Herodotus Book One Translation

Transcript

1 Herodotus Book One Translation Translated and Annotated by David Gravolet ταῦτα ἀµείψατο: ἀποχρεωµένων δὲ τούτοισι τῶν Μυσῶν, ἐπεσέρχεται ὁ τοῦ Κροίσου παῖς ἀκηκοὼς τῶν ἐδέοντο οἱ Μυσοί. οὐ φαµένου δὲ τοῦ Κροίσου τόν γε παῖδά σφι συµπέµψειν, λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ νεηνίης τάδε. ὦ πάτερ, τὰ κάλλιστα πρότερον κοτὲ καὶ γενναιότατα ἡµῖν ἦν ἔς τε πολέµους καὶ ἐς ἄγρας φοιτέοντας εὐδοκιµέειν: νῦν δὲ ἀµφοτέρων µε τούτων ἀποκληίσας ἔχεις, οὔτε τινὰ δειλίην µοι παριδὼν οὔτε ἀθυµίην νῦν τε τέοισί µε χρὴ ὄµµασι ἔς τε ἀγορὴν καὶ ἐξ ἀγορῆς φοιτέοντα φαίνεσθαι; He replied these things: The Mysians being content with these things, the child of Croesus comes in, having heard the things which the Mysians asked. Croesus saying he would not send his child to them, the young man says these things to him. "O father, once before it was most beautiful and most noble for us to be well-reputed going to both wars and hunts: Now from both of those you have shut me out, having seen neither any cowardice nor any lack of heart in me. And now with what eyes is it right for me, going to the marketplace and from the marketplace, to be seen? ἀποχρεωµένων - Pres. pass. part. m. gen. pl., Gen. Abs. ἐπεσέρχεται - Pres. dep. 3rd sg. indic. ἀκηκοὼς - Perf. act. part. m. nom. sg., takes gen. φαµένου - Pres. act. part. m. gen. sg., Gen. Abs. συµπέµψειν - Fut. act. inf. φοιτέοντας - Pres. act. part. m. acc. pl. εὐδοκιµέειν - Pres. act. inf. ἀποκληίσας ἔχεις - ἐχω + part. = "have/has [participle]" ἀποκληίσας, παριδὼν - Aor. act. part. m. nom. sg. ὄµµασι - Dat. of means φοιτέοντα - Pres. act. part. m. acc. sg. φαίνεσθαι - Pres. pass. inf. κοῖος µέν τις τοῖσι πολιήτῃσι δόξω εἶναι, κοῖος δέ τις τῇ νεογάµῳ γυναικί; κοίῳ δὲ ἐκείνη δόξει ἀνδρὶ συνοικέειν; ἐµὲ ὦν σὺ ἢ µέτες ἰέναι ἐπὶ τὴν θήρην, ἢ λόγῳ ἀνάπεισον ὅκως µοι ἀµείνω ἐστὶ ταῦτα οὕτω ποιεόµενα. ἀµείβεται Κροῖσος τοῖσιδε. ὦ παῖ, οὔτε δειλίην οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἄχαρι παριδών, τοι ποιέω ταῦτα, ἀλλά µοι ὄψις ὀνείρου ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ ἐπιστᾶσα ἔφη σε ὀλιγοχρόνιον ἔσεσθαι: ὑπὸ γὰρ αἰχµῆς σιδηρέης ἀπολέεσθαι. Whatever sort of man will I seem to be to those citizens, whatever sort of man (will I seem to be) to my newly married wife? With what sort of man will that woman seem to live together? Therefore either release me to go to the chase, or convince me with a word that these things, being done thus, are better for me." Croesus replies with these things. "O child, having seen neither cowardice nor another unpleasant thing, I do these things to you, but the vision of a dream, having stood over me in my sleep, said that you would be short-lived: For you will be killed by an iron spear. δόξω - Fut. indic. 1st sg. νεογάµῳ - Fem. dat. sg., adjective has only masculine/neuter forms µέτες - Aor. act. imperative sg. ἀνάπεισον - Aor. act. imperative sg. ποιεόµενα - Pres. pass. part. n. acc. pl. παριδὼν - Aor. act. part. m. nom. sg. ἐπιστᾶσα - Aor. act. part. f. nom. sg. ἔσεσθαι - Fut. inf. ἀπολέεσθαι - Fut. pass. inf. πρὸς ὧν τὴν ὄψιν ταύτην τόν τε γάµον τοι τοῦτον ἔσπευσα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ παραλαµβανόµενα οὐκ ἀποπέµπω, φυλακὴν ἔχων, εἴ κως δυναίµην ἐπὶ τῆς ἐµῆς σε ζόης διακλέψαι. εἷς γὰρ µοι µοῦνος τυγχάνεις ἐὼν παῖς: τὸν γὰρ δὴ ἕτερον διεφθαρµένον τὴν ἀκοὴν οὐκ εἶναί µοι λογίζοµαι. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 1

2 ἀµείβεται ὁ νεηνίης τοῖσιδε. συγγνώµη µὲν ὦ πάτερ τοι, ἰδόντι γε ὄψιν τοιαύτην, περὶ ἐµὲ φυλακὴν ἔχειν: τὸ δὲ οὐ µανθάνεις ἀλλὰ λέληθέ σε τὸ ὄνειρον, ἐµέ τοί δίκαιον ἐστί φράζειν. And so regarding this dream, I hastened this marriage for you, and I do not send you away to things undertaken, having guard, if in some way I might be able to steal you from death in my life. For you happen to be my one and only child: For indeed I consider the other one, having been ruined in his hearing, not to be mine." The young man replies with these things. "O father, there is forgiveness for you, having seen such a dream, to hold guard around me: And this dream which you do not understand but which has escaped your notice, it is right for me to point it out to you. ἔσπευσα - Aor. act. 1st sg. indic. ἀποπέµπω - Pres. act. 1st sg. indic. δυναίµην - Aor. mid. opt. 2st sg. διακλέψαι - Aor. act. inf. τυγχάνεις ἐὼν - τυγχανω + part. = "happen to [participle]" διεφθαρµένον - Perf. pass. part. m. acc. sg. ἀκοὴν - Acc. of respect µοι - Dat. of possession ἰδόντι - Aor. act. part. m. dat. sg. λέληθέ - Perf. indic. act. 3rd sg. φής τοι τὸ ὄνειρον ὑπὸ αἰχµῆς σιδηρέης φάναι ἐµὲ τελευτήσειν. ὑὸς δὲ κοῖαι µὲν εἰσὶ χεῖρες, κοίη δὲ αἰχµὴ σιδηρέη τὴν σὺ φοβέαι; εἰ µὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ ὀδόντος τοι εἶπε τελευτήσειν µε, ἢ ἄλλου τευ ὅ τι τούτῳ ἔοικε, χρῆν δή σε ποιέειν τὰ ποιέεις: νῦν δὲ ὑπὸ αἰχµῆς. ἐπείτε ὦν οὐ πρὸς ἄνδρας ἡµῖν γίνεται ἡ µάχη, µέτες µε. ἀµείβεται Κροῖσος ὦ παῖ, ἔστι τῇ µε νικᾷς γνώµην ἀποφαίνων περὶ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου. ὡς ὦν νενικηµένος ὑπὸ σέο µεταγινώσκω, µετίηµί τε σὲ ἰέναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἄγρην. You say that a dream said to you that I would perish by an iron spear point. On the one hand, what sort of hands are a boar's, on the other, what sort of iron spear which you fear (is a boar's)? For if it said to you that I would die by a tusk, or by something else which was like this thing, it would be necessary for you to do what things you are doing: or (if I would die) now by a spear. Since a battle is not thus happening for us against men, let me go." Croesus replies, "O child, this is how you defeat me, making clear your opinion about the dream. Therefore, insofar as having been defeated by you, I change my mind, and I release you to go to the chase. φάναι - Aor. inf. act. τελευτήσειν - Fut. inf. act. ἔοικε - Perf. 3rd sg. indic. act. µέτες - Aor. act. imperative sg. νικᾷς - 2nd sg. pres. indic. act., contracted from νικαεις ἀποφαίνων - Pres. act. part. m. nom. sg. νενικηµένος - Perf. pass. part. m. nom. sg. εἴπας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Κροῖσος µεταπέµπεται τὸν Φρύγα Ἄδρηστον, ἀπικοµένῳ δέ οἱ λέγει τάδε. Ἄδρηστε, ἐγώ σε συµφορῇ, πεπληγµένον ἀχάρι, τήν τοι οὐκ ὀνειδίζω, ἐκάθηρα καὶ οἰκίοισι ὑποδεξάµενος ἔχω, παρέχων πᾶσαν δαπάνην. νῦν ὤν (ὀφείλεις γὰρ ἐµοῦ προποιήσαντος χρηστὰ ἐς σὲ χρηστοῖσί µε ἀµείβεσθαι) φύλακα παιδός σε τοῦ ἐµοῦ χρηίζω γενέσθαι ἐς ἄγρην ὁρµωµένου, µή τινες κατ ὁδὸν κλῶπες κακοῦργοι ἐπὶ δηλήσι φανέωσι ὑµῖν. And having said these things, Croesus summons Adrastus the Phrygian, and he says these things to him having arrived. "Adrastus, I purified you, struck by graceless misfortune, for which I do not rebuke you, and I have received you in my houses, supplying every cost. Since, with me having done good things to you, now thus you ought to repay me with good things, I request that you be a guard of my child setting out to the chase, lest some mischievous thieves appear along the way for your ruin. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 2

3 εἴπας - Aor. act. part. m. nom. sg. ἀπικοµένῳ - Aor. act. part. m. dat. sg. πεπληγµένον - Perf. pass. part. m. acc. sg. ἐκάθηρα - Aor. indic. act. 1st sg. ὑποδεξάµενος ἔχω - ἐχω + part. = "have/has [part.]" παρέχων - Pres. act. part. m. nom. sg. προποιήσαντος - Perf. act. part. m. gen. sg., Gen. Abs. γενέσθαι - Aor. inf. ὁρµωµένου - Pres. act. part. m. gen. sg., contracted from ὀρµαοµενου φανέωσι - Fut. act. subj. 3rd pl. indic. ὑµῖν - Dat. of disadvantage πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ καὶ σέ τοι χρεόν ἐστι ἰέναι ἔνθα ἀπολαµπρυνέαι τοῖσι χρεόν πατρώιόν τε γάρ τοι ἐστὶ καὶ προσέτι ῥώµη ὑπάρχει. ἀµείβεται ὁ Ἄδρηστος ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἄλλως µὲν ἔγωγε ἂν οὐκ ἤια ἐς ἄεθλον τοιόνδε: οὔτε γὰρ συµφορῇ τοιῇδε κεχρηµένον οἰκός ἐστι ἐς ὁµήλικας εὖ πρήσσοντας ἰέναι, οὔτε τὸ βούλεσθαι πάρα, πολλαχῇ τε ἂν ἶσχον ἐµεωυτόν. And in addition to this it is also right for you to go where you become famous by these deeds for it is both ancestral for you, and moreover your bodily strength is beginning." Adrastus replies, "O king, otherwise I would not go to such a task, for it is reasonable neither for one experienced in such misfortune to go among comrades doing well nor to wish for this thing in addition, in many ways I would restrain myself. ἀπολαµπρυνέαι - Pres. indic. dep. 2nd sg. ἔγωγε = ἐγω + γε κεχρηµένον - Perf. pass. part. m. acc. sg. πρήσσοντας - Pres. act. part. m. acc. pl. βούλεσθαι - Pres. dep. inf. ἶσχον - Imperf. indic. act. 1st sg. νῦν δέ, ἐπείτε σὺ σπεύδεις καὶ δεῖ τοί χαρίζεσθαι (ὀφείλω γάρ σε ἀµείβεσθαι χρηστοῖσι), ποιέειν εἰµὶ ἕτοιµος ταῦτα, παῖδα τε σόν, τὸν διακελεύεαι φυλάσσειν, ἀπήµονα τοῦ φυλάσσοντος εἵνεκεν προσδόκα τοι ἀπονοστήσειν. τοιούτοισι ἐπείτε οὗτος ἀµείψατο Κροῖσον, ἤισαν µετὰ ταῦτα ἐξηρτυµένοι λογάσι τε νεηνίῃσι καὶ κυσί. ἀπικόµενοι δὲ ἐς τὸν Ὄλυµπον τὸ ὄρος ἐζήτεον τὸ θηρίον, εὑρόντες δὲ καὶ περιστάντες αὐτὸ κύκλῳ ἐσηκόντιζον. ἔνθα δὴ ὁ ξεῖνος, οὗτος δὴ ὁ καθαρθεὶς τὸν φόνον, καλεόµενος δὲ Ἄδρηστος, ἀκοντίζων τὸν ὗν τοῦ µὲν ἁµαρτάνει, τυγχάνει δὲ τοῦ Κροίσου παιδός. But now, since you are eager and it is right for me to do a favor for you (for I ought to answer you with good things), I am ready to do these things, expect your child, whom you bid me to guard, to return unharmed on account of the one guarding him." When this man answered Croesus with such things, they went after these things, having prepared themselves with both picked young men and dogs. And having arrived to Olympus the mountain, they sought the beast, and having found it and having stood around it in a circle, they hurled spears at it. Just then the stranger, this man indeed having been purified from murder and called Adrastus, hurling a spear at the boar, on the one hand misses it but on the other hand hits the child of Croesus. χαρίζεσθαι, ἀµείβεσθαι - Pres. dep. inf. ποιέειν, φυλάσσειν - Pres. act. inf. προσδόκα - Pres. act. imperative sg., contracted from προσδοκαε φυλάσσοντος - Pres. act. part. m. gen. sg. ἀπονοστήσειν - Aor. act. inf. ἐξηρτυµένοι - Aor. mid. part. m. nom. pl. ἀπικόµενοι - Aor. dep. part. m. nom. pl. ἐζήτεον, ἐσηκόντιζον - Syllab. aug. imperf. indic. act. 3rd pl. εὑρόντες, περιστάντες - Aor. act. part. m. nom. pl. καθαρθεὶς - Aor. pass. part. m. nom. sg. φόνον - Acc. of respect καλεόµενος - Pres. pass. part. m. nom. sg. ἀκοντίζων - Pres. act. part. m. nom. sg. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 3

4 ὃ µὲν δὴ βληθεὶς τῇ αἰχµῇ ἐξέπλησε τοῦ ὀνείρου τὴν φήµην, ἔθεε δέ τις ἀγγελέων τῷ Κροίσῳ τὸ γεγονός, ἀπικόµενος δὲ ἐς τὰς Σάρδις τὴν τε µάχην καὶ τὸν τοῦ παιδὸς µόρον ἐσήµηνέ οἱ. ὁ δὲ Κροῖσος τῳ θανάτῳ τοῦ παιδὸς συντεταραγµένος µᾶλλον τι ἐδεινολογέετο ὅτι µιν ἀπέκτεινε τὸν αὐτὸς φόνου ἐκάθηρε: περιηµεκτέων δὲ τῇ συµφορῇ δεινῶς ἐκάλεε µὲν Δία καθάρσιον µαρτυρόµενος τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ ξείνου πεπονθὼς εἴη ἐκάλεε δὲ ἐπίστιόν τε καὶ ἑταιρήιον, τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον ὀνοµάζων θεόν, τὸν µὲν ἐπίστιον καλέων, διότι δὴ οἰκίοισι ὑποδεξάµενος τὸν ξεῖνον φονέα τοῦ παιδὸς ἐλάνθανε βόσκων, τὸν δὲ ἑταιρήιον, ὡς φύλακα συµπέµψας αὐτὸν εὑρήκοι πολεµιώτατον. And he, indeed having been hit by a spear, fulfilled the report of the dream, and someone rushed to announce to Croesus what happened, and having arrived to Sardis, he pointed out to him both the fight and the death of his son. And Croesus, distressed by the death of his child, furthermore complained loudly because the man whom he himself purified from murder killed him: And greatly aggrieved by the misfortune, he fiercely called Zeus of purification, calling to witness the things that he suffered from the stranger, and he called both the protector of the hearth and the protector of friendship, naming this same god, and calling the protector of the hearth because indeed having received the stranger in his houses, he inadverdently nourished the murderer of his child, and (calling) the protector of friendship, since having sent him along as a guard, he found him most hostile. βληθεὶς - Aor. pass. part. m. nom. sg. ἐξέπλησε -Syllab. aug. 3rd sg. aor. indic. act. ἔθεε - Syllab. aug. imperf. 3rd sg. indic. act. ἀγγελέων - Fut. act. part. m. nom. sg., expresses purpose γεγονός - Perf. part. n. acc. sg. ἀπικόµενος - Aor. dep. part. m. nom. sg. συντεταραγµένος - Perf. pass. part. m. nom. sg. ἐδεινολογέετο - Imperf. indic. dep. 3rd sg. ἀπέκτεινε - 3rd sg. imperf. indic. act. φόνου - Gen. of separation ἐκάθηρα - Aor. indic. act. 3rd sg. περιηµεκτέων - Pres. part. m. nom. sg. µαρτυρόµενος - Pres. dep. part. m. nom. sg. πεπονθὼς εἴη - Perf. act. part. m. nom. sg. + opt. for perfect periphrastic opt. ὀνοµάζων, καλέων - Pres. act. part. m. nom. sg. ὑποδεξάµενος - Aor. dep. part. m. nom. sg. ἐλάνθανε βόσκων - λανθανω + part. = "inadverdently [part.]" συµπέµψας - Aor. act. part. m. nom. sg. εὑρήκοι - Perf. opt. 3rd sg. act. In a big family the first child is kind of like the first pancake. If it's not perfect, that's okay, there are a lot more coming along. Antonin Scalia Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 4

5 παρῆσαν δὲ µετὰ τοῦτο οἱ Λυδοὶ φέροντες τὸν νεκρόν, ὄπισθε δὲ εἵπετό οἱ ὁ φονεύς. στὰς δὲ οὗτος πρὸ τοῦ νεκροῦ παρεδίδου ἑωυτὸν Κροίσῳ προτείνων τὰς χεῖρας, ἐπικατασφάξαι µιν κελεύων τῷ νεκρῷ, λέγων τήν τε προτέρην ἑωυτοῦ συµφορήν, καὶ ὡς ἐπ ἐκείνῃ τὸν καθήραντα ἀπολωλεκὼς εἴη, οὐδέ οἱ εἴη βιώσιµον. Κροῖσος δὲ τούτων ἀκούσας τόν τε Ἄδρηστον κατοικτείρει, καίπερ ἐὼν ἐν κακῷ οἰκηίῳ τοσούτῳ καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν ἔχω ὦ ξεῖνε παρὰ σεῦ πᾶσαν τὴν δίκην, ἐπειδὴ σεωυτοῦ καταδικάζεις θάνατον. εἶς δὲ οὐ σύ µοι τοῦδε τοῦ κακοῦ αἴτιος, εἰ µὴ ὅσον ἀέκων ἐξεργάσαο, ἀλλὰ θεῶν κού τις, ὅς µοι καὶ πάλαι προεσήµαινε τὰ µέλλοντα ἔσεσθαι. And after this the Lydians were present, bearing his corpse, behind the murderer followed him. And this man, having stood in front of the body, handed himself over to Croesu, holding out his hands, ordering him to slay him over the corpse, speaking about his earlier misfortune and that he has in this destroyed the one having purified him, and not for him is it worth living. And Croesus, having heard these things, shows Adrastus mercy, although being in such great family evil, and he says to him, "O stranger, I have every justice from you since indeed you condemn yourself to death. And you are not culpable to me for this bad thing, except insofar as you accomplished it unwilling, but someone of the gods, I suppose, who revealed to me long ago the things that would be about to be. φέροντες - Pres. act. part. m. nom. pl. εἵπετό - Temp. aug. imperf. 3rd sg. indic. act. στὰς - Aor. act. part. m. nom. sg. προτείνων, κελεύων, λέγων - Pres. act. part. m. nom. sg. ἀπολωλεκὼς εἴη - Perf. act. part. m. nom. sg. + opt. for perfect periphrastic opt. καθήραντα - Aor. act. part. m. acc. sg. ἀκούσας - Aor. act. part. m. nom. sg. καταδικάζεις - Pres. indic. act. 2nd sg. ἐξεργάσαο - Aor. indic. dep. 2nd sg. µέλλοντα - Pres. part. n. acc. pl. Κροῖσος µέν νυν ἔθαψε ὡς οἰκὸς ἦν τὸν ἑωυτοῦ παῖδα: Ἄδρηστος δὲ ὁ Γορδίεω τοῦ Μίδεω, οὗτος δὴ ὁ φονεὺς µὲν τοῦ ἑωυτοῦ ἀδελφεοῦ γενόµενος φονεὺς δὲ τοῦ καθήραντος, ἐπείτε ἡσυχίη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐγένετο περὶ τὸ σῆµα, συγγινωσκόµενος ἀνθρώπων εἶναι τῶν αὐτὸς ᾔδεε βαρυσυµφορώτατος, ἐπικατασφάζει τῷ τύµβῳ ἑωυτόν. Croesus now buried his son as was reasonable: And Adrastus, the son of Gordias, son of Midas, this man indeed having become on the one hand the murderer of his brother, on the other hand the murderer of the man having purified him, when silence of men was around the tomb, acknowledging himself to be the most ill-fated of men of whom he knew, slays himself on the tomb. ἔθαψε - Aor. indic. act. 3rd sg. Γορδίεω, Μίδεω - Patronymics γενόµενος - Aor. dep. part. m. nom. sg. καθήραντος - Aor. act. part. m. gen. sg. ἐγένετο - Syllab. aug. aor. 3rd sg. indic. συγγινωσκόµενος - Pres. mid. part. m. nom. sg. ἀνθρώπων - Partitive gen. ἐπικατασφάζει - Pres. indic. act. 3rd sg. Available at dgdissemination.wordpress.com 5