1.19 | Dickinson College Commentaries

οἱ δὲ πολιορκεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὴν πόλιν, ἀναστρέψαντες δὲ τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀπετείχιζον, ὥστε μηκέτι τὰς αὐγὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου πρὸς τὴν σελήνην διήκειν. τὸ δὲ τεῖχος ἦν διπλοῦν, νεφελωτόν· ὥστε σαφὴς ἔκλειψις τῆς σελήνης ἐγεγόνει καὶ νυκτὶ διηνεκεῖ πᾶσα κατείχετο. πιεζόμενος δὲ τούτοις ὁ Ἐνδυμίων πέμψας ἱκέτευε καθαιρεῖν τὸ οἰκοδόμημα καὶ μὴ σφᾶς περιορᾶν ἐν σκότῳ βιοτεύοντας, ὑπισχνεῖτο δὲ καὶ φόρους τελέσειν καὶ σύμμαχος ἔσεσθαι καὶ μηκέτι πολεμήσειν, καὶ ὁμήρους ἐπὶ τούτοις δοῦναι ἤθελεν. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Φαέθοντα γενομένης δὶς ἐκκλησίας τῇ προτεραίᾳ μὲν οὐδὲν παρέλυσαν τῆς ὀργῆς, τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ δὲ μετέγνωσαν, καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ εἰρήνη ἐπὶ τούτοις·

notes

A treaty is arranged between the two parties.

οὐκ ἔγνωσαν: aor. of γινώσκω, "they decided not to (+ infin.)" (S. 2711).

τὸ μεταξὺ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀπετείχιζον: "they walled off the intervening air" (S. 1153).

ὥστε...διήκειν: "so that they didn᾽t reach through (to)," (S. 2251 and 2258).

ὥστε...ἐγεγόνει...κατείχετο: result clauses with the indicative emphasize the actual result (S. 2257).

ἐγεγόνει: plup. of γίγνομαι, "there was."

κατείχετο: impf. pass. of κατέχω, "was enshrouded."

πέμψας ἱκέτευε: "he sent and begged" (G. 583; S. 2054 and 2060).

σφᾶς: acc. pl., "them."

μὴ σφᾶς περιορᾶν ἐν σκότῳ βιοτεύοντας: "not to let them live in darkness."

ὑπισχνεῖτο: impf. of ὑπισχνέομαι, "he promised," taking the future infinitives τελέσειν, ἔσεσθαι (from εἰμί), and πολεμήσειν.

δοῦναι: aor. act. infin. from δίδωμι.

γενομένης δὶς ἐκκλησίας: "the assembly meeting twice" (S. 2058 and 2070; G. 589 and 590). For the change of heart, compare the Mytilenian debate in Thucydides (3.36). Particulars of the settlement recall the Athenian-Spartan treaty in Thucydides 5.18.

μετέγνωσαν: aor. from μεταγινώσκω, "they changed their minds."

ἐπὶ τούτοις: "on these terms" (common meaning of ἐπί + dat. in historical narratives when discussing treaties).

vocabulary

VERB LIST

πολιορκέω: besiege

γινώσκω: know

ἀναστρέφω: turn back, return

ἀήρ, ἀέρος, ὁ: the air

ἀποτειχίζω: wall off

μηκέτι: no longer

αὐγή, ἡ: sunlight; pl. rays, beams

σελήνη, ἡ: the moon

διήκω: extend, reach

διπλοῦς (διπλόος), -ῆ, -οῦν: twofold, double

νεφελωτός, -ή, -όν: made of clouds

ἔκλειψις, -εως, ἡ: eclipse

διηνεκής, -ές: continuous, unbroken

κατέχω: hold fast; cover

πιέζω: press (tight), weigh down

Ἐνδυμίων, -ονος, ὁ: Endymion

ἱκετεύω: beg

καθαιρέω: take down

οἰκοδόμημα, -ατος, τό: a building, structure

σφεῖς, σφῶν: they, them

περιοράω: overlook; allow

σκότος, ὁ: darkness, gloom

βιοτεύω: live

ὑπισχνέομαι: promise

φόρος, ὁ: a tribute

τελέω: complete, fulfill; pay

μηκέτι: no more, no longer

ὅμηρος, ὁ: a hostage

ἐκκλησία, ἡ: an assembly

προτεραῖος, -α, -ον: previous, first (sc. "day")

παραλύω: loose, slacken; detach from (+ gen.)

ὀργή, ἡ: anger

ὑστεραῖος, -α, -ον: following, next (sc. "day")

μεταγινώσκω: change one's mind

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