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§1.90.1-1.90.4

Croesus's Request to Send Fetters to Delphi

Cyrus gladly accepts Croesus' advice and asks him what reward he desires. Croesus requests permission to send his fetters to the god of Delphi to protest the deceptive oracle, and dispatches Lydian messengers.

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§1.90.1

ταῦτα ἀκούων ὁ Κῦρος ὑπερήδετο, ὥς οἱ ἐδόκεε εὖ ὑποτίθεσθαι· αἰνέσας δὲ πολλά, καὶ ἐντειλάμενος τοῖσι δορυφόροισι τὰ Κροῖσος ὑπεθήκατο ἐπιτελέειν, εἶπε πρὸς Κροῖσον τάδε. Κροῖσε, ἀναρτημένου σεῦ1 ἀνδρὸς βασιλέος χρηστὰ ἔργα καὶ ἔπεα ποιέειν, αἰτέο δόσιν ἥντινα βούλεαί τοι γενέσθαι παραυτίκα.

​On hearing this, Cyrus was exceedingly pleased, as it seemed to him that Croesus was giving excellent advice. Having praised him highly, and having commanded his bodyguards to carry out what Croesus had suggested, he said to Croesus: “Croesus, since you, a kingly man, are resolved to do useful deeds and speak useful words, ask for whatever gift you wish to be given to you immediately.”

§1.90.2

ὁ δὲ εἶπε ὦ δέσποτα, ἐάσας με χαριεῖ2 μάλιστα τὸν θεὸν τῶν Ἑλλήνων, τὸν ἐγὼ ἐτίμησα θεῶν μάλιστα, ἐπειρέσθαι πέμψαντα τάσδε τὰς πέδας, εἰ ἐξαπατᾶν τοὺς εὖ ποιεῦντας νόμος ἐστί οἱ. Κῦρος δὲ εἴρετο ὅ τι οἱ τοῦτο ἐπηγορέων παραιτέοιτο.

​And he said: “Master, you will please me most of all if you allow me to send these fetters to the god of the Greeks, whom I honored most of all the gods, and to ask him if it is his law to deceive those who do good to him.” And Cyrus asked him what complaint against the god he had that made him make this request.

§1.90.3

Κροῖσος δέ οἱ ἐπαλιλλόγησε πᾶσαν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ διάνοιαν καὶ τῶν χρηστηρίων τὰς ὑποκρίσιας καὶ μάλιστα τὰ ἀναθήματα, καὶ ὡς ἐπαερθεὶς τῷ μαντηίῳ ἐστρατεύσατο ἐπὶ Πέρσας· λέγων δὲ ταῦτα κατέβαινε αὖτις3 παραιτεόμενος ἐπεῖναί οἱ τῷ θεῷ τοῦτο ὀνειδίσαι. Κῦρος δὲ γελάσας εἶπε καὶ τούτου τεύξεαι παρʼ ἐμεῦ, Κροῖσε, καὶ ἄλλου παντὸς τοῦ ἂν ἑκάστοτε δέῃ.

​Croesus then repeated to him his whole plan, the responses of the oracles, and especially the offerings, and how he had marched against the Persians because he was encouraged by the oracle. Speaking of these things, he came back again to requesting that he be permitted to reproach the god with this. Cyrus laughed and said: “You shall obtain this from me, Croesus, and everything else besides that you may need from time to time.”

§1.90.4

ὡς δὲ ταῦτα ἤκουσε ὁ Κροῖσος, πέμπων τῶν Λυδῶν ἐς Δελφοὺς ἐνετέλλετο τιθέντας τὰς πέδας ἐπὶ τοῦ νηοῦ τὸν οὐδὸν εἰρωτᾶν εἰ οὔ τι ἐπαισχύνεται τοῖσι μαντηίοισι ἐπαείρας Κροῖσον στρατεύεσθαι ἐπὶ Πέρσας ὡς καταπαύσοντα τὴν Κύρου δύναμιν, ἀπʼ ἧς οἱ ἀκροθίνια τοιαῦτα γενέσθαι,4 δεικνύντας τὰς πέδας· ταῦτά τε ἐπειρωτᾶν, καὶ εἰ ἀχαρίστοισι νόμος εἶναι τοῖσι Ἑλληνικοῖσι θεοῖσι.

​When Croesus heard this, he sent some of the Lydians to Delphi, commanding them to lay the fetters upon the threshold of the temple and to ask, while showing the fetters, if the god was not at all ashamed that he had encouraged Croesus by his oracles to march against the Persians as though he would destroy the power of Cyrus, from which campaign such first-fruits (the fetters) had come to him. He commanded them to ask these things, and also if it was the law of the Greek gods to be ungrateful.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 1.90.1ἀναρτημένου σεῦ

    Genitive absolute utilizing ἀναρτημένος, the perfect middle-passive participle of ἀναρτάω (Ionic for ἀνηρτημένος). Complemented by an infinitive (here ποιέειν), it means 'to be bent upon' or 'to be resolved to' do something.

  2. 1.90.2ἐάσας με χαριεῖ

    The aorist participle ἐάσας has a conditional force ('if you allow me') and corresponds to the main verb χαριεῖ (the second-person singular future middle of χαρίζομαι / χαριέομαι) to form a future conditional construction.

  3. 1.90.3κατέβαινε αὖτις

    The imperfect of καταβαίνω (literally 'to go down') is used here metaphorically to mean 'to end up at,' 'to come down to,' or 'to return finally to' a previous point or demand after an explanation.

  4. 1.90.4ἀπʼ ἧς οἱ ἀκροθίνια τοιαῦτα γενέσθαι

    A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun ἧς (referring to the campaign, στρατεύεσθαι). Because it is part of the indirect speech governed by ἐνετέλλετο, the infinitive γενέσθαι is used instead of a finite verb.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
  • 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.90.1-1.90.4