THE HISTORIES. Herodotus
being about three inches, cp. ii. 149.
48 απεφθου κηρυσου, “refined gold.”
49 τριτον εμιταλαντον: the MSS. have τρια εμιταλαντα, which has been corrected partly on the authority of Valla’s translation.
50 “white gold.”
51 Arranged evidently in stages, of which the highest consisted of the 4 half-plinths of pure gold, the second of 15 half-plinths, the third of 35, the fourth of 63, making 117 in all: see Stein’s note.
52 ελκον σταθμον εινατον εμιταλαντον και ετι δυοδεκα μνεασ. The μνεα (mina) is 15.2 oz., and 60 of them go to a talent.
53 επι του προνειου τεσ γονιεσ, cp. viii. 122: the use of επι seems to suggest some kind of raised corner-stone upon which the offerings stood.
54 The αμφορευσ is about 9 gallons.
55 Cp. iii. 41.
56 περιρραντερια.
57 κηευματα, which some translate “jugs” or “bowls.”
58 υμιν, as if both Oracles were being addressed together.
59 i.e. Delphi.
60 ενεφορεετο, “he filled himself with it.”
61 Κρεστονα: Niebuhr would read Κροτονα (Croton or Cortona in Etruria), partly on the authority of Dionysius: see Stein’s note. Two of the best MSS. are defective in this part of the book.
62 See ii. 51 and vi. 137.
63 αυξεται εσ πλεθοσ τον εθνεον πολλον: “has increased to a multitude of its races, which are many.” Stein and Abicht both venture to adopt the conjecture Πελασγον for πολλον, “Pelasgians especially being added to them, and also many other Barbarian nations.”
64 προσ δε ον εμοιγε δοκεει: the MSS. have εμοι τε. Some Editors read οσ δε ον (Stein προσθε δε ον) for προσ δε ον. This whole passage is probably in some way corrupt, but it can hardly be successfully emended.
65 i.e. as it is of the Hellenic race before it parted from the Pelasgian and ceased to be Barbarian.
66 κατεκηομενον τε και διεσπασμενον . . . υπο Πεισιστρατου. Peisistratos was in part at least the cause of the divisions.
67 παραλον.
68 υπερακριον.
69 τουτουσ: some read by conjecture τριεκοσιουσ, “three hundred,” the number which he actually had according to Polyænus, i. 21.
70 δορυφοροι, the usual word for a body-guard.
71 περιελαυνομενοσ δε τε στασι: Stein says “harassed by attacks of his own party,” but the passage to which he refers in ch. 61, καταλλασσετο τεν εκηθρεν τοισι στασιοτεσι, may be referred to in the quarrel made with his party by Megacles when he joined Peisistratos.
72 More literally, “since from ancient time the Hellenic race had been marked off from the Barbarians as being more skilful and more freed from foolish simplicity, (and) since at that time among the Athenians, who are accounted the first of the Hellenes in ability, these men devised a trick as follows.”
73 The cubit is reckoned as 24 finger-breadths, i.e. about 18 inches.
74 So Rawlinson.
75 See v. 70.
76 δια ενδεκατου ετεοσ. Not quite the same as δια εωδεκα ετεον (“after an interval of eleven years”); rather “in the eleventh year” (i.e. “after an interval of ten years”).
77 θειν πομπε κηρεομενοσ.
78 For ‘Ακαρναν it has been suggested to read ‘Ακηαρνευσ, because this man is referred to as an Athenian by various writers. However Acarnanians were celebrated for prophetic power, and he might be called an Athenian as resident with Peisistratos at Athens.
79 Or “for that part of the land from which the temple could be seen,” but cp. Thuc. iii. 104. In either case the meaning is the same.
80 ενομοτιασ και τριεκαδασ και συσσιτια. The ενομοτια was the primary division of the Spartan army: of the τριεκασ nothing is known for certain.
81 κιβδελο, properly “counterfeit”: cp. ch. 75.