- 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-grc2:1.34.1-1.34.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
After Solon's departure, a divine retribution strikes Croesus through a dream foretelling that his son Atys will die by an iron spear. To protect him, Croesus marries him off, keeps him from military duties, and removes all weapons from the walls.
μετὰ δὲ Σόλωνα οἰχόμενον1 ἔλαβέ ἐκ θεοῦ νέμεσις μεγάλη Κροῖσον, ὡς εἰκάσαι,2 ὅτι ἐνόμισε ἑωυτὸν εἶναι ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων ὀλβιώτατον. αὐτίκα δέ οἱ εὕδοντι ἐπέστη ὄνειρος, ὅς οἱ τὴν ἀληθείην ἔφαινε τῶν μελλόντων γενέσθαι κακῶν κατὰ τὸν παῖδα.
After Solon had gone, a great retribution from God overtook Croesus, in all probability because he considered himself to be the happiest of all men. Immediately a dream stood over him as he slept, which revealed to him the truth of the evils that were about to happen concerning his son.
ἦσαν δὲ τῷ Κροίσῳ δύο παῖδες, τῶν οὕτερος μὲν διέφθαρτο,3 ἦν γὰρ δὴ κωφός, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος τῶν ἡλίκων μακρῷ τὰ πάντα πρῶτος· οὔνομα δέ οἱ ἦν Ἄτυς. τοῦτον δὴ ὦν τὸν Ἄτυν σημαίνει τῷ Κροίσῳ ὁ ὄνειρος, ὡς ἀπολέει μιν αἰχμῇ σιδηρέῃ βληθέντα.
Now Croesus had two sons, of whom one was ruined, for he was indeed dumb; but the other was by far the first in all things among those of his own age, and his name was Atys. It was indeed this Atys that the dream pointed out to Croesus, namely, that he would perish, being struck by an iron spear-point.
ὃ δʼ ἐπείτε ἐξηγέρθη καὶ ἑωυτῷ λόγον ἔδωκε,4 καταρρωδήσας τὸν ὄνειρον ἄγεται μὲν τῷ παιδὶ γυναῖκα,5 ἐωθότα δὲ στρατηγέειν μιν6 τῶν Λυδῶν οὐδαμῇ ἔτι ἐπὶ τοιοῦτο πρῆγμα ἐξέπεμπε· ἀκόντια δὲ καὶ δοράτια καὶ τά τοιαῦτα πάντα τοῖσι χρέωνται ἐς πόλεμον ἄνθρωποι, ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρεώνων ἐκκομίσας ἐς τοὺς θαλάμους συνένησε, μή τί οἱ κρεμάμενον τῷ παιδὶ ἐμπέσῃ.
When he awoke and considered the matter with himself, being terrified by the dream, he first took a wife for his son; and whereas the young man had been accustomed to lead the Lydians in war, Croesus would no longer send him out on any such business. Moreover, gathering from the men’s apartments all the javelins, spears, and all such weapons as men use in war, he piled them up in the inner chambers, lest any of them hanging up should fall upon his son.
- 1.34.1μετὰ δὲ Σόλωνα οἰχόμενον
The construction of the preposition μετά with an accusative noun and an agreeing participle. It functions equivalent to a noun phrase meaning 'after the departure of Solon'.
- 1.34.1ὡς εἰκάσαι
An absolute use of the infinitive. An idiomatic parenthetical expression meaning 'as one may conjecture' or 'in all probability'.
- 1.34.2διέφθαρτο
The pluperfect passive indicative of διαφθείρω (to destroy, ruin). Meaning 'had been ruined', it here refers to a physical disability. The following γάρ clause explains that he was indeed dumb.
- 1.34.3ἑωυτῷ λόγον ἔδωκε
Literally 'he gave an account to himself', an idiomatic phrase meaning 'he reflected with himself' or 'he considered the matter deeply'.
- 1.34.3ἄγεται μὲν τῷ παιδὶ γυναῖκα
The middle voice ἄγεται (takes as a wife) accompanied by the dative of interest τῷ παιδὶ (for his son), expressing an indirect causative meaning: the father 'takes a wife for his son' (marries him off).
- 1.34.3ἐωθότα δὲ στρατηγέειν μιν
ἐωθότα is the perfect participle of εἴωθα (to be accustomed), in the accusative masculine singular agreeing with μιν (the son), which is the subject of the infinitive στρατηγέειν. It means 'although he had been accustomed to lead the army'.