Ἄγειν καὶ φέρειν
to plunder and to pillage
Translated by William Hutton22 Oct 2000Vetting: high9 revisions
Translation
Marauding and despoiling. But a)/gein [can mean], without distinction, both to carry away things, even from dead bodies, and to gather [them].1
"When [Baian] crossed to the land opposite the stream, immediately he set fire to the villages of the Slavs and laid waste to their fields. He plundered and pillaged everything, and at that point none of the barbarians there dared to come to blows with him; instead they took refuge in the most overgrown and sheltered parts of the woods".2
"When [Baian] crossed to the land opposite the stream, immediately he set fire to the villages of the Slavs and laid waste to their fields. He plundered and pillaged everything, and at that point none of the barbarians there dared to come to blows with him; instead they took refuge in the most overgrown and sheltered parts of the woods".2
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἄγειν καὶ φέρειν· τὸ λῃστεύειν καὶ ἁρπάζειν. ἄγειν δὲ καὶ ἀπάγειν χρήματα καὶ ἐπὶ ἀψύχων καὶ κομίζειν ἀδιαφόρως. ὁ δὲ ἐπεὶ ἐπεραιώθη ἐς τὸ κατ' ἀντικρὺ τοῦ ῥείθρου, παραχρῆμα τάς τε κώμας ἐνεπίμπρα τῶν Σκλαβηνῶν καὶ ἐσίνετο τοὺς ἀγροὺς, ἦγέ τε καὶ ἔφερεν ἅπαντα, οὐδενός πω τῶν ἐκεῖσε βαρβάρων θαρρήσαντός οἱ εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, εἰς τὰ λάσια καὶ κατηρεφῆ τῆς ὕλης καταπεφευγότων.
Betacode
*)/agein kai\ fe/rein: to\ lh|steu/ein kai\ a(rpa/zein. a)/gein de\ kai\ a)pa/gein xrh/mata kai\ e)pi\ a)yu/xwn kai\ komi/zein a)diafo/rws. o( de\ e)pei\ e)peraiw/qh e)s to\ kat' a)ntikru\ tou= r(ei/qrou, paraxrh=ma ta/s te kw/mas e)nepi/mpra tw=n *sklabhnw=n kai\ e)si/neto tou\s a)grou\s, h)=ge/ te kai\ e)/feren a(/panta, ou)deno/s pw tw=n e)kei=se barba/rwn qarrh/santo/s oi( ei)s xei=ras e)lqei=n, ei)s ta\ la/sia kai\ kathrefh= th=s u(/lhs katapefeugo/twn.
Notes (1)
- [1] Same or similar material in other lexica; references at Photius alpha139 Theodoridis. For the idiom, see also alpha 293 and epsilon 427.↩
- 2Part of Menander Protector fr. 21 Blockley (192-195). For the Slavs (Sklavenoi) see generally sigma 634. In 578 the Avar khan Baian (Baianos, ruled ?561-582/585; cf. PLRE IIIa s.v. Baianus) crossed the Danube and attacked Slav villages in Scythia (cf. sigma 704 generally); cf. Blockley (280 notes 260-262). See the preceding line (in part) of this fragment at alpha 1756.
References
R.C. Blockley, ed. and trans., The History of Menander the Guardsman, (Cambridge 1985)
J.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. IIIa, (Cambridge, 1992)
J.R. Martindale, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. IIIa, (Cambridge, 1992)
Linked from8 entries
- α293Ἀγομένων τῶν ἡμετέρωνour [possessions] being led offMeaning them being snatched and being looted. "[They] leading and carrying, in every form plundering and ravaging the land." And elsewhere: "since no one was defending, they went on leading and carrying with great…
- α1756Ἀμφιπρύμναιςdouble-sternedA type of ships. "He prepared to enter the Istros again in those of his ships which were double-sterned".
- α1841Ἀνάγραπτονrecorded[Meaning] that which is written up or written clearly or known to everyone. "[...] and ordering them to obey the Avars and have themselves recorded for payment of tribute."
- α2323Ἀνεσόβησανthey roused up[Meaning] they incited. "The Avars, through having harsh and bombastic spirits, roused up strife against the others reciprocally".
- α2454Ἀνιδιτὶeffortlessly, sweatlessly[Meaning] without sweat. "For he [sc. the Avar khan] did not subdue these townships effortlessly and carelessly." And elsewhere: "the soldiers of Cyrus were not ordered to breakfast without [having had] a sweat, so as…
- ε427Ἐκείνῃthere, in that placeThe things there. "[...] to invade the Parthian territory and to loot everything there and to provide food for the army."
- ε995Ἔμπαλινback, backwards[Meaning] opposite; or in reverse. "He prepared to go back across the Ister, having ferried the barbarian horde across in the so-called small merchant-ships."
- ε2560Ἐπισεῖσαιto threaten[Meaning] to impose. "They were urging [them] not to threaten them with a more serious danger". And elsewhere: "[he] having threatened every kind of deceit against the petitioners." Meaning having imposed.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history9 revisions · last 31 Jul 2024
- added cross-reference n.2 — Ronald Allen
- expanded n.2, added bibliography and cross-references — Ronald Allen
- cosmeticule — Catharine Roth
- cross-references — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- tweaked tr; augmented and updated notes; more keywords — David Whitehead
- another keyword — David Whitehead
- added x-ref and keyword — David Whitehead
- added note; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — William Hutton