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Histories

§1.213.1

The Release and Suicide of Spargapises

Cyrus ignores Tomyris's warning, while her captive son, Spargapises, once sobered up and aware of his plight, commits suicide immediately after being released from his bonds.

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§1.213.1

Κῦρος μὲν ἐπέων οὐδένα τούτων ἀνενειχθέντων1 ἐποιέετο λόγον· ὁ δὲ τῆς βασιλείης Τομύριος παῖς Σπαργαπίσης, ὥς μιν ὅ τε οἶνος ἀνῆκε καὶ ἔμαθε ἵνα ἦν κακοῦ,2 δεηθεὶς Κύρου ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν λυθῆναι ἔτυχε, ὡς δὲ ἐλύθη τε τάχιστα καὶ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκράτησε,3 διεργάζεται ἑωυτόν.

​Cyrus paid no attention to these words when they were reported to him. But Spargapises, the son of Queen Tomyris, as soon as the wine released him and he realized what a miserable plight he was in, entreated Cyrus and succeeded in being released from his bonds; and as soon as he was released and gained control of his hands, he took his own life.

Syntax notes3 items
  1. 1.213.1ἐπέων οὐδένα τούτων ἀνενειχθέντων

    The phrase depends on the construction οὐδένα λόγον ποιεῖσθαι ("to make no account of") which governs the genitive (ἐπέων). The participle ἀνενειχθέντων (aorist passive participle of ἀναφέρω) can be taken either as a genitive absolute with τούτων ("when these words were reported") or as attributive to ἐπέων ("of these words reported").

  2. 1.213.1ἵνα ἦν κακοῦ

    The interrogative adverb ἵνα ("where") is combined with the partitive genitive κακοῦ ("of evil/misfortune") to mean "in what a state of misfortune he was." This indirect question clause serves as the object of ἔμαθε.

  3. 1.213.1τῶν χειρῶν ἐκράτησε

    The verb κρατέω ("to rule, have power over") governs the genitive τῶν χειρῶν ("hands"). It means "to regain control of one's hands," referring to having his hands freed from the bonds so he could use them.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.213.1