- Source
- Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.155.1-1.155.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Upon hearing of the rebellion in Sardis, Cyrus contemplates reducing the Lydians to slavery, but Croesus advises him to spare them and instead prevent future revolts through disarmament and cultural changes.
πυθόμενος δὲ κατʼ ὁδὸν ταῦτα ὁ Κῦρος εἶπε πρὸς Κροῖσον τάδε. Κροῖσε, τί ἔσται τέλος τῶν γινομένων τούτων ἐμοί; οὐ παύσονται Λυδοί, ὡς οἴκασι, πρήγματα παρέχοντες καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔχοντες. φροντίζω μὴ ἄριστον ᾖ1 ἐξανδραποδίσασθαι σφέας. ὁμοίως γὰρ μοι νῦν γε φαίνομαι πεποιηκέναι ὡς εἴ τις πατέρα ἀποκτείνας τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ φείσατο·2
On learning these things on his way, Cyrus said to Croesus: “Croesus, what will be the end of these things happening to me? The Lydians, as it seems, will not cease from causing trouble and having trouble themselves. I am afraid that it may be best to reduce them to slavery. For now I seem to have done just as if someone, having killed a father, spared his children;
ὡς δὲ καὶ ἐγὼ Λυδῶν τὸν μὲν πλέον τι ἢ πατέρα ἐόντα σὲ λαβὼν ἄγω, αὐτοῖσι δὲ Λυδοῖσι τὴν πόλιν παρέδωκα, καὶ ἔπειτα θωμάζω εἰ μοι ἀπεστᾶσι. ὃ μὲν δὴ τά περ ἐνόεε ἔλεγε, ὃ δʼ ἀμείβετο τοῖσιδε, δείσας μὴ ἀναστάτους ποιήσῃ τὰς Σάρδις.
since I too am leading you away, who are something more than a father to the Lydians, while I have handed over the city to the Lydians themselves, and then I wonder why they revolt from me.” He, indeed, spoke what he had in mind; but the other answered with these words, fearing lest Cyrus should destroy Sardis:
ὦ βασιλεῦ, τὰ μὲν οἰκότα εἴρηκας, σὺ μέντοι μὴ πάντα θυμῷ χρέο, μηδὲ πόλιν ἀρχαίην ἐξαναστήσῃς ἀναμάρτητον ἐοῦσαν καὶ τῶν πρότερον καὶ τῶν νῦν ἑστεώτων.3 τὰ μὲν γὰρ πρότερον ἐγώ τε ἔπρηξα καὶ ἐγὼ κεφαλῇ ἀναμάξας φέρω·4 τὰ δὲ νῦν παρεόντα Πακτύης γὰρ ἐστὶ ὁ ἀδικέων, τῷ σὺ ἐπέτρεψας Σάρδις, οὗτος δότω τοι δίκην.
”O King, you have spoken what is natural, yet do not indulge your anger in all things, nor destroy an ancient city that is innocent of both the past and the present circumstances. For the past events, I myself did them and I bear the responsibility on my own head; but as for the present, since Pactyes is the one who does wrong, to whom you entrusted Sardis, let him pay the penalty to you.
Λυδοῖσι δὲ συγγνώμην ἔχων τάδε αὐτοῖσι ἐπίταξον, ὡς μήτε ἀποστέωσι μήτε δεινοί τοι ἔωσι· ἄπειπε μέν σφι πέμψας ὅπλα ἀρήια μὴ ἐκτῆσθαι, κέλευε δὲ σφέας κιθῶνάς τε ὑποδύνειν τοῖσι εἵμασι καὶ κοθόρνους ὑποδέεσθαι, πρόειπε δʼ αὐτοῖσι κιθαρίζειν τε καὶ ψάλλειν καὶ καπηλεύειν παιδεύειν τοὺς παῖδας. καὶ ταχέως σφέας ὦ βασιλεῦ γυναῖκας ἀντʼ ἀνδρῶν ὄψεαι γεγονότας, ὥστε οὐδὲν δεινοί τοι ἔσονται μὴ ἀποστέωσι.5
Show clemency to the Lydians and lay these commands upon them, so that they will neither revolt nor be a danger to you: send and forbid them to possess weapons of war, and command them to wear tunics under their cloaks and to put on buskins, and proclaim to them to train their sons to play the cithara and the harp, and to be retail traders. And quickly, O King, you will see them become women instead of men, so that you will have no fear of their revolting.”
- 1.155.1φροντίζω μὴ ἄριστον ᾖ
An object clause introduced by μή after the verb of concern φροντίζω, using the subjunctive ᾖ to express apprehension that an undesirable outcome may occur.
- 1.155.1ὡς εἴ τις πατέρα ἀποκτείνας τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ φείσατο
The conjunction ὡς εἰ followed by the aorist indicative φείσατο, representing a hypothetical situation as if it were a real past occurrence.
- 1.155.3ἀναμάρτητον ἐοῦσαν καὶ τῶν πρότερον καὶ τῶν νῦν ἑστεώτων
ἑστεώτων is the Ionic dialectal form of ἑστηκότων (perfect active participle of ἵστημι). The genitives are objective genitives governed by the adjective ἀναμάρτητος ("innocent of...").
- 1.155.3κεφαλῇ ἀναμάξας φέρω
Literally "having wiped it onto my head I bear it." Derived from the ancient practice (ἀναμάσσω) of wiping off blood or guilt onto someone's (or one's own) head, here used idiomatically to mean bearing the full responsibility of an action.
- 1.155.4ὥστε οὐδὲν δεινοί τοι ἔσονται μὴ ἀποστέωσι
A construction where δεινοί (dreaded, feared) is followed by μή with the subjunctive (ἀποστέωσι) expressing apprehension or precaution, meaning "so that there will be no fear of their revolting."