Jean-Léon Gérôme, King Candaules (1859)
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Herodotus, Histories 1.62.3 · 1.62.3

Facing each other at Pallene

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καὶ οὗτοί τε πανστρατιῇ ἤισαν ἐπὶ τοὺς κατιόντας καὶ οἱ ἀμφὶ Πεισίστρατον, ὡς ὁρμηθέντες ἐκ Μαραθῶνος ἤισαν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄστυ, ἐς τὠυτὸ συνιόντες ἀπικνέονται ἐπὶ Παλληνίδος Ἀθηναίης ἱρόν, καὶ ἀντία ἔθεντο τὰ ὅπλα.

And these, in full force, marched against those returning, and Pisistratus's party, as they set out from Marathon and advanced on the city, converging at the same point, arrived at the temple of Pallenian Athena, and grounded their arms facing each other.

Word by word

καὶkaìandοὗτοίhoûtoítheseτεte—πανστρατιῇpanstratiêiin full forceἤισανḗisanmarchedἐπὶepìagainstτοὺςtoùsthoseκατιόνταςkatióntasreturningκαὶkaìandοἱhoi—ἀμφὶamphìpartyΠεισίστρατονPeisístratonPisistratus's,ὡςhōsasὁρμηθέντεςhormēthéntesset outἐκekfromΜαραθῶνοςMarathônosMarathonἤισανḗisanadvancedἐπὶepìonτὸtòtheἄστυástycity,ἐςesatτὠυτὸtōutòthe same pointσυνιόντεςsynióntesconvergingἀπικνέονταιapiknéontaiarrivedἐπὶepìatΠαλληνίδοςPallēnídosPallenianἈθηναίηςAthēnaíēsAthenaἱρόνhiróntemple,καὶkaìandἀντίαantíafacing each otherἔθεντοéthentogroundedτὰtàtheirὅπλαhóplaarms.

The setting

Both sides march out and meet at the temple of Pallenian Athena, drawing up their arms facing each other.

A note on this passage

Herodotus keeps both armies moving in the same sentence, the city's men marching out panstratiēi, "in full force," against tous kationtas, "those coming back," while Pisistratus's side, called simply hoi amphi Peisistraton, "those around Pisistratus," closes in from Marathon. The two columns meet es tōuto, "at the same point," a phrase that does the work of a stage direction: two armies converging on one spot.

That spot has a name worth noticing: the shrine of Pallēnidos Athēnaiēs, Athena under her Pallene title. The chapter ends with both sides antia, "facing," arms grounded, a civil war paused at the threshold of a temple, about to be settled not by the first blow but by what happens next.

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Herodotus, Histories 1.62.3 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/herodotus/1.62.3/