- 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-grc2:1.212.1-1.212.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-03
Upon learning the fate of her army and her son, Tomyris sends a messenger to Cyrus, condemning his deceitful victory and demanding his unharmed withdrawal; otherwise, she swears by the Sun to glut him with blood.
ἣ δὲ πυθομένη τά τε περὶ τὴν στρατιὴν γεγονότα καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν παῖδα, πέμπουσα κήρυκα παρὰ Κῦρον ἔλεγε τάδε.
When she learned of what had happened to her army and what had happened to her son, she sent a herald to Cyrus and spoke as follows:
ἄπληστε αἵματος Κῦρε, μηδὲν ἐπαερθῇς τῷ γεγονότι τῷδε πρήγματι, εἰ1 ἀμπελίνῳ καρπῷ, τῷ περ αὐτοὶ ἐμπιπλάμενοι μαίνεσθε οὕτω ὥστε κατιόντος τοῦ οἴνου2 ἐς τὸ σῶμα ἐπαναπλέειν ὑμῖν ἔπεα κακά, τοιούτῳ φαρμάκῳ δολώσας ἐκράτησας παιδὸς τοῦ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλʼ οὐ μάχῃ κατὰ τὸ καρτερόν.
”Bloodthirsty Cyrus, do not be at all puffed up by this current event, if by means of the fruit of the vine—with which you yourselves, when filled, go so mad that as the wine flows down into your body, evil words float up from you—if with such a drug you have deceived and overcome my son, and not by strength in battle.
νῦν ὦν μευ εὖ παραινεούσης3 ὑπόλαβε τὸν λόγον· ἀποδούς μοι τὸν παῖδα ἄπιθι ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς χώρης ἀζήμιος, Μασσαγετέων τριτημορίδι τοῦ στρατοῦ κατυβρίσας.4 εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὐ ποιήσεις, ἥλιον ἐπόμνυμί τοι τὸν Μασσαγετέων δεσπότην, ἦ μέν σε ἐγὼ καὶ ἄπληστον ἐόντα αἵματος κορέσω.
Now therefore, take my advice, which is good: return my son to me and depart from this land unharmed, though you have insulted a third part of the army of the Massagetae. But if you do not do this, I swear to you by the Sun, the master of the Massagetae, that indeed I will glut you with blood, bloodthirsty though you are.”
- 1.212.2εἰ
This conditional clause (εἰ ... ἐκράτησας) functions concessively or explanatorily in relation to the preceding imperative "do not be at all puffed up" (μηδὲν ἐπαερθῇς), implying that Cyrus has no reason for pride since his victory was achieved only through the trickery of wine.
- 1.212.2κατιόντος τοῦ οἴνου
A genitive absolute construction. The following clause "evil words float up" (ἐπαναπλέειν ... ἔπεα κακά) is an accusative with infinitive construction in the result clause introduced by ὥστε.
- 1.212.3μευ εὖ παραινεούσης
A genitive absolute construction consisting of μευ (Ionic genitive of ἐγώ) and the present participle παραινεούσης, expressing the reason or premise: "since I am giving you good advice."
- 1.212.3κατυβρίσας
An aorist participle modifying the subject of the imperative ἄπιθι (depart), functioning here to indicate a limiting condition or concession ("having merely insulted a third part of the army").