Accession of Cambyses and Plans for Egypt Expedition — Herodotus, Histories Book 2 (2.1.1–2.1.2), Greek & English

§2.1.1

τελευτήσαντος δὲ Κύρου παρέλαβε τὴν βασιληίην Καμβύσης, Κύρου ἐὼν παῖς καὶ Κασσανδάνης τῆς Φαρνάσπεω θυγατρός, τῆς προαποθανούσης¹ Κῦρος αὐτός τε μέγα πένθος ἐποιήσατο καὶ τοῖσι ἄλλοισι προεῖπε πᾶσι τῶν ἦρχε² πένθος ποιέεσθαι.

When Cyrus had died, Cambyses succeeded to the kingship, being the son of Cyrus and of Cassandane the daughter of Pharnaspes, for whom, when she died before him, Cyrus himself observed great mourning and also commanded all the others whom he ruled to observe mourning.

§2.1.2

ταύτης δὴ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐὼν παῖς καὶ Κύρου Καμβύσης Ἴωνας μὲν καὶ Αἰολέας ὡς δούλους πατρωίους ἐόντας³ ἐνόμιζε, ἐπὶ δὲ Αἴγυπτον ἐποιέετο στρατηλασίην ἄλλους τε παραλαβὼν τῶν ἦρχε καὶ δὴ καὶ Ἑλλήνων τῶν ἐπεκράτεε.

Cambyses, being the son of this woman and of Cyrus, regarded the Ionians and Aeolians as hereditary slaves, and made an expedition against Egypt, taking with him both others of those whom he ruled and especially those of the Greeks whom he held in subjection.

Syntax notes3 items

2.1.1τῆς προαποθανούσης
Genitive absolute with a feminine singular participle, indicating that Cassandane died prior to Cyrus (or before Cambyses' accession).
2.1.1τῶν ἦρχε
The relative pronoun in the genitive case, where the Ionic form τῶν corresponds to Attic ὧν. The genitive is governed by the verb ἄρχω (to rule), or attracted to the case of the antecedent.
2.1.2ὡς δούλους πατρωίους ἐόντας
The conjunction ὡς combined with the accusative plural participle ἐόντας. It functions as a subjective object complement to the verb ἐνόμιζε, meaning "regarding them as being..."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.1.1-2.1.2