In the writings of the
Ancient GreekAncient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic , Classical , and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece and the ancient world. It is predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
chronicler
HerodotusHerodotus of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC and is regarded as the "Father of History" in Western culture. He was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, the
phraseIn grammar, a phrase is a group of words functioning as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence.For example, the house at the end of the street is a phrase. It acts like a noun. It can further be broken down into two shorter phrases functioning as adjectives: at the end and of the street, a...
earth and water (
ge kai hydor) is used to represent the demand of the Persians from the cities or people who surrendered to them.
In book 4, Herodotus mentions for the first time the term
earth and water in the answer of king Idanthyrsos of the Scythians to king
DariusThe boy's name Darius \d-rius\ is pronounced da-RYE-us, DARE-ee-us. Etymologically it is an Iranian word with Greek s, and its meaning is "he possesses; rich, kingly"....
.
In book 5, it is reported that Darius sent heralds demanding
earth and water from king Amyntas I of
MacedonMacedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paionia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south...
.
In the 6th book, Darius sent heralds throughout Hellas bidding them demand
earth and water for the king.
The demand for
earth and water symbolized that those surrendering to Persians gave up all their rights over their land and every product of the land.
In the writings of the
Ancient GreekAncient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic , Classical , and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece and the ancient world. It is predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
chronicler
HerodotusHerodotus of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC and is regarded as the "Father of History" in Western culture. He was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, the
phraseIn grammar, a phrase is a group of words functioning as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence.For example, the house at the end of the street is a phrase. It acts like a noun. It can further be broken down into two shorter phrases functioning as adjectives: at the end and of the street, a...
earth and water (
ge kai hydor) is used to represent the demand of the Persians from the cities or people who surrendered to them.
Usage in Herodotus' histories
In book 4, Herodotus mentions for the first time the term
earth and water in the answer of king Idanthyrsos of the Scythians to king
DariusThe boy's name Darius \d-rius\ is pronounced da-RYE-us, DARE-ee-us. Etymologically it is an Iranian word with Greek s, and its meaning is "he possesses; rich, kingly"....
.
In book 5, it is reported that Darius sent heralds demanding
earth and water from king Amyntas I of
MacedonMacedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paionia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south...
.
In the 6th book, Darius sent heralds throughout Hellas bidding them demand
earth and water for the king.
Interpretation
The demand for
earth and water symbolized that those surrendering to Persians gave up all their rights over their land and every product of the land. Giving
earth and water they recognized the Persian authority over everything; even their lives belonged to the king of Persians. Then negotiations would take place to specify the obligations and the benefits of the
liegemenA vassal in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of medieval Europe, is one who enters into mutual obligations with a monarch, usually of military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain guarantees, which came to include the terrain held as a fief. By...
.
The phrase
earth and water, even in modern
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
, symbolizes unconditional subordination to a conqueror.
According to the modern historian J. M. Balcer, the significance of earth and water is that they were
ZoroastrianA Zoroastrian is an adherent to Zoroastrianism, the first monotheistic religion that is based on the teachings and philosophies of Zoroaster....
symbols and representative of vassalage to the Persian Empire. "Persian heralds traveled throughout Greece demanding the recognition of Persian Suzerainty and the Zoroastrian symbols of earth and water, the marks of vassalage...".
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