THE HISTORIES. Herodotus

202 τεν στρατιεν απασαν. Stein thinks that some correction is needed.

203 οι δ’ αν περυδοντεσ κ.τ.λ.: the MSS. have ουδ’ αν περυδοντεσ, “they would not even have allowed them to enter the city (from the river),” but the negative is awkward referring to the participle alone, and the admission of the enemy to the river- bed within the city would have been an essential part of the scheme, not to be omitted in the description.

204 The Attic medimnos (= 48 choinikes) was rather less than 12 gallons.

205 τον τεσ Δεμετροσ καρπον.

206 Stein supposes that words have fallen out before τα γαρ δε αλλα δενδρεα, chiefly because some mention of the palm-trees might have been expected here.

207 φοινικειουσ: some Editors (following Valla) have altered this to φοινικειου (“casks of palm-wine”), but it is not likely that palm-wine would have been thus imported, see ch. 193.

208 και ο μεν εσο ελκει το πλεκτρον ο δε εξο οθεει. I take it to mean that there is one steering-oar on each side, and the “inside” is the side nearer to the bank of the river. The current would naturally run faster on the “outside” and consequently would tend to turn the boat round, and therefore the inside oarsman pulls his oar constantly towards himself and the outside man pushes his oar from himself (i.e. backs water), to keep the boat straight. Various explanations are given. Stein takes εσο, εξο with the verbs, “one draws the boat towards himself, the other pushes it from himself.” Mr. Woods understands that only one oar is used at a time and by two men looking different ways, of whom ο μεν εσο is he who stands nearest to the side of the boat.

209 If the talents meant are Euboic, this would be about 170 tons.

210 μιτρεσι: cp. vii. 62.

211 οσ αν αι παρθενοι γινοιατο, equivalent to οσαι αει παρθενοι γινοιατο, which Stein suggests as a correction.

212 This sentence, “in order that — city,” is thought by Stein to be either interpolated or misplaced.

213 κατεστεκεε: some Editors adopt the correction κατεστεκε, “is established.”

214 ιρον, afterwards called τεμενοσ.

215 παντα τροπον οδον: some MSS. have οδον for οδον, and οδον εκηουσι might perhaps mean “afford a passage.” (The reading of the Medicean MS. is οδον.)

216 “I call upon Mylitta against thee”; or perhaps, “I call upon Mylitta to be favourable to thee.”

217 αποσιοσαμενε τε θεο.

218 ειδεοσ τε επαμμεναι εισι και μεγαθεοσ.

219 πατριαι.

220 αντιον.

221 That is perhaps, “if one rows as well as sails,” using oars when the wind is not favourable, cp. ii. 11.

222 γενομενε, or γινομενε, “which he met with.”

223 εοντα ακηαριτα: most of the MSS. have τα εοντα ακηαριτα, with which reading the sentence would be, “the sufferings which I have, have proved bitter lessons of wisdom to me.”

224 με ειε.

225 του καθαρου στρατου, perhaps “the effective part,” without the encumbrances, cp. iv. 135.

      ²²⁶ αλεξομενουσ.

      ²²⁷ σαγαρισ νομιζοντεσ εκηειν: cp. iv. 5.

      ²²⁸ μασκηαλιστερασ.

      ²²⁹ θυουσι.

      ²³⁰ νομοσ: the conjecture νοοσ, “meaning,” which is adopted by many Editors, may be right; but νομοσ seems to mean the “customary rule” which determines this form of sacrifice, the rule namely of “swift to the swift.”