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Herodotus · Histories §9.52.1

Greeks Retreat at Night to the Temple of Hera

Passage 1507 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After suffering from Persian cavalry attacks during the day, the Greek forces retreat at nightfall, but instead of the agreed destination, they flee to the Heraeum near Plataea.

§9.52.1ταῦτα βουλευσάμενοι κείνην μὲν τὴν ἡμέρην πᾶσαν προσκειμένης τῆς ἵππου εἶχον πόνον ἄτρυτον· ὡς δὲ ἥ τε ἡμέρη ἔληγε καὶ οἱ ἱππέες ἐπέπαυντο, νυκτὸς δὴ γινομένης καὶ ἐούσης τῆς ὥρης ἐς τὴν συνέκειτό σφι ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι, ἐνθαῦτα ἀερθέντες οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπαλλάσσοντο, ἐς μὲν τὸν χῶρον ἐς τὸν συνέκειτο οὐκ ἐν νόῳ ἔχοντες, οἳ δὲ ὡς ἐκινήθησαν ἔφευγον ἄσμενοι τὴν ἵππον πρὸς τὴν Πλαταιέων πόλιν, φεύγοντες δὲ ἀπικνέονται ἐπὶ τὸ Ἥραιον·
Having resolved on these things, they had unceasing trouble throughout all that day, as the enemy's cavalry pressed hard upon them; but when the day ended and the horsemen ceased, and as night was coming on and the hour arrived at which it had been agreed they should retreat, then the majority of them broke camp and departed, having no intention of going to the place agreed upon; but as soon as they set themselves in motion, they fled gladly to escape the cavalry toward the city of Plataea, and in their flight they arrived at the Temple of Hera (the Heraeum).
τὸ δὲ πρὸ τῆς πόλιος ἐστὶ τῆς Πλαταιέων, εἴκοσι σταδίους ἀπὸ τῆς κρήνης τῆς Γαργαφίης ἀπέχον· ἀπικόμενοι δὲ ἔθεντο πρὸ τοῦ ἱροῦ τὰ ὅπλα.
This temple is in front of the city of Plataea, twenty stades away from the spring of Gargaphia; and on arriving there, they piled their arms in front of the sanctuary.

Notes

  1. §9.52.1ἐς τὴν συνέκειτό σφι ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι — A relative clause modifying the antecedent τῆς ὥρης. The verb συνέκειτο is used impersonally with the infinitive ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ('to retreat') as its subject and the dative σφι ('for them'), meaning 'at which it had been agreed upon for them to retreat.'
  2. §9.52.1τὴν ἵππον — The direct object (accusative) of the verb ἔφευγον ('fled'). The noun ἵππος is feminine singular here, meaning collectively 'the cavalry.' The verb φεύγω takes an accusative of the thing or person fled from.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.52.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.52.1

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