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Herodotus · Histories §8.79.1-8.79.4

Aristides' Arrival and Warning to Themistocles

Passage 1387 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Aristides arrives from Aegina and calls out his rival Themistocles to inform him that the Greek fleet is completely surrounded by the enemy, urging them to cooperate for their country.

§8.79.1συνεστηκότων δὲ τῶν στρατηγῶν, ἐξ Αἰγίνης διέβη Ἀριστείδης ὁ Λυσιμάχου, ἀνὴρ Ἀθηναῖος μὲν ἐξωστρακισμένος δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου· τὸν ἐγὼ νενόμικα, πυνθανόμενος αὐτοῦ τὸν τρόπον, ἄριστον ἄνδρα γενέσθαι ἐν Ἀθήνῃσι καὶ δικαιότατον.
While the generals were disputing, Aristides the son of Lysimachus crossed over from Aegina, a man who was an Athenian but had been ostracized by the people; whom I, inquiring about his character, believe to have been the best and most just man in Athens.
§8.79.2οὗτος ὡνὴρ στὰς ἐπὶ τὸ συνέδριον ἐξεκαλέετο Θεμιστοκλέα, ἐόντα μὲν ἑωυτῷ οὐ φίλον ἐχθρὸν δὲ τὰ μάλιστα·
This man, standing before the council, called out Themistocles, who was not a friend of his, but rather his greatest enemy.
ὑπὸ δὲ μεγάθεος τῶν παρεόντων κακῶν λήθην ἐκείνων ποιεύμενος ἐξεκαλέετο, θέλων αὐτῷ συμμῖξαι· προακηκόεε δὲ ὅτι σπεύδοιεν οἱ ἀπὸ Πελοποννήσου ἀνάγειν τὰς νέας πρὸς τὸν Ἰσθμόν.
Yet, because of the magnitude of the present evils, making himself forget those enmities, he called him out, wishing to confer with him; for he had already heard that those from the Peloponnese were eager to put their ships to sea toward the Isthmus.
§8.79.3ὡς δὲ ἐξῆλθέ οἱ Θεμιστοκλέης, ἔλεγε Ἀριστείδης τάδε. ἡμέας στασιάζειν χρεόν ἐστι ἔν τε τῷ ἄλλῳ καιρῷ καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐν τῷδε περὶ τοῦ ὁκότερος ἡμέων πλέω ἀγαθὰ τὴν πατρίδα ἐργάσεται.
And when Themistocles came out to him, Aristides spoke as follows: "It is necessary for us to contend, both at other times and especially at this very time, as to which of us shall work more good for our fatherland.
§8.79.4λέγω δέ τοι ὅτι ἴσον ἐστὶ πολλά τε καὶ ὀλίγα λέγειν περὶ ἀποπλόου τοῦ ἐνθεῦτεν Πελοποννησίοισι.
For I tell you that it is all one whether they say much or little concerning the sailing away of the Peloponnesians from here.
ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτόπτης τοι λέγω γενόμενος ὅτι νῦν οὐδʼ ἢν θέλωσι Κορίνθιοί τε καὶ αὐτὸς Εὐρυβιάδης οἷοί τε ἔσονται ἐκπλῶσαι· περιεχόμεθα γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων κύκλῳ.
For I tell you, having become an eyewitness myself, that now, not even if the Corinthians and Eurybiades himself wish it, will they be able to sail out; for we are enclosed on all sides by the enemy.
ἀλλʼ ἐσελθών σφι ταῦτα σήμηνον. ὃ δʼ ἀμείβετο τοῖσιδε.
But go in and signal this to them." And the other replied with these words:

Notes

  1. §8.79.1συνεστηκότων — Perfect active participle of συνίστημι in the genitive absolute construction. Following the dispute among the generals mentioned in 8.78.1, it is used here in the sense of "being in conflict" or "disputing".
  2. §8.79.1τὸν — Relative pronoun (equivalent to the Attic ὅν). It functions as the subject accusative of the infinitive γενέσθαι in the accusative-and-infinitive construction introduced by the main verb νενόμικα ("I believe").
  3. §8.79.2ὡνὴρ — Crasis of the definite article ὁ and the noun ἀνήρ.
  4. §8.79.3οἱ — Third-person singular personal pronoun in the dative, referring to Aristides. Accompanying the intransitive verb ἐξῆλθε, it indicates the person in relation to whom the action occurs (dative of relation), meaning "came out to him".

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.79.1-8.79.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.79.1-8.79.4

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