Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §9.11.1-9.11.3

Allied Envoys Hear of Spartan Departure and Give Chase

Passage 1466 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The envoys, intending to leave Sparta, complain to the ephors but are surprised to learn that the army has already marched out, prompting them to give chase.

§9.11.1οἳ μὲν δὴ σὺν Παυσανίῃ ἐξεληλύθεσαν ἔξω Σπάρτης· οἱ δὲ ἄγγελοι, ὡς ἡμέρη ἐγεγόνεε, οὐδὲν εἰδότες περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου ἐπῆλθον ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐφόρους, ἐν νόῳ δὴ ἔχοντες ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑωυτοῦ ἕκαστος· ἐπελθόντες δὲ ἔλεγον τάδε. ὑμεῖς μὲν, ὦ Λακεδαιμόνιοι αὐτοῦ τῇδε μένοντες Ὑακίνθιά τε ἄγετε καὶ παίζετε, καταπροδόντες τοὺς συμμάχους· Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ ὡς ἀδικεόμενοι ὑπὸ ὑμέων χήτεΐ τε συμμάχων καταλύσονται τῷ Πέρσῃ οὕτω ὅκως ἄν δύνωνται· §9.11.2καταλυσάμενοι δέ, δῆλα γὰρ ὅτι σύμμαχοι βασιλέος γινόμεθα, συστρατευσόμεθα ἐπʼ ἣν ἂν ἐκεῖνοι ἐξηγέωνται.
Now they had already gone out of Sparta with Pausanias; and the envoys, when day broke, knowing nothing of the departure, went to the ephors, having it in mind themselves also to depart, each to his own country; and having come, they said these words: "You, Lacedaemonians, remaining here on this spot, are celebrating the Hyacinthia and playing, having utterly betrayed your allies; but the Athenians, since they are being wronged by you and for want of allies, will make peace with the Persian in whatever way they can; and having made peace, for it is clear that we shall become allies of the King, we shall campaign with them against whatever land they may lead us.
ὑμεῖς δὲ τὸ ἐνθεῦτεν μαθήσεσθε ὁκοῖον ἄν τι ὑμῖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐκβαίνῃ. ταῦτα λεγόντων τῶν ἀγγέλων, οἱ ἔφοροι εἶπαν ἐπʼ ὅρκου καὶ δὴ δοκέειν εἶναι ἐν Ὀρεσθείῳ στείχοντας ἐπὶ τοὺς ξείνους. ξείνους γὰρ ἐκάλεον τοὺς βαρβάρους. §9.11.3οἳ δὲ ὡς οὐκ εἰδότες ἐπειρώτων τὸ λεγόμενον, ἐπειρόμενοι δὲ ἐξέμαθον πᾶν τὸ ἐόν, ὥστε ἐν θώματι γενόμενοι ἐπορεύοντο τὴν ταχίστην διώκοντες· σὺν δέ σφι τῶν περιοίκων Λακεδαιμονίων λογάδες πεντακισχίλιοι ὁπλῖται τὠυτὸ τοῦτο ἐποίεον.
And you, thereafter, will learn what kind of consequence will turn out for you from this." When the envoys said this, the ephors declared on oath that they believed the men were already in Orestheum, marching against the foreigners; for they called the barbarians "foreigners." And they, as if not knowing, asked the meaning of what was said, and by questioning they learned the whole truth, so that, being filled with wonder, they set off as quickly as possible in pursuit; and with them five thousand chosen hoplites of the Lacedaemonian perioikoi did this same thing.

Notes

  1. §9.11.2καὶ δὴ δοκέειν — δοκέειν is an infinitive in indirect speech governed by εἶπαν. καὶ δὴ emphasizes the immediacy of the situation, meaning 'already indeed' or 'by now.'
  2. §9.11.2ἐπʼ ἣν ἂν ἐκεῖνοι ἐξηγέωνται — The feminine accusative relative pronoun ἣν implies an omitted noun like γῆν (land), meaning 'against whatever land they may lead.' Combined with ἄν and the subjunctive (ἐξηγέωνται), it forms a future general relative clause.
  3. §9.11.3ὡς οὐκ εἰδότες — The particle ὡς with the participle εἰδότες indicates the attitude of the envoys: 'as if not knowing' or 'puzzled,' showing their surprise and confusion at the unexpected news.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.11.1-9.11.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.11.1-9.11.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.