επολεμεσαν derives its subject from the mention of Hellenes and Barbarians in the preceding clause.
3 Many Editors have “with the Phenicians,” on the authority of some inferior MSS. and of the Aldine edition.
4 αρπαγεσ.
5 “thus or in some other particular way.”
6 Συριον, see ch. 72. Herodotus perhaps meant to distinguish Συριοι from Συροι, and to use the first name for the Cappadokians and the second for the people of Palestine, cp. ii. 104; but they are naturally confused in the MSS.
7 εξ επιδρομεσ αρπαγε.
8 τεσ ανοιγομενεσ θυρεσ, “the door that is opened.”
9 Or “because she was ashamed.”
10 φοιταν.
11 υπεισδυσ: Stein adopts the conjecture υπεκδυσ, “slipping out of his hiding-place.
12 This last sentence is by many regarded as an interpolation. The line referred to is Ου μοι τα Γυγεο του πολυκηροσου μελει.
13 See v. 92.
14 i.e. like other kings of Lydia who came after him.
15 Κολοφονοσ το αστυ, as opposed apparently to the acropolis, cp. viii. 51.
16 See ch. 73.
17 ο και εσβαλλον τενικαυτα εσ τεν Μιλεσιεν τεν στρατιεν: an allusion apparently to the invasions of the Milesian land at harvest time, which are described above. All the operations mentioned in the last chapter have been loosely described to Alyattes, and a correction is here added to inform the reader that they belong equally to his father. It will hardly mend matters much if we take ο Αυδοσ in ch. 17 to include both father and son.
18 διδαξαντα.
19 This name is applied by Herodotus to the southern part of the peninsula only.
20 Tarentum.
21 εν τοισι εδολιοισι: properly “benches,” but probably here the raised deck at the stern.
22 ου μεγα: many of the MSS. have μεγα.
23 σταδιοι: furlongs of about 606 English feet.
24 το επιλογο.
25 This list of nations is by some suspected as an interpolation; see Stein’s note on the passage.
26 σοφισται: cp. ii. 49, and iv. 95.
27 εθετο.
28 ολβιοτατον.
29 σταδιουσ.
30 ρομεν: many of the MSS. have γνομεν, “good disposition.”
31 i.e. their mother: but some understand it to mean the goddess.
32 εν τελει τουτο εσκηοντο.
33 ανολβιοι.
34 ευτυκηεεσ.
35 απεροσ: the MSS. have απειροσ.
36 αικημε σιδερεε βλεθεντα.
37 “in the house of Crœsus.”
38 ‘Επιστιον.
39 ‘Εταιρειον.
40 συγγραψαμενουσ, i.e. have it written down by the προψετεσ (see vii. 111 and viii. 37), who interpreted and put into regular verse the inspired utterances of the prophetess προμαντισ.
41 εσ το μεγαρον.
42 οιδα δ’ εγο: oracles often have a word of connection such as δε or αλλα at the beginning (cp. ch. 55, 174, etc.), which may indicate that they are part of a larger connected utterance.
43 Cp. vii. 178 and ix. 91 (“I accept the omen.”)
44 See viii. 134.