The Histories

Book 8 Notes



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Notes To Book Viii


1 (return)
[ See v. 77.]

2 (return)
[ i.e. triremes.]

3 (return)
[ {os to plethos ekastoi ton neon pareikhonto}: some read by conjecture {oson to plethos k.t.l.}]

4 (return)
[ Perhaps "also" refers to the case of those who had come to Thermopylai, cp. vii. 207: Others translate, "these Hellenes who had come after all to Artemision," i.e. after all the doubt and delay.]

5 (return)
[ {pantes}: some MSS. have {plegentes}, which is adopted by most Editors, "smitten by bribes."]

6 (return)
[ {dethen}, with ironical sense.]

7 (return)
[ {mede purphoron}: the {purphoros} had charge of the fire brought for sacrifices from the altar of Zeus Agetor at Sparta, and ordinarily his person would be regarded as sacred; hence the proverb {oude purphoros esothe}, used of an utter defeat.]

8 (return)
[ {tou diekploou}.]

9 (return)
[ {kata stoma}.]

10 (return)
[ {sklerai brontai}: the adjective means "harsh-sounding."]

11 (return)
[ {akhari}.]

12 (return)
[ {ta Koila tes Euboies}.]

13 (return)
[ "having been roughly handled."]

14 (return)
[ {epi ten thalassan tauten}: some MSS. read {taute} for {tauten}, which is to be taken with {sullexas}, "he assembled the generals there."]

15 (return)
[ {peripetea epoiesanto sphisi autoisi ta pregmata}.]

16 (return)
[ {paleseie}, a word which does not occur elsewhere, and is explained by Hesychius as equivalent to {diaphtharein}. Various emendations have been proposed, and Valla seems to have had the reading {apelaseie}, for he says discessisset. Stein explains {paleseie} (as from {pale}) "should contend."]

17 (return)
[ Some suppose the number "four thousand" is interpolated by misunderstanding of the inscription in vii. 228; and it seems hardly possible that the dead were so many as four thousand, unless at least half were Helots.]

18 (return)
[ Some MSS. have "Tritantaichmes," which is adopted by many Editors.]

19 (return)
[ {neou}.]

20 (return)
[ {os anarpasomenoi tous Phokeas}: cp. ix. 60.]

21 (return)
[ {podeon steinos}, like the neck of a wineskin; cp. ii. 121, note [Footnote 102.]

22 (return)
[ {tou propheten}, the interpreter of the utterances of the {promantis}.]

23 (return)
[ {neou}.]

24 (return)
[ {megarou}.]

25 (return)
[ i.e. of Athene Polias, the Erechtheion; so throughout this account.]

26 (return)
[ {sunerree}, "kept flowing together."]

2601 (return)
[ Or, "Hermione."]

27 (return)
[ See i. 56.]

28 (return)
[ See ch. 31.]

29 (return)
[ {pros pantas tous allous}, "in comparison with all the rest," cp. iii. 94.]

30 (return)
[ {stratarkheo}: a vague expression, because being introduced after Kecrops he could not have the title of king.]

31 (return)
[ The number obtained by adding up the separate contingents is 366. Many Editors suppose that the ships with which the Eginetans were guarding their own coast (ch. 46) are counted here, and quote the authority of Pausanias for the statement that the Eginetans supplied more ships than any others except the Athenians. Stein suggests the insertion of the number twelve in ch. 46.]

3101 (return)
[ Or, "Thespeia."]

32 (return)
[ i.e. "Areopagus."]

33 (return)
[ i.e. the North side.]

34 (return)
[ {megaron}.]

35 (return)
[ {neos}.]

36 (return)
[ {pollos en en tois logois}: cp. ix. 91.]

37 (return)
[ See vii. 141-143.]

38 (return)
[ {autothen ik Salaminos}.]

39 (return)
[ {te Metri kai te Koure}, Demeter and Persephone.]

40 (return)
[ {te anakrisi}: cp. {anakrinomenous}, ix. 56: Some Editors, following inferior MSS., read {te krisi}, "at the judgment expressed."]

41 (return)
[ {muriadon}, "ten thousands."]

42 (return)
[ Or, "Hermione."]

43 (return)
[ {oi perioikoi}: some Editors omit the article and translate "and these are the so-called Orneates or dwellers round (Argos)," Orneates being a name for the {perioikoi} of Argos, derived from the conquered city of Orneai.]

44 (return)
[ {elpidi mainomene}, "with a mad hope."]

45 (return)
[ {krateron Koron Ubrios uion}.]

46 (return)
[ {dokeunt ana panta tithesthai}: the MSS. have also {pithesthai}. Possibly {tithesthai} might stand, though {anatithesthai} is not found elsewhere in this sense. Stein adopts in his last edition the conjecture {piesthai}, "swallow up."]

47 (return)
[ {Kronides}.]

48 (return)
[ {potnia Nike}.]

49 (return)
[ i.e. about rivalry.]

50 (return)
[ {ton epibateon}.]

51 (return)
[ Many Editors reading {osa de} and {parainesas de}, make the stop after {antitithemena}: "and in all that is produced in the nature and constitution of man he exhorted them to choose the better."]

52 (return)
[ {o daimonioi}, "strange men."]

53 (return)
[ See ch. 22.]

54 (return)
[ {pros de eti kai proselabeto}: the MSS. have {prosebaleto}. Most Editors translate, "Moreover Ariamnes... contributed to the fate of the Phenicians, being a friend (of the Ionians);" but this does not seem possible unless we read {philos eon Iosi} (or {Ionon}). Valla translates nearly as I have done. (It does not appear that {prosballesthai} is found elsewhere in the sense of {sumballesthai}.)]

55 (return)
[ i.e. they who were commanded to execute them.]

56 (return)
[ See vii. 179, 181.]

57 (return)
[ See vi. 49, etc., and 73.]

58 (return)
[ {keleta}.]

59 (return)
[ {sumballontai}: the Athenians apparently are spoken of, for they alone believed the story.]

60 (return)
[ {apoplesai}: this is the reading of the MSS.; but many Editors adopt corrections ({apoplesthai} or {apoplesthenai}). The subject to {apoplesai} is to be found in the preceding sentence and the connexion with {ton te allon panta k.t.l.} is a loose one. This in fact is added as an afterthought, the idea being originally to call attention simply to the fulfilment of the oracle of Lysistratos.]

61 (return)
[ {phruxousi}: a conjectural emendation, adopted by most Editors, of {phrixousi}, "will shudder (at the sight of oars)."]

62 (return)
[ {kat allon kai allon}: the MSS. have {kat allon}, but Valla's rendering is "alium atque alium."]

63 (return)
[ {uper megalon aiorethenta}.]

64 (return)
[ i.e. 300,000.]

65 (return)
[ {os ek kakon}: some translate, "thinking that he had escaped from his troubles."]

66 (return)
[ {toisi epikletoisi}, cp. vii. 8 and ix. 42.]

67 (return)
[ i.e. Asia, as opposed to "these parts."]

68 (return)
[ Stein would take {peri oikon ton son} with {oudemia sumphore}, but the order of words is against this.]

69 (return)
[ {pollous pollakis agonas drameontai peri spheon auton}.]

70 (return)
[ See i. 175: The manner of the repetition and some points in the diction raise suspicion that the passage is interpolated here; and so it is held to be by most Editors. In i. 175 we find {tris} instead of {dis}.]

71 (return)
[ {upegagon}, cp. vi. 72, with the idea of bringing before a court for punishment, not "by underhand means," as it is understood by Larcher and Bähr.]

72 (return)
[ "vengeance and Hermotimos."]

73 (return)
[ {spheis... ergasaiato}: the MSS. read {sphi} (one {spheas}) and {ergasaito}, and this is retained by some Editors.]

74 (return)
[ "taken."]

75 (return)
[ {metabalon}: others translate, "he turned from them to the Athenians"; but cp. vii. 52: The words {pros tous Athenaious} are resumed by {sphi} with {elege}.]

76 (return)
[ {kai epi spheon auton balomenoi}, "even at their own venture," cp. iii. 71.]

77 (return)
[ {ta idia}, "things belonging to private persons."]

78 (return)
[ {sophos}.]

79 (return)
[ {geopeinas}, "poor in land."]

80 (return)
[ It seems necessary to insert {an} with {einai}. For the sentiment cp. vii. 172.]

81 (return)
[ {khreomenos toisi kai pros basilea ekhresato}. This is the reading of the best MSS.: the rest have {khreomenos logoisi toisi kai pros Andrious ekhresato}, "using the same language as he had before used to the Andrians."]

82 (return)
[ {kai ten allen ippon}: some MSS. omit {allen}.]

83 (return)
[ {ola}, i.e. not the whole number of them, but great masses without individual selection.]

84 (return)
[ {ouden meros os eipein}.]

85 (return)
[ {anemon Strumonien}, "the wind called Strymonias."]

86 (return)
[ {ta akrothinia}, i.e. the tithe.]

87 (return)
[ i.e. the corner of the entrance-hall, {epi tou proneiou tes gonies}, i. 51.]

88 (return)
[ {dienemon}: some understand this to mean "distributed the voting tablets," and some MSS. read {dienemonto}, "distributed among themselves," which is adopted by many Editors.]

89 (return)
[ {sophotatos}.]

90 (return)
[ See i. 67.]

91 (return)
[ A small island near Attica, taken here as the type of insignificance. To suppose that Timodemos was connected with it is quite unnecessary. The story in Plutarch about the Seriphian is different.]

92 (return)
[ i.e. 60,000.]

93 (return)
[ {katesphaxe}, "cut their throats."]

94 (return)
[ {para tas gluphidas}: some Editors read {peri tas gluphidas} on the authority of Æneas Tacticus. The {gluphides} are probably notches which give a hold for the fingers as they draw back the string.]

95 (return)
[ {kataplexai}, "strike down" by the charge.]

96 (return)
[ The way was shut against them ordinarily by the town of Potidaia, which occupied the isthmus.]

97 (return)
[ i.e. most of those who before served as {epibatai} (vii. 96) continued to serve still. The sentence is usually translated, "of those who served as fighting-men in them the greater number were Persians or Medes," and this may be right.]

98 (return)
[ The MSS. have "Charilos" or "Charillos."]

99 (return)
[ Some Editors read "Eurypon," which is the form found elsewhere.]

100 (return)
[ Cp. vii. 204.]

101 (return)
[ {duon}. It seems certain that the number required here is seven and not two, and the emendation {epta} for {duon} ({z} for {b}) is approved by several Editors.]

102 (return)
[ {khresomenon}: the best MSS. read {khresamenon}, which is retained by Stein, with the meaning "charging him to consult the Oracles everywhere... and then return."]

103 (return)
[ i.e. Mardonios and the Persians.]

104 (return)
[ i.e. Theban citizens.]

105 (return)
[ {promantin}: he is afterwards called {prophetes}.]

106 (return)
[ Cp. v. 21.]

107 (return)
[ Some Editors would read "Alabastra." Alabanda was a Carian town.]

108 (return)
[ Counting Alexander himself as one.]

109 (return)
[ {esan gar}: this is the reading of the best MSS.: others have {esan de}. Stein (reading {esan gar}) places this clause after the next, "The wife of the king herself baked their bread, for in ancient times, etc." This transposition is unnecessary; for it would be easy to understand it as a comment on the statement that three members of the royal house of Argos became farm-servants.]

110 (return)
[ {ai turannides ton anthropon}.]

111 (return)
[ {exaireton metaikhmion te ten gun ektemenon}: there are variations of reading and punctuation in the MSS.]

112 (return)
[ {sunepipte oste omou spheon ginesthai ten katastasin}, i.e. their introduction before the assembly, cp. iii. 46.]

113 (return)
[ {epeximen amunomenoi}, which possibly might be translated, "we will continue to defend ourselves."]

114 (return)
[ {karta anthropeion}.]











The Histories of Herodotus