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Herodotus · Histories §9.38.1-9.38.2

Timegenidas' Advice to Guard the Passes of Cithaeron

Passage 1493 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Describes Hegesistratus' service as a seer for Mardonius, and how, in the absence of favorable sacrifices, Timegenidas the Theban advised Mardonius to guard the passes of Cithaeron to intercept the growing Greek reinforcements.

§9.38.1ὁ μέντοι θάνατος ὁ Ἡγησιστράτου ὕστερον ἐγένετο τῶν Πλαταιικῶν, τότε δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀσωπῷ Μαρδονίῳ μεμισθωμένος οὐκ ὀλίγου ἐθύετό τε καὶ προεθυμέετο κατά τε τὸ ἔχθος τὸ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ κατὰ τὸ κέρδος.
However, the death of Hegesistratus occurred after the events of Plataea; but at that time, by the Asopus, having been hired by Mardonius for no small sum, he offered sacrifices and exerted himself zealously, both out of hatred for the Lacedaemonians and for the sake of gain.
§9.38.2ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐκαλλιέρεε ὥστε μάχεσθαι οὔτε αὐτοῖσι Πέρσῃσι οὔτε τοῖσι μετʼ ἐκείνων ἐοῦσι Ἑλλήνων (εἶχον γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι ἐπʼ ἑωυτῶν μάντιν Ἱππόμαχον Λευκάδιον ἄνδρα), ἐπιρρεόντων δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ γινομένων πλεύνων, Τιμηγενίδης ὁ Ἕρπυος ἀνὴρ Θηβαῖος συνεβούλευσε Μαρδονίῳ τὰς ἐκβολὰς τοῦ Κιθαιρῶνος φυλάξαι, λέγων ὡς ἐπιρρέουσι οἱ Ἕλληνες αἰεὶ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέρην καὶ ὡς ἀπολάμψοιτο συχνούς.
But since the sacrifices did not prove favorable for fighting, either for the Persians themselves or for the Greeks who were with them (for these too had a seer of their own, Hippomachus, a man of Leucas), and as the Greeks were streaming in and growing more numerous, Timegenidas the son of Herpys, a Theban, advised Mardonius to guard the passes of Cithaeron, saying that the Greeks were continually streaming in every day and that he would intercept many of them.

Notes

  1. 9.38.1τῶν Πλαταιικῶν — Genitive of comparison depending on the comparative adverb ὕστερον (later), referring to the battle/events of Plataea.
  2. 9.38.1οὐκ ὀλίγου — Genitive of value. Through litotes ("for no small sum"), it means "for a very high price", qualifying the participle μεμισθωμένος (having been hired).
  3. 9.38.2ὥστε μάχεσθαι — The construction of ὥστε with the infinitive following the verb ἐκαλλιέρεε used impersonally (to obtain favorable omens), expressing result or purpose ("so as to fight" or "favorable enough for fighting").
  4. 9.38.2ἀπολάμψοιτο — Third-person singular future middle optative of ἀπολαμβάνω (to intercept, cut off). It is an oblique optative (optativus obliquus) in indirect speech (introduced by ὡς) dependent on the past main verb συνεβούλευσε. The subject is Mardonius.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.38.1-9.38.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.38.1-9.38.2

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