Herodotus 4.48 grammar question

Greek Learning Greek
1

Ἴστρος μέν, ἐὼν μέγιστος ποταμῶν πάντων τῶν ἡμεῖς ἴδμεν, ἴσος αἰεὶ αὐτὸς ἑωυτῷ ῥέει καὶ θέρεος καὶ χειμῶνος, πρῶτος δὲ τὸ ἀπ᾽ ἑσπέρης τῶν ἐν τῇ Σκυθικῇ ῥέων κατὰ τοιόνδε μέγιστος γέγονε· ποταμῶν καὶ ἄλλων ἐς αὐτὸν ἐκδιδόντων [2] εἰσὶ δὴ οἵδε οἱ μέγαν αὐτὸν ποιεῦντες, διὰ μέν γε τῆς Σκυθικῆς χώρης πέντε μὲν οἱ ῥέοντες, τὸν τε Σκύθαι Πόρατα καλέουσι Ἑλλήνες δὲ Πυρετόν, καὶ ἄλλος Τιάραντος καὶ Ἄραρος τε καὶ Νάπαρις καὶ Ὀρδησσός.

I don’t understand the construction I’ve underlined, especially not the article τό and its function here. Is τὸ ἀπ᾽ ἑσπέρης accusative of respect, with perhaps a noun like μέρος implied? Thanks for any help.

2

Yes, just as you say, meaning it’s the most westerly of the Scythian rivers, lit. “and flowing first (i.e. foremost, in first place) as-to-the-from-west of the (rivers) in the Scythian (land) is the biggest by virtue of the following, …". I don’t think there’s need to understand any particular noun with το.

3

Could a ὅτι be used instead of τὸ?

4

Surely not. οτι would introduce a subordinate clause, and there isn’t one. το is limited to απ’εσπερας.

5

I wonder whether taking τὸ ἀπ᾽ ἑσπέρης together, τὸ limits the meaning of ἀπ᾽. I see that L&S gives the following entry for ἀπό:

  1. [select] with the Article, where the sense of motion often disappears, οἱ ἀ. τῶν οἰκιῶν φεύγουσιν, i.e. οἱ ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις φεύγουσιν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν, X.Cyr.7.5.23; οἱ ἀ. τῶν πύργων . . ἐπαρήξουσι ib.6.4.18; “αἴρειν τὰ ἀ. τῆς γῆς” Pl.Cra.410b; αἱ ἵπποι αἱ ἀ. τοῦ ἅρματος v.l. in Hdt.4.8; “ὁ Ἀθηναῖος ὁ ἀ. τοῦ στρατεύματος” X.An.7.2.19; “τὸν ἀ. γραμμᾶς κινεῖ λίθον” Theoc.6.18"
6

Thanks.

7

Glad to see you’re persisting in reading the Histories, Paul.
I was distracted by Real Life & Latin (in that order) these last few weeks, but I’m picking up the threads again: still some way to go in book I and then I’m off to Egypt!
Since Asheri covers only the first four books, what will you use from book V onwards commentarywise?