- 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-grc2:1.24.1-1.24.8
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
Arion is betrayed by sailors and throws himself into the sea, but is rescued by a dolphin and carried to Taenarum, where he tells Periander the truth. Later, the returning sailors are exposed in their lies, and a small bronze offering is dedicated at Taenarum.
τοῦτον τὸν Ἀρίονα λέγουσι, τὸν πολλὸν τοῦ χρόνου διατρίβοντα παρὰ Περιάνδρῳ ἐπιθυμῆσαι1 πλῶσαι ἐς Ἰταλίην τε καὶ Σικελίην, ἐργασάμενον δὲ χρήματα μεγάλα θελῆσαι ὀπίσω ἐς Κόρινθον ἀπικέσθαι.
They say that this Arion, who spent most of his time with Periander, desired to voyage to Italy and Sicily, and having acquired great wealth, wished to return back to Corinth.
ὁρμᾶσθαι μέν νυν ἐκ Τάραντος, πιστεύοντα δὲ οὐδαμοῖσι μᾶλλον ἢ Κορινθίοισι μισθώσασθαι πλοῖον ἀνδρῶν Κορινθίων. τοὺς δὲ2 ἐν τῷ πελάγεϊ ἐπιβουλεύειν τὸν Ἀρίονα ἐκβαλόντας ἔχειν τὰ χρήματα. τὸν δὲ συνέντα τοῦτο λίσσεσθαι, χρήματα μὲν σφι προϊέντα, ψυχὴν δὲ παραιτεόμενον.
He set out from Tarentum, and because he trusted none more than the Corinthians, he hired a ship of Corinthian men. But these, when they were at sea, plotted to cast Arion overboard and keep his money. When he realized this, he begged them, offering them his money, but entreating for his life.
οὔκων δὴ πείθειν αὐτὸν τούτοισι, ἀλλὰ κελεύειν τοὺς πορθμέας ἢ αὐτὸν διαχρᾶσθαί μιν, ὡς ἂν ταφῆς ἐν γῇ τύχῃ, ἢ ἐκπηδᾶν ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν ταχίστην·
He could not, however, persuade them by these means, but the sailors commanded him either to kill himself, so that he might obtain a burial on land, or to leap into the sea at once.
ἀπειληθέντα δὴ τὸν Ἀρίονα ἐς ἀπορίην παραιτήσασθαι, ἐπειδή σφι οὕτω δοκέοι, περιιδεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ σκευῇ πάσῃ στάντα ἐν τοῖσι ἑδωλίοισι ἀεῖσαι·3 ἀείσας δὲ ὑπεδέκετο ἑωυτὸν κατεργάσασθαι.
Driven to desperate straits, Arion begged that, since they were so resolved, they would allow him to stand on the benches in all his attire and sing; and he promised that after singing he would make away with himself.
καὶ τοῖσι ἐσελθεῖν γὰρ ἡδονὴν4 εἰ μέλλοιεν ἀκούσεσθαι τοῦ ἀρίστου ἀνθρώπων ἀοιδοῦ, ἀναχωρῆσαι ἐκ τῆς πρύμνης ἐς μέσην νέα. τὸν δὲ ἐνδύντα τε πᾶσαν τὴν σκευὴν καὶ λαβόντα τὴν κιθάρην, στάντα ἐν τοῖσι ἑδωλίοισι διεξελθεῖν νόμον τὸν ὄρθιον, τελευτῶντος δὲ τοῦ νόμου ῥῖψαί μιν ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν ἑωυτὸν ὡς εἶχε σὺν τῇ σκευῇ πάσῃ.
And pleasure came upon them at the thought that they were going to hear the best singer of all men, so they withdrew from the stern to the middle of the ship. Then he, having put on all his attire and taken his cithara, stood on the benches and went through the Orthian song, and as the song ended, he cast himself into the sea just as he was, with all his attire.
καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀποπλέειν ἐς Κόρινθον, τὸν δὲ δελφῖνα λέγουσι ὑπολαβόντα ἐξενεῖκαι ἐπὶ Ταίναρον. ἀποβάντα δέ αὐτὸν χωρέειν ἐς Κόρινθον σὺν τῇ σκευῇ, καὶ ἀπικόμενον ἀπηγέεσθαι πᾶν τὸ γεγονός.
So they sailed away to Corinth, but they say a dolphin took him up and carried him ashore at Taenarum. And having landed, he went to Corinth in his attire, and upon arriving, he related all that had happened.
Περίανδρον δὲ ὑπὸ ἀπιστίης Ἀρίονα μὲν ἐν φυλακῇ ἔχειν οὐδαμῇ μετιέντα, ἀνακῶς δὲ ἔχειν τῶν πορθμέων.5 ὡς δὲ ἄρα παρεῖναι αὐτούς, κληθέντας ἱστορέεσθαι εἴ τι λέγοιεν περὶ Ἀρίονος. φαμένων δὲ ἐκείνων ὡς εἴη τε σῶς περὶ Ἰταλίην καί μιν εὖ πρήσσοντα λίποιεν ἐν Τάραντι, ἐπιφανῆναί σφι τὸν Ἀρίονα ὥσπερ ἔχων ἐξεπήδησε· καὶ τοὺς ἐκπλαγέντας οὐκ ἔχειν ἔτι ἐλεγχομένους ἀρνέεσθαι.
Periander, however, out of disbelief, kept Arion under guard, letting him go nowhere, and kept a close watch on the sailors. When they arrived, they were summoned and asked if they had anything to say about Arion. When they said that he was safe in Italy and that they had left him doing well in Tarentum, Arion appeared before them just as he was when he leaped; and they, being astounded, could no longer deny it when they were refuted.
ταῦτα μέν νυν Κορίνθιοί τε καὶ Λέσβιοι λέγουσι, καὶ Ἀρίονος ἐστὶ ἀνάθημα χάλκεον οὐ μέγα ἐπὶ Ταινάρῳ, ἐπὶ δελφῖνος ἐπεὼν ἄνθρωπος.
These things, then, both the Corinthians and the Lesbians say, and there is a small bronze offering of Arion at Taenarum, representing a man riding on a dolphin.
- 1.24.1τοῦτον τὸν Ἀρίονα λέγουσι ... ἐπιθυμῆσαι
An accusative and infinitive (A.C.I.) construction introduced by the main verb λέγουσι ('they say'). The accusative τοῦτον τὸν Ἀρίονα serves as the subject of the infinitive ἐπιθυμῆσαι ('to desire'). The subsequent infinitive θελῆσαι is also coordinated within this construction.
- 1.24.2τοὺς δὲ
The article with δὲ (such as ὁ δὲ, οἱ δὲ) functions as a demonstrative pronoun to introduce a new subject from the preceding sentence. Here, it refers to the 'Corinthian men' (the sailors) mentioned just before.
- 1.24.4περιιδεῖν αὐτὸν ... ἀεῖσαι
The verb περιορῶ ('to overlook, allow') usually takes a participle, but here it is constructed with the infinitive ἀεῖσαι ('to sing'), with αὐτὸν serving as its subject.
- 1.24.5τοῖσι ἐσελθεῖν γὰρ ἡδονὴν
The dative τοῖσι ('to them') is governed by the infinitive ἐσελθεῖν ('to enter, come upon') used impersonally. The particle γάρ ('for') introduces a parenthetical explanation within the indirect discourse, explaining their motive for withdrawing (i.e., that pleasure came upon them at the prospect of hearing him).
- 1.24.7ἀνακῶς δὲ ἔχειν τῶν πορθμέων
An idiomatic expression consisting of the adverb ἀνακῶς with ἔχω and a genitive (τῶν πορθμέων), meaning 'to keep a close watch on' or 'to have a care for'. It is used here as an infinitive (ἔχειν) in indirect discourse with Periander as the subject.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-22)
- 2026-09-22 AI review — source 1