Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 175

CHRISTOPHER BARON

University of Notre Dame

Herodotus refers (3.26.1) to “Samians said to be of the Aeschrionian tribe (phylē)” who inhabit OASIS—also called ISLAND OF THE BLESSED—in the DESERT west of Egyptian THEBES, a seven days’ march. These Samians may have ended up at this desert outpost after serving as MERCENARIES for the Cyrenean king ARCESILAUS III c. 530 BCE (4.163–64; Shipley 1987, 106). The Greek term Herodotus uses, phylē, normally means “tribe,” but scholars think it more likely to refer to a clan (genos) in this and other instances. Herodotus’ mention of this group in this context could reveal a Samian source for the story of the failed Persian attack on the Ammonians under CAMBYSES (II). The tribal name is not attested at SAMOS; Aeschrion as a personal name occurs three times in later periods (LGPN I, 21 s.v. Αἰσχρίων (24–26)).

SEE ALSO: Ammon; Cyrene; Egypt; Family; Sources for Herodotus