- 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-grc2:2.125.1-2.125.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Explains the step-by-step construction of the pyramid using wooden machinery from the top down, and details the enormous expenses for the workmen's provisions and tools as recorded in the inscriptions.
ἐποιήθη δὲ ὧδε αὕτη ἡ πυραμίς· ἀναβαθμῶν τρόπον, τὰς1 μετεξέτεροι κρόσσας οἳ δὲ βωμίδας ὀνομάζουσι, τοιαύτην τὸ πρῶτον ἐπείτε ἐποίησαν αὐτήν, ἤειρον τοὺς ἐπιλοίπους λίθους μηχανῇσι ξύλων βραχέων πεποιημένῃσι, χαμᾶθεν μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν πρῶτον στοῖχον τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν ἀείροντες·
And this pyramid was built in the following manner: in the fashion of steps, which some call “crossae” and others “bomides”. When they had first made it in this fashion, they raised the remaining stones with machines made of short pieces of wood, raising them from the ground to the first tier of the steps.
ὅκως δὲ ἀνίοι ὁ λίθος ἐπʼ αὐτόν, ἐς ἑτέρην μηχανὴν ἐτίθετο ἑστεῶσαν ἐπὶ τοῦ πρώτου στοίχου, ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δεύτερον εἵλκετο στοῖχον ἐπʼ ἄλλης μηχανῆς·
And whenever the stone rose to this, it was placed upon another machine standing on the first tier, and from this it was dragged to the second tier on another machine.
ὅσοι γὰρ δὴ στοῖχοι ἦσαν τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν, τοσαῦται καὶ μηχαναὶ ἦσαν, εἴτε καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν μηχανὴν ἐοῦσαν μίαν τε καὶ εὐβάστακτον μετεφόρεον ἐπὶ στοῖχον ἕκαστον, ὅκως τὸν λίθον ἐξέλοιεν· λελέχθω2 γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐπʼ ἀμφότερα, κατά περ λέγεται.
For indeed, there were as many machines as there were tiers of steps, or else they transferred the same machine, being single and easy to carry, to each tier whenever they would take out the stone; let both ways be stated by us, just as it is told.
ἐξεποιήθη δʼ ὦν τὰ ἀνώτατα αὐτῆς πρῶτα, μετὰ δὲ τὰ ἐχόμενα τούτων ἐξεποίευν, τελευταῖα δὲ αὐτῆς τὰ ἐπίγαια καὶ τὰ κατωτάτω ἐξεποίησαν.
At all events, the highest parts of it were finished first, and after these they finished the parts adjacent to them, and last of all they finished the parts of it on the ground and the lowest.
σεσήμανται δὲ διὰ γραμμάτων Αἰγυπτίων ἐν τῇ πυραμίδι ὅσα ἔς τε συρμαίην καὶ κρόμμυα καὶ σκόροδα ἀναισιμώθη τοῖσι ἐργαζομένοισι· καὶ ὡς ἐμὲ εὖ μεμνῆσθαι3 τὰ ὁ ἑρμηνεύς μοι ἐπιλεγόμενος τὰ γράμματα ἔφη, ἑξακόσια καὶ χίλια τάλαντα ἀργυρίου τετελέσθαι.
And it is recorded on the pyramid in Egyptian characters how much was spent on radishes, onions, and garlic for the workmen; and as I well remember what the interpreter said to me when reading the characters, sixteen hundred talents of silver were spent.
εἰ δʼ ἔστι οὕτω ἔχοντα ταῦτα, κόσα οἰκὸς ἄλλα δεδαπανῆσθαι ἐστὶ ἔς τε σίδηρον τῷ4 ἐργάζοντο καὶ σιτία καὶ ἐσθῆτα τοῖσι ἐργαζομένοισι, ὁκότε χρόνον μὲν οἰκοδόμεον τὰ ἔργα τὸν εἰρημένον, ἄλλον δέ, ὡς ἐγὼ δοκέω, ἐν τῷ τοὺς λίθους ἔταμνον καὶ ἦγον καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ γῆν ὄρυγμα ἐργάζοντο, οὐκ ὀλίγον χρόνον.
If this indeed is so, how much more is it likely was spent on the iron with which they worked, and on food and clothing for the workmen, seeing that they built the works for the time mentioned, and for another period, as I think, during which they were cutting and hauling the stones and constructing the underground excavation, which was no small time?
- 2.125.1τὰς
An accusative feminine plural relative pronoun, whose antecedent is the implied "steps" (such as βαθμίδες). The subsequent nouns κρόσσας and βωμίδας function as predicate accusatives in a double accusative construction with the verb ὀνομάζουσι.
- 2.125.4λελέχθω
The third-person singular perfect passive imperative of the verb λέγω. Literally meaning "let it have been said," it expresses a completed state of statement, indicating the author's decision to record both accounts as equally stated.
- 2.125.6ὡς ἐμὲ εὖ μεμνῆσθαι
A parenthetical clause consisting of the conjunction ὡς followed by an accusative subject and infinitive (absolute infinitive), meaning "as far as I well remember." It does not depend on the main verb ἔφη but serves as a limiting phrase to qualify the statement.
- 2.125.7τῷ
The Ionic form of the relative pronoun ᾧ (dative of instrument, "with which"). The antecedent is the neuter singular noun σίδηρον (iron, iron tools).