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Herodotus · Histories §8.94.1-8.94.4

Alleged Flight of Adeimantus and the Corinthian Defense

Passage 1402 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Athenian accusation that the Corinthian general Adeimantus fled in fear at the start of the battle but turned back after encountering a divine ship, contrasted with the Corinthian claim of having fought in the front ranks.

§8.94.1Ἀδείμαντον δὲ τὸν Κορίνθιον στρατηγὸν λέγουσι Ἀθηναῖοι αὐτίκα κατʼ ἀρχάς, ὡς συνέμισγον αἱ νέες, ἐκπλαγέντα τε καὶ ὑπερδείσαντα, τὰ ἱστία ἀειράμενον οἴχεσθαι φεύγοντα, ἰδόντας δὲ τοὺς Κορινθίους τὴν στρατηγίδα φεύγουσαν ὡσαύτως οἴχεσθαι.
The Athenians say that Adeimantus, the Corinthian general, immediately at the very beginning, when the ships joined battle, was struck with panic and utterly terrified, and hoisting his sails fled away; and that the Corinthians, seeing their flagship fleeing, fled in like manner.
§8.94.2ὡς δὲ ἄρα φεύγοντας γίνεσθαι τῆς Σαλαμινίης κατὰ ἱρὸν Ἀθηναίης Σκιράδος, περιπίπτειν σφι κέλητα θείῃ πομπῇ, τὸν οὔτε πέμψαντα φανῆναι οὐδένα, οὔτε τι τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς στρατιῆς εἰδόσι προσφέρεσθαι τοῖσι Κορινθίοισι.
And they say that as they were fleeing and came to the coast of Salamis opposite the temple of Athena Sciras, a light vessel fell in with them by divine providence; no one appeared to have sent it, nor did it approach the Corinthians as they knew nothing of what was happening to the fleet.
τῇδε δὲ συμβάλλονται εἶναι θεῖον τὸ πρῆγμα.
From this, they infer that the matter was divine.
ὡς γὰρ ἀγχοῦ γενέσθαι τῶν νεῶν, τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ κέλητος λέγειν τάδε. §8.94.3Ἀδείμαντε, σὺ μὲν ἀποστρέψας τὰς νέας ἐς φυγὴν ὅρμησαι καταπροδοὺς τοὺς Ἕλληνας· οἳ δὲ καὶ δὴ νικῶσι ὅσον αὐτοὶ ἠρῶντο ἐπικρατήσαντες τῶν ἐχθρῶν. ταῦτα λεγόντων ἀπιστέειν γὰρ τὸν Ἀδείμαντον, αὖτις τάδε λέγειν, ὡς αὐτοὶ οἷοί τε εἶεν ἀγόμενοι ὅμηροι ἀποθνήσκειν, ἢν μὴ νικῶντες φαίνωνται οἱ Ἕλληνες.
For when it came near the ships, those on the vessel said: "Adeimantus, you indeed, having turned your ships away, have hastened in flight, betraying the Greeks; yet they are even now victorious, having overcome their enemies as much as they themselves prayed for." When they said this, since Adeimantus did not believe them, they spoke again, saying that they were ready to be taken as hostages and put to death if the Greeks were not found to be victorious.
§8.94.4οὕτω δὴ ἀποστρέψαντα τὴν νέα αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπʼ ἐξεργασμένοισι ἐλθεῖν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον.
So indeed, having turned his ship back, he himself and the others returned to the fleet when the deed was already done.
τούτους μὲν τοιαύτη φάτις ἔχει ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων, οὐ μέντοι αὐτοί γε Κορίνθιοι ὁμολογέουσι, ἀλλʼ ἐν πρώτοισι σφέας αὐτοὺς τῆς ναυμαχίης νομίζουσι γενέσθαι· μαρτυρέει δέ σφι καὶ ἡ ἄλλη Ἑλλάς.
Such is the story told of them by the Athenians; yet the Corinthians themselves do not admit this, but believe themselves to have been among the foremost in the sea-fight; and the rest of Greece also bears witness to them.

Notes

  1. §8.94.1λέγουσι Ἀθηναῖοι — Under the influence of this governing phrase 'the Athenians say,' the entire narrative of Adeimantus' flight up to 'returned (ἐλθεῖν)' in §8.94.4 is reported in indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive), reflecting the Athenian version of events.
  2. §8.94.2οὔτε τι τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς στρατιῆς εἰδόσι προσφέρεσθαι τοῖσι Κορινθίοισι — The dative plural present participle `εἰδόσι` agrees with `τοῖσι Κορινθίοισι`. The genitive phrase `τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς στρατιῆς` (matters concerning the army) depends on `εἰδόσι` as the object of a verb/participle of knowing.
  3. §8.94.3ὡς αὐτοὶ οἷοί τε εἶεν ἀγόμενοι ὅμηροι ἀποθνήσκειν, ἢν μὴ νικῶντες φαίνωνται οἱ Ἕλληνες — A complex sentence in indirect discourse. Since the governing narrative context is past, the indicative present `οἷοί τέ εἰδόσι` of the direct speech becomes the optative `εἶεν` (optative of indirect discourse), whereas the subjunctive in the conditional clause `ἢν ... φαίνωνται` is retained as is, presenting a mixture of moods typical in classical Greek indirect speech.
  4. §8.94.4ἐπʼ ἐξεργασμένοισι — An idiomatic expression formed by the preposition `ἐπί` and the dative neuter plural perfect participle `ἐξεργασμένοισι` (Ionic form), meaning 'after the deeds had been done' or 'when all was over.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §8.94.1-8.94.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.94.1-8.94.4

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