Herodotus, Histories, ed. A.D. Godley, 7.144

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[1]
The advice of Themistocles had prevailed on a previous occasion. The revenues from the mines at +Lavrion [24.5,37.716] (inhabited place), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Laurium¹ had brought great wealth into the Athenians' treasury, and when each man was to receive ten drachmae for his share, Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to make no such division but to use the money to build two hundred ships for the war, that is, for the war with +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina.

[2] This was in fact the war the outbreak of which saved Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas by compelling the Athenians to become seamen. The ships were not used for the purpose for which they were built, but later came to serve Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas in her need. These ships, then, had been made and were already there for the Athenians' service, and now they had to build yet others.

[3] In their debate after the giving of the oracle they accordingly resolved that they would put their trust in the god and meet the foreign invader of Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas with the whole power of their fleet, ships and men, and with all other Greeks who were so minded.

Histories. Herodotus. ed. A.D. Godley. Cambridge. 1920-1925.

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Current edition Perseus

Histories (English) (Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing). (Modernized by Perseus.))

Editions (1)

Ἱστορίαι Perseus (Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).) — 7.144 focus

[1] ἑτέρη τε Θεμιστοκλέι γνώμη ἔμπροσθε ταύτης ἐς καιρὸν ἠρίστευσε, ὅτε Ἀθηναίοισι γενομένων χρημάτων μεγάλων ἐν τῷ κοινῷ, τὰ ἐκ τῶν μετάλλων σφι προσῆλθε τῶν ἀπὸ Λαυρείου, ἔμελλον λάξεσθαι ὀρχηδὸν ἕκαστος δέκα δραχμάς· τότε Θεμιστοκλέης ἀνέγνωσε Ἀθηναίους τῆς διαιρέσιος ταύτης παυσαμένους νέας τούτων τῶν χρημάτων ποιήσασθαι διηκοσίας ἐς τὸν πόλεμον, τὸν πρὸς Αἰγινήτας λέγων.

[2] οὗτος γὰρ ὁ πόλεμος συστὰς ἔσωσε ἐς τὸ τότε τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ἀναγκάσας θαλασσίους γενέσθαι Ἀθηναίους. αἳ δὲ ἐς τὸ μὲν ἐποιήθησαν οὐκ ἐχρήσθησαν, ἐς δέον δὲ οὕτω τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἐγένοντο. αὗταί τε δὴ αἱ νέες τοῖσι Ἀθηναίοισι προποιηθεῖσαι ὑπῆρχον, ἑτέρας τε ἔδεε προσναυπηγέεσθαι.

[3] ἔδοξέ τέ σφι μετὰ τὸ χρηστήριον βουλευομένοισι ἐπιόντα ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα τὸν βάρβαρον δέκεσθαι τῇσι νηυσὶ πανδημεί, τῷ θεῷ πειθομένους, ἅμα Ἑλλήνων τοῖσι βουλομένοισι.

Notes on the current edition

Histories

1. Silver, lead, and perhaps copper mines in Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica, from which the state drew an annual revenue. Apparently when this exceeded the usual amount the general public received a largess. Even if the population numbered 30,000 (cp. Hdt. 5.97 ) ten drachmae per head would be only 50 talents; far too small a sum for the building of 200 ships; Herodotus cannot mean more than that the +Lavrion [24.5,37.716] (inhabited place), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Laurium money was a contribution towards a ship-building fund.

Herodotus Histories 7.144

ed. A.D. Godley

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