- 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-grc2:3.142.1-3.142.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
After the death of Polycrates, Maeandrius, who assumed control of Samos, attempts to surrender his power to the citizens and proclaim equality (isonomia), but while requesting certain privileges for himself, he is accused by a citizen of being unfit to rule and is asked to account for the money.
τῆς δὲ Σάμου Μαιάνδριος ὁ Μαιανδρίου εἶχε τὸ κράτος, ἐπιτροπαίην παρὰ Πολυκράτεος λαβὼν τὴν ἀρχήν· τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ ἀνδρῶν βουλομένῳ γενέσθαι οὐκ ἐξεγένετο.1
In Samos, Maeandrius, son of Maeandrius, held the power, having received the rule from Polycrates as a trust; but though he wished to become the most just of men, it was not permitted to him to do so.
ἐπειδὴ γάρ οἱ ἐξαγγέλθη ὁ Πολυκράτεος θάνατος, ἐποίεε τοιάδε· πρῶτα μὲν Διὸς ἐλευθερίου βωμὸν ἱδρύσατο καὶ τέμενος περὶ αὐτὸν οὔρισε τοῦτο τὸ νῦν ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ ἐστί· μετὰ δέ, ὥς οἱ ἐπεποίητο,2 ἐκκλησίην συναγείρας πάντων τῶν ἀστῶν ἔλεξε τάδε.
For when the death of Polycrates was announced to him, he did as follows: first, he established an altar of Zeus the Liberator and marked out a sacred precinct around it, which is now in the suburb; and afterwards, when these things had been prepared for him, he gathered an assembly of all the citizens and spoke these words.
ἐμοί, ὡς ἴστε καὶ ὑμεῖς, σκῆπτρον καὶ δύναμις πᾶσα ἡ Πολυκράτεος ἐπιτέτραπται, καί μοι παρέχει3 νῦν ὑμέων ἄρχειν. ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ τῷ πέλας ἐπιπλήσσω,4 αὐτὸς κατὰ δύναμιν οὐ ποιήσω· οὔτε γάρ μοι Πολυκράτης ἤρεσκε δεσπόζων ἀνδρῶν ὁμοίων ἑωυτῷ οὔτε ἄλλος ὅστις τοιαῦτα ποιέει. Πολυκράτης μέν νυν ἐξέπλησε μοῖραν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐς μέσον τὴν ἀρχὴν τιθεὶς ἰσονομίην ὑμῖν προαγορεύω.
”To me, as you also know, the scepter and all the power of Polycrates have been entrusted, and it is now open to me to rule over you. But those things which I blame in my neighbor, I myself will not do, so far as I am able. For neither did Polycrates please me when he lorded it over men equal to himself, nor does anyone else who does such things. Now Polycrates has fulfilled his destiny, and I, placing the government in the middle, proclaim to you equality of laws.
τοσάδε μέντοι δικαιῶ γέρεα ἐμεωυτῷ γενέσθαι, ἐκ μέν γε τῶν Πολυκράτεος χρημάτων ἐξαίρετα ἓξ τάλαντά μοι γενέσθαι, ἱρωσύνην δὲ πρὸς τούτοισι αἱρεῦμαι αὐτῷ τέ μοι καὶ τοῖσι ἀπʼ ἐμεῦ αἰεὶ γινομένοισι τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ ἐλευθερίου· τῷ αὐτός τε ἱρὸν ἱδρυσάμην καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίην ὑμῖν περιτίθημι.
However, I deem it right that these privileges should be granted to me: namely, that from the wealth of Polycrates six talents should be chosen out for me, and in addition to this I choose for myself and for those who are born of me forever the priesthood of Zeus the Liberator, to whom I myself established the precinct and now confer freedom upon you.”
ὃ μὲν δὴ ταῦτα τοῖσι Σαμίοισι ἐπαγγέλλετο· τῶν δέ τις ἐξαναστὰς εἶπε ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἄξιος εἶς σύ γε ἡμέων ἄρχειν, γεγονώς τε κακῶς καὶ ἐὼν ὄλεθρος· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὅκως λόγον δώσεις5 τῶν μετεχείρισας χρημάτων.
He indeed made these proposals to the Samians; but one of them, rising up, said: “But you are not even worthy to rule us, being both base by birth and a pest; rather see to it how you will give an account of the money you have handled.”
- 3.142.1τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ ἀνδρῶν βουλομένῳ γενέσθαι οὐκ ἐξεγένετο
The dative τῷ βουλομένῳ serves as the indirect object of the impersonal verb οὐκ ἐξεγένετο (past tense of ἐξέστι, "it is possible/permitted for someone"). Literally, "to him wishing to become the most just of men, it was not permitted [to do so]."
- 3.142.2ὥς οἱ ἐπεποίητο
A clause introduced by the conjunction ὡς ("when"). The verb ἐπεποίητο is the pluperfect passive third-person singular of ποιέω, used here either with an implied neuter plural subject (the altar and the precinct) or impersonally ("when things had been done/prepared"). The dative οἱ is a dative of agent or interest ("by him" or "for him").
- 3.142.3παρέχει
The verb παρέχει is used here impersonally in the sense of "it is allowed," "it is permitted," or "the opportunity is given" (synonymous with ἐξέστι), taking the infinitive ἄρχειν as its complement.
- 3.142.3τὰ τῷ πέλας ἐπιπλήσσω
A relative clause with an omitted relative pronoun and attracted antecedent, equivalent to τὰ (ἃ) τῷ πέλας ἐπιπλήσσω, meaning "those things which I blame in my neighbor." The accusative τὰ is the direct object of the main verb οὐ ποιήσω.
- 3.142.5ὅκως λόγον δώσεις
A construction where the conjunction ὅπως (Ionic ὅκως) is followed by the future indicative δώσεις (second-person singular future of δίδωμι), functioning as an independent jussive expression with the main verb of effort or precaution ("see to it that...") omitted.