- 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-grc2:1.211.1-1.211.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Hystaspes returns to Persia to watch over Darius, while Cyrus sets a trap according to Croesus's plan; the Persians then launch a surprise attack on the drunkenly sleeping third of the Massagetae army, capturing many including Queen Tomyris's son Spargapises.
Ὑστάσπης μὲν τούτοισι ἀμειψάμενος καὶ διαβὰς τὸν Ἀράξεα ἤιε ἐς Πέρσας φυλάξων1 Κύρῳ τὸν παῖδα Δαρεῖον, Κῦρος δὲ προελθὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀράξεω ἡμέρης ὁδὸν ἐποίεε κατὰ τὰς Κροίσου ὑποθήκας.
Hystaspes, having answered with these words and crossed the Araxes, went to Persia in order to guard his son Darius for Cyrus. Meanwhile, Cyrus, having advanced from the Araxes, made a day’s journey according to the suggestions of Croesus.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Κύρου τε καὶ Περσέων τοῦ καθαροῦ στρατοῦ ἀπελάσαντος ὀπίσω ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀράξεα, λειφθέντος δὲ τοῦ ἀχρηίου,2 ἐπελθοῦσα τῶν Μασσαγετέων τριτημορὶς τοῦ στρατοῦ τούς τε λειφθέντας τῆς Κύρου στρατιῆς ἐφόνευε ἀλεξομένους καὶ τὴν προκειμένην ἰδόντες δαῖτα, ὡς ἐχειρώσαντο τοὺς ἐναντίους, κλιθέντες ἐδαίνυντο, πληρωθέντες δὲ φορβῆς καὶ οἴνου ηὗδον.
After this, when Cyrus and the fit part of the Persian army had marched back toward the Araxes, and the useless part had been left behind, a third part of the army of the Massagetae came upon them and slaughtered those left behind of Cyrus’s army as they defended themselves. And seeing the feast laid out before them, once they had subdued their opponents, they reclined and feasted, and having filled themselves with food and wine, they fell asleep.
οἱ δὲ Πέρσαι ἐπελθόντες πολλοὺς μὲν σφέων ἐφόνευσαν, πολλῷ δʼ ἔτι πλεῦνας ἐζώγρησαν καὶ ἄλλους καὶ3 τὸν τῆς βασιλείης Τομύριος παῖδα στρατηγέοντα Μασσαγετέων, τῷ οὔνομα ἦν Σπαργαπίσης.
Then the Persians, coming upon them, killed many of them and captured alive far more still, both others and the son of the queen Tomyris, who was commanding the Massagetae, whose name was Spargapises.
- 1.211.1φυλάξων
Future active participle expressing purpose ("in order to guard"), modifying the main verb ἤιε.
- 1.211.2τοῦ καθαροῦ ... τοῦ ἀχρηίου
Parts of two contrasting genitive absolute constructions. τοῦ καθαροῦ στρατοῦ refers to the battle-ready, elite part of the army, while τοῦ ἀχρηίου refers to the unfit, useless part.
- 1.211.3καὶ ἄλλους καὶ
An idiomatic expression meaning "both others and especially...", used to single out and highlight a specific individual from a group. Here it emphasizes Spargapises, the son of Queen Tomyris.