- 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-grc2:1.36.1-1.36.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-28
While Adrastus is staying with Croesus, a giant wild boar ravages Mysia, prompting the residents to request the prince's assistance. Croesus, mindful of his tragic dream, refuses to send his son but promises to send Lydian forces and hounds instead.
ὃ μὲν δὴ δίαιταν εἶχε ἐν Κροίσου.1 ἐν δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ τούτῳ ἐν τῷ Μυσίῳ Ὀλύμπῳ ὑὸς χρῆμα2 γίνεται μέγα· ὁρμώμενος δὲ οὗτος ἐκ τοῦ ὄρεος τούτου τὰ τῶν Μυσῶν ἔργα διαφθείρεσκε.3 πολλάκις δὲ οἱ Μυσοὶ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἐξελθόντες ποιέεσκον μὲν κακὸν οὐδέν, ἔπασχον δὲ πρὸς αὐτοῦ.
Thus he had his dwelling in the house of Croesus. At this very same time, a huge monster of a boar appeared on the Mysian Olympus; rushing down from this mountain, it would ruin the works of the Mysians. Often the Mysians went out against it, but they did it no harm, while they suffered at its hands.
τέλος δὲ ἀπικόμενοι παρὰ τὸν Κροῖσον τῶν Μυσῶν ἄγγελοι ἔλεγον τάδε. ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὑὸς χρῆμα μέγιστον ἀνεφάνη ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ χώρῃ, ὃς τὰ ἔργα διαφθείρει. τοῦτον προθυμεόμενοι ἑλεῖν οὐ δυνάμεθα. νῦν ὦν προσδεόμεθά σευ τὸν παῖδα καὶ λογάδας νεηνίας καὶ κύνας συμπέμψαι ἡμῖν, ὡς ἄν4 μιν ἐξέλωμεν ἐκ τῆς χώρης.
At last, messengers of the Mysians came to Croesus and said these words: “O king, a monstrous beast of a boar has appeared to us in our country, which ruins our works. Eager though we are to capture it, we cannot. Now, therefore, we entreat you to send with us your son and chosen young men and dogs, so that we may drive it out of our country.”
οἳ μὲν δὴ τούτων ἐδέοντο, Κροῖσος δὲ μνημονεύων τοῦ ὀνείρου τὰ ἔπεα ἔλεγέ σφι τάδε. παιδὸς μὲν πέρι τοῦ ἐμοῦ μὴ μνησθῆτε ἔτι· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὑμῖν συμπέμψαιμι·5 νεόγαμός τε γὰρ ἐστὶ καὶ ταῦτά οἱ νῦν μέλει. Λυδῶν μέντοι λογάδας καὶ τὸ κυνηγέσιον πᾶν συμπέμψω, καὶ διακελεύσομαι τοῖσι ἰοῦσι εἶναι ὡς προθυμοτάτοισι συνεξελεῖν ὑμῖν τὸ θηρίον ἐκ τῆς χώρης.
They indeed made this request, but Croesus, mindful of his dream, spoke to them these words: “Do not mention my son any further; for I would not send him with you. For he is newly married, and that is his concern now. However, I will send with you chosen Lydians and the entire hunting-pack, and I will strictly command those who go to be as zealous as possible to help you drive the beast out of your country.”
- 1.36.1ἐν Κροίσου
Meaning 'in [the house] of Croesus.' This is an idiomatic ellipsis where the noun οἴκῳ (house) or οἰκίοις is omitted, leaving only the possessive genitive Κροίσου.
- 1.36.1ὑὸς χρῆμα
Literally 'a thing of a wild boar.' The construction 'genitive + χρῆμα' is a colloquial or poetic periphrasis used to emphasize the extraordinary size or nature of the object, here meaning 'a huge/monstrous wild boar.'
- 1.36.1διαφθείρεσκε
Imperfect of the verb διαφθείρω (to destroy). The suffix -σκε- (the iterative suffix characteristic of the Ionic dialect and epic poetry) is attached to express the repeated and continuous action of the boar ('used to destroy' or 'kept ruining'). Similarly, the subsequent ποιέεσκον is also an iterative past.
- 1.36.2ὡς ἄν
Introducing a purpose clause ('in order that') with the subjunctive ἐξέλωμεν. While the particle ἄν is rarely used in purpose clauses in Attic Greek, the construction ὡς ἄν + subjunctive is frequently used to express purpose in Homeric and Herodotean (Ionic) Greek.
- 1.36.3οὐ γὰρ ἂν...συμπέμψαιμι
The construction ἄν + optative. Here, rather than expressing a mere potential or possibility in the future, it expresses a polite yet firm and resolute refusal ('for I would not/cannot send').