Sacrificial Customs of Thebes and the Ram Myth of Zeus — Herodotus, Histories Book 2 (2.42.1–2.42.6), Greek & English

§2.42.1

ὅσοι μὲν δὴ Διὸς Θηβαιέος ἵδρυνται ἱρὸν ἤ νομοῦ τοῦ Θηβαίου εἰσί, οὗτοι μέν νυν πάντες ὀίων ἀπεχόμενοι αἶγας θύουσι.

Now, all those who have established a temple of Theban Zeus or belong to the Theban district, abstain from sheep and sacrifice goats.

§2.42.2

θεοὺς γὰρ δὴ οὐ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἅπαντες ὁμοίως Αἰγύπτιοι σέβονται, πλὴν Ἴσιός τε καὶ Ὀσίριος, τὸν δὴ Διόνυσον εἶναι λέγουσι· τούτους δὲ ὁμοίως ἅπαντες σέβονται. ὅσοι δὲ τοῦ Μένδητος ἔκτηνται ἱρὸν ἢ νομοῦ τοῦ Μενδησίου εἰσί, οὗτοι δὲ αἰγῶν ἀπεχόμενοι ὄις θύουσι.

For indeed, the Egyptians do not all worship the same gods in the same way, except for Isis and Osiris, whom they say is Dionysus; these they all worship alike. On the other hand, those who possess a temple of Mendes or belong to the Mendesian district, abstain from goats and sacrifice sheep.

§2.42.3

Θηβαῖοι μέν νυν καὶ ὅσοι διὰ τούτους ὀίων ἀπέχονται, διὰ τάδε λέγουσι τὸν νόμον τόνδε σφίσι τεθῆναι. Ἡρακλέα θελῆσαι πάντως ἰδέσθαι τὸν Δία, καὶ τὸν οὐκ ἐθέλειν ὀφθῆναι ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ· τέλος δέ, ἐπείτε λιπαρέειν¹ τὸν Ἡρακλέα, τάδε τὸν Δία μηχανήσασθαι·

Now, the Thebans and those who through them abstain from sheep, say that this custom was established for them for the following reason: Heracles wished by all means to see Zeus, but Zeus was not willing to be seen by him; at last, when Heracles importuned him, Zeus devised the following.

§2.42.4

κριὸν ἐκδείραντα προσχέσθαι τε τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποταμόντα τοῦ κριοῦ καὶ ἐνδύντα τὸ νάκος οὕτω οἱ² ἑωυτὸν ἐπιδέξαι. ἀπὸ τούτου κριοπρόσωπον τοῦ Διὸς τὤγαλμα ποιεῦσι Αἰγύπτιοι, ἀπὸ δὲ Αἰγυπτίων Ἀμμώνιοι, ἐόντες Αἰγυπτίων τε καὶ Αἰθιόπων ἄποικοι καὶ φωνὴν μεταξὺ ἀμφοτέρων νομίζοντες.

He flayed a ram, cut off its head and held it before himself, and having put on the fleece, in this way he showed himself to him. From this, the Egyptians make the statue of Zeus with a ram’s face, and from the Egyptians, the Ammonians do so, who are colonists of both Egyptians and Ethiopians and use a language intermediate between both.

§2.42.5

δοκέειν δέ μοι,³ καὶ τὸ οὔνομα Ἀμμώνιοι ἀπὸ τοῦδε σφίσι τὴν ἐπωνυμίην ἐποιήσαντο· Ἀμοῦν γὰρ Αἰγύπτιοι καλέουσι τὸν Δία. τοὺς δὲ κριοὺς οὐ θύουσι Θηβαῖοι, ἀλλʼ εἰσί σφι ἱροὶ διὰ τοῦτο.

And it seems to me that the Ammonians also took their name from this, for the Egyptians call Zeus “Amun”. The Thebans, therefore, do not sacrifice rams, but they are sacred to them for this reason.

§2.42.6

μιῇ δὲ ἡμέρῃ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, ἐν ὁρτῇ τοῦ Διός, κριὸν ἕνα κατακόψαντες καὶ ἀποδείραντες κατὰ τὠυτὸ ἐνδύουσι τὤγαλμα τοῦ Διός, καὶ ἔπειτα ἄλλο ἄγαλμα Ἡρακλέος προσάγουσι πρὸς αὐτό. ταῦτα δὲ ποιήσαντες τύπτονται οἱ περὶ τὸ ἱρὸν ἅπαντες τὸν κριὸν⁴ καὶ ἔπειτα ἐν ἱρῇ θήκῃ θάπτουσι αὐτόν.

On one day of the year, however, at the festival of Zeus, they slaughter one ram, flay it, and in the same manner clothe the statue of Zeus, and then bring another statue of Heracles close to it. Having done this, all those about the temple beat themselves in mourning for the ram, and then they bury it in a sacred coffin.

Syntax notes4 items

2.42.3ἐπείτε λιπαρέειν
In the subordinate clause introduced by the conjunction ἐπείτε, the infinitive λιπαρέειν is used instead of an indicative verb, influenced by the surrounding indirect discourse (oratio obliqua).
2.42.4οἱ
The third-person singular dative pronoun, here referring to Heracles, in contrast with the reflexive accusative ἑωυτὸν (Zeus himself).
2.42.5δοκέειν δέ μοι
An absolute infinitive (infinitivus absolutus), used parenthetically to mean "as it seems to me."
2.42.6τύπτονται ... τὸν κριόν
The middle voice verb τύπτονται (literally "they beat themselves") is here used transitively with the accusative τὸν κριόν, meaning "they beat themselves in mourning for the ram."

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.42.1-2.42.6