόγων πολλός· ᾔδεσαν δὲ οὔκω ὅτι σφέας περιεκυκλοῦντο τῇσι νηυσὶ οἱ βάρβαροι, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ τῆς ἡμέρης ὥρων αὐτοὺς τεταγμένους, ἐδόκεον κατὰ χώρην εἶναι.
Among the generals at Salamis there arose a great jostling of words; for they did not yet know that the barbarians were encircling them with their ships, but they thought that they were still in their position, just as they had seen them drawn up during the day.

Notes

  1. §8.78.1τῆς ἡμέρης — Genitive of time, meaning "during the day" or "by day," indicating the daytime period in contrast to the night, rather than referring to a specific day.
  2. §8.78.1σφέας — Indirect reflexive pronoun in the plural within the ὅτι-clause, referring back to the subject of the main clause, the "generals" (στρατηγῶν).
  3. §8.78.1κατὰ χώρην — Ionic form (Attic κατὰ χώραν), an idiomatic expression meaning "in their position" or "remaining in place."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.78.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.78.1

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