Hdt. 3.39.3

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Paul Derouda
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Hdt. 3.39.3

Post by Paul Derouda »

ἐν χρόνῳ δὲ ὀλίγῳ αὐτίκα τοῦ Πολυκράτεος τὰ πρήγματα ηὔξετο καὶ ἦν βεβωμένα ἀνά τε τὴν Ἰωνίην καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Ἑλλάδα: ὅκου γὰρ ἰθύσειε στρατεύεσθαι, πάντα οἱ ἐχώρεε εὐτυχέως. ἔκτητο δὲ πεντηκοντέρους τε ἑκατὸν καὶ χιλίους τοξότας, ἔφερε δὲ καὶ ἦγε πάντας διακρίνων οὐδένα.

Simple question: does ἔφερε mean "looting inanimate objects" and ἦγε "seizing people and animals"?

mwh
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Re: Hdt. 3.39.3

Post by mwh »

Not quite so simple answer: that’s a distinction that can sometimes be made between the two individual words, but the combo is a set form of expression used without sharp differentiation, or with none at all. It goes back a long way. Cf. Lat. ferre et agere, which the OLD defines as “to carry off (all movable and portable plunder).”

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Paul Derouda
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Re: Hdt. 3.39.3

Post by Paul Derouda »

OK, thanks. You mean it's not meant to be taken necessarily too literally; it means "they carried away anything they could, and lots of it", like you might say "both young and old", meaning "everybody".

mwh
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Re: Hdt. 3.39.3

Post by mwh »

Yes that’s about it. You’ll notice that here the object is παντας, which εφερε hardly applies to. Properly speaking εφερε refers to stuff you (or your pack-animals or wagons) can carry, and ηγε to ambulatory creatures (animals, people) that you can drive. Just as you suggested. When you take a city you make off with whatever’s of value—loot, cattle, inhabitants. (The men you can kill or else keep for trade or ransom or labor, the women you keep if nubile.) As I said, it’s a very old formula, and IE folks love writing about it.

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Re: Hdt. 3.39.3

Post by Bart »

The same combination can be found in Croesus' reply to Cyrus in 1.88.3 at the end of the Croesus on the pyre episode
Κροῖσος δὲ ἀμείβετο· “οὔτε πόλιν τὴν ἐμὴν οὔτε χρήματα τὰ ἐμὰ διαρπάζει· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμοὶ ἔτι τούτων μέτα· ἀλλὰ φέρουσί τε καὶ ἄγουσι τὰ σά.

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