- 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-grc2:1.206.1-1.206.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-02
Tomyris sends a messenger to Cyrus, advising him to cease his campaign and rule his own land. Alternatively, she offers two options for battle: either he crosses into her territory or she enters his. Cyrus consults the Persian nobles, who agree on receiving the enemy into their own country.
ἔχοντι δέ οἱ τοῦτον τὸν πόνον1 πέμψασα ἡ Τόμυρις κήρυκα ἔλεγε τάδε. ὦ βασιλεῦ Μήδων, παῦσαι σπεύδων2 τὰ σπεύδεις· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἰδείης εἴ τοι ἐς καιρὸν ἔσται ταῦτα τελεόμενα· παυσάμενος δὲ βασίλευε τῶν σεωυτοῦ, καὶ ἡμέας ἀνέχευ ὁρέων3 ἄρχοντας τῶν περ ἄρχομεν.
While he was engaged in this labor, Tomyris sent a herald to him with this message: “O king of the Medes, cease to strive after what you are striving after; for you cannot know whether these things, when accomplished, will turn out to your advantage. Cease, and rule your own people, and endure to look upon us ruling those whom we rule.
οὔκων ἐθελήσεις ὑποθήκῃσι τῇσιδε χρᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντως μᾶλλον ἢ διʼ ἡσυχίης εἶναι·4 σὺ δὴ εἰ μεγάλως προθυμέαι Μασσαγετέων πειρηθῆναι, φέρε μόχθον μὲν τὸν ἔχεις ζευγνὺς τὸν ποταμὸν ἄπες, σὺ δὲ ἡμέων ἀναχωρησάντων ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τριῶν ἡμερέων ὁδὸν διάβαινε ἐς τὴν ἡμετέρην·
But since you will not be willing to follow these counsels, but prefer anything rather than to remain at peace, if you are exceedingly eager to make trial of the Massagetae, come, leave off the labor you have in bridging the river, and, while we withdraw a three days’ journey from the river, cross over into our country.
εἰ δʼ ἡμέας βούλεαι ἐσδέξασθαι μᾶλλον ἐς τὴν ὑμετέρην, σὺ τὠυτὸ τοῦτο ποίεε. ταῦτα δὲ ἀκούσας ὁ Κῦρος συνεκάλεσε Περσέων τοὺς πρώτους, συναγείρας δὲ τούτους ἐς μέσον σφι προετίθεε τὸ πρῆγμα, συμβουλευόμενος ὁκότερα ποιέῃ. τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὠυτὸ αἱ γνῶμαι συνεξέπιπτον κελευόντων5 ἐσδέκεσθαι Τόμυρίν τε καὶ τὸν στρατὸν αὐτῆς ἐς τὴν χώρην.
But if you would rather receive us into your country, do you yourself do this same thing.” On hearing this, Cyrus assembled the chief men of the Persians, and having gathered them into their midst, he laid the matter before them, consulting them as to which of the two courses he should take. And their opinions all agreed in advising that they should receive Tomyris and her army into their country.
- 1.206.1ἔχοντι δέ οἱ τοῦτον τὸν πόνον
The dative present participle ἔχοντι agrees with the dative personal pronoun οἱ (referring to Cyrus), serving as a dative of interest or reference, or a dative indicating the temporal circumstance. It is translated as 'while he was engaged in this labor'.
- 1.206.1παῦσαι σπεύδων
The aorist middle imperative second person singular παῦσαι (cease) from παύω is construed with the present participle σπεύδων as a supplementary participle, meaning 'cease striving'.
- 1.206.1ἀνέχευ ὁρέων
The present middle imperative second person singular ἀνέχευ (Ionic contracted form of ἀνέχομαι, 'endure') is accompanied by the supplementary participle ὁρέων (from ὁράω), meaning 'endure to look upon' or 'tolerate seeing'.
- 1.206.2μᾶλλον ἢ διʼ ἡσυχίης εἶναι
The preposition διά with the genitive noun ἡσυχίης is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to be in a state of peace/quiet'. The preceding μᾶλλον ἢ contrasts this with some active inclination implied by ἐθελήσεις (or an omitted infinitive), forming the structural meaning 'to prefer anything rather than to remain at peace'.
- 1.206.3τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὠυτὸ αἱ γνῶμαι συνεξέπιπτον κελευόντων
In relation to the noun phrase αἱ γνῶμαι, τῶν is a genitive pronoun referring to the Persians, and κελευόντων is a participle agreeing with it. Syntactically, τῶν ... κελευόντων can be taken as a genitive of possessor/subject ('the opinions of them advising...'), or as a genitive absolute ('while they advised..., their opinions coincided'). The resulting sense remains the same.