Humanitext Reader

Dionysius of Halicarnassus · Roman Antiquities §19.3.1-19.3.2

Leucippus' Stratagem to Secure the Tarentine Land

Passage 930 of 962 · Greek

Summary

Leucippus, following an oracle to stay for "a day and a night," deceives the Tarentines to secure their land permanently.

§19.3.1Λευκίππῳ τῷ Λακεδαιμονίῳ πυνθανομένῳ, ὅπου πεπρωμένον αὐτῷ εἴη κατοικεῖν καὶ τοῖς περὶ αὐτόν, ἔχρησεν ὁ θεὸς πλεῖν μὲν εἰς Ἰταλίαν, γῆν δὲ οἰκίζειν, εἰς ἣν ἂν καταχθέντες ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα μείνωσι·
When Leucippus the Lacedaemonian inquired where it was fated for him and his followers to dwell, the god gave an oracle to sail to Italy, and to colonize a land in which, having put to shore, they should remain for a day and a night.
καταχθέντος δὲ τοῦ στόλου περὶ Καλλίπολιν ἐπίνειόν τι τῶν Ταραντίνων ἀγασθεὶς τοῦ χωρίου τὴν φύσιν ὁ Λεύκιππος πείθει Ταραντίνους συγχωρῆσαί σφισιν ἡμέραν αὐτόθι καὶ νύκτα ἐναυλίσασθαι.
And when the fleet had put to shore around Kallipolis, a port of the Tarentines, Leucippus, admiring the natural character of the place, persuaded the Tarentines to allow them to encamp there for a day and a night.
§19.3.2ὡς δὲ πλείους ἡμέραι διῆλθον, ἀξιούντων αὐτοὺς ἀπιέναι τῶν Ταραντίνων οὐ προσεῖχεν αὐτοῖς τὸν νοῦν ὁ Λεύκιππος, παρʼ ἐκείνων εἰληφέναι λέγων τὴν γῆν καθʼ ὁμολογίας εἰς ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα· ἕως δʼ ἂν ᾖ τούτων θάτερον, οὐ μεθήσεσθαι τῆς γῆς.
But when several days had passed and the Tarentines demanded that they depart, Leucippus paid no attention to them, saying that he had received the land from them by agreement for "a day and a night"; and as long as either of these two should exist, he would not give up the land.
μαθόντες δὴ παρακεκρουσμένους ἑαυτοὺς οἱ Ταραντῖνοι συγχωροῦσιν αὐτοῖς μένειν.
Recognizing that they had been deceived, the Tarentines permitted them to remain.

Notes

  1. 19.3.1Λευκίππῳ τῷ Λακεδαιμονίῳ πυνθανομένῳ — A dative noun and participle phrase, functioning as the dative complement (indirect object) of the main verb `ἔχρησεν` (gave an oracle).
  2. 19.3.2τούτων θάτερον — Refers to "either of these two." "These" points back to "a day and a night" (ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα). Since it is always either day or night, this phrase functions as a sophistry meaning "forever."
  3. 19.3.2παρακεκρουσμένους ἑαυτοὺς — A participial construction functioning as the complement of the verb `μανθάνω` (to learn, realize). The perfect passive participle `παρακεκρουσμένους` (from `παρακρούω`, to deceive) with the reflexive pronoun `ἑαυτούς` means "having realized that they had been deceived."

Cite this passage

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities §19.3.1-19.3.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0081.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:19.3.1-19.3.2

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