1.20 | Dickinson College Commentaries

Κατὰ τάδε συνθήκας ἐποιήσαντο Ἡλιῶται καὶ οἱ σύμμαχοι πρὸς Σεληνίτας καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους, ἐπὶ τῷ καταλῦσαι μὲν Ἡλιώτας τὸ διατείχισμα καὶ μηκέτι ἐς τὴν σελήνην ἐσβάλλειν, ἀποδοῦναι δὲ καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους ῥητοῦ ἕκαστον χρήματος, τοὺς δὲ Σεληνίτας ἀφεῖναι μὲν αὐτονόμους τούς γε ἄλλους ἀστέρας, ὅπλα δὲ μὴ ἐπιφέρειν τοῖς Ἡλιώταις, συμμαχεῖν δὲ τῇ ἀλλήλων, ἤν τις ἐπίῃ· φόρον δὲ ὑποτελεῖν ἑκάστου ἔτους τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Σεληνιτῶν τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Ἡλιωτῶν δρόσου ἀμφορέας μυρίους, καὶ ὁμήρους δὲ σφῶν αὐτῶν δοῦναι μυρίους, τὴν δὲ ἀποικίαν τὴν ἐς τὸν Ἑωσφόρον κοινῇ ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ μετέχειν τῶν ἄλλων τὸν βουλόμενον· ἐγγράψαι δὲ τὰς συνθήκας στήλῃ ἠλεκτρίνῃ καὶ ἀναστῆσαι ἐν μέσῳ τῷ ἀέρι ἐπὶ τοῖς μεθορίοις. ὤμοσαν δὲ Ἡλιωτῶν μὲν Πυρωνίδης καὶ Θερείτης καὶ Φλόγιος, Σεληνιτῶν δὲ Νύκτωρ καὶ Μήνιος καὶ Πολυλάμπης.

notes

κατὰ τάδε: "according to the following terms"

ἐπὶ τῷ + articular infin.: "on the condition that."

ἐς τὴν σελήνην (sc. στρατίαν) ἐσβάλλειν: "throw (sc. an army) into the moon," i.e. "invade the moon."

ἀποδοῦναι: aor. act. infin. of ἀποδίδωμι "that they hand over."

ῥητοῦ ἕκαστον χρήματος: "at a fixed charge per head," (S. 1372, G. 513).

τοὺς δὲ Σεληνίτας ἀφεῖναι...τούς γε ἄλλους ἀστέρας: "and that the Moonites allow (the other stars to...)," (ἀφεῖναι = aor. act. infin. of ἀφίημι).

συμμαχεῖν τῇ (sc. γῇ) ἀλλήλων: "to aid each other" (lit. "to ally with each others' territory"), the language of a a formal defensive alliance; see Thucydides, Histories 1.44 and 5.27.2).

συμμαχεῖν...ἤν τις ἐπίῃ: "to aid...if anyone attacks," general condition in indir. statement with an infin. in the apodosis (S. 2337 and 2350).

ἐπίῃ: pres. subj. 3. sg. of ἐπέρχομαι.

ἑκάστου ἔτους: "each year," (S. 1445).

δρόσου ἀμφορέας μυρίους: "10,000 jars of dew" (S. 1323). This specifies the tribute (φόρον) to be paid.

ὁμήρους δὲ σφῶν αὐτῶν δοῦναι μυρίους: "and give 10,000 of their own men as hostages."

κοινῇ: "in common, together" (S. 1527c).

τὸν βουλόμενον: "anyone who wishes" (G. 582b; S. 2052), accusative subject of μετέχειν.

ἀναστῆσαι: aor. act. infin. of ἀνίστημι, "set up."

ὤμοσαν: aor. act. 3 pl. of ὄμνυμι, "they swore."

For the Sun: Firebrace, Parcher, and Burns.

For the Moon: Darkling, Moony, and Allbright.

vocabulary

VERB LIST

συνθήκη, ἡ: an agreement; pl. treaty

Ἡλιώτης, -ου, ὁ: Sunite

Σεληνίτης, -ου, ὁ: Moonite

καταλύω: put down, destroy

διατείχισμα, -ατος, τό: a dividing wall

μηκέτι: no more, no longer

σελήνη, ἡ: the moon

εἰσβάλλω (ἐσβάλλω): invade

αἰχμάλωτος, -ον: taken prisoner, captive; pl. prisoners of war

ῥητός, -ή, -όν: stated, specified

ἀφίημι: leave, allow

αὐτόνομος, -ον: independent

ἀστήρ, -έρος, ὁ: a star

ἐπιφέρω: bear (arms) against, make (war) on (+ dat.)

συμμαχέω: ally with, help, assist (+ dat.)

ἐπέρχομαι: attack

φόρος, ὁ: a tribute

ὑποτελέω: pay

δρόσος, ἡ: dew

ἀμφορεύς, -έως, ὁ: an amphora, jar

ὅμηρος, ὁ: a hostage

ἀποικία, ἡ: a settlement, colony

Ἑωσφόρος, ὁ: Morning Star

μετέχω: share in, participate in (+ gen.)

ἐγγράφω: inscribe

ἠλέκτρινος, -η, -ον: electrum (alloy of gold and silver)

στήλη, ἡ: a block of stone

ἀνίστημι: set up

ἀήρ, ἀέρος, ὁ: air

μεθόρια, τά: borders, boundaries

ὄμνυμι: swear to a thing, affirm or confirm by oath

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