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§3.38.1-3.38.4

Darius's Experiment and the Supremacy of Custom

In discussing Cambyses' madness, the author argues that all peoples believe their own customs are best, illustrating this with Darius's inquiry to Greeks and Indians about their funeral practices.

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§3.38.1

πανταχῇ ὦν μοι δῆλα ἐστὶ ὅτι ἐμάνη μεγάλως ὁ Καμβύσης· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἱροῖσί τε καὶ νομαίοισι ἐπεχείρησε1 καταγελᾶν. εἰ γάρ τις προθείη πᾶσι ἀνθρώποισι ἐκλέξασθαι κελεύων νόμους τοὺς καλλίστους ἐκ τῶν πάντων νόμων, διασκεψάμενοι ἂν ἑλοίατο2 ἕκαστοι τοὺς ἑωυτῶν· οὕτω νομίζουσι πολλόν τι καλλίστους τοὺς ἑωυτῶν νόμους ἕκαστοι εἶναι.

​Therefore, it is clear to me in every way that Cambyses was greatly mad; for otherwise he would not have attempted to mock sacred things and customs. For if someone were to propose to all men, bidding them to choose the best customs from among all customs, each, after careful consideration, would choose their own; so much do they each believe their own customs to be by far the best.

§3.38.2

οὔκων οἰκός ἐστι ἄλλον γε ἢ μαινόμενον ἄνδρα γέλωτα τὰ τοιαῦτα τίθεσθαι·3 ὡς δὲ οὕτω νενομίκασι τὰ περὶ τοὺς νόμους πάντες ἄνθρωποι, πολλοῖσί τε καὶ ἄλλοισι τεκμηρίοισι πάρεστι σταθμώσασθαι, ἐν δὲ δὴ καὶ τῷδε.

​It is therefore not likely that anyone other than a madman would make a laughingstock of such things; and that all men have this view concerning customs can be inferred from many other proofs, and in particular from the following.

§3.38.3

Δαρεῖος ἐπὶ τῆς ἑωυτοῦ ἀρχῆς καλέσας Ἑλλήνων τοὺς παρεόντας εἴρετο ἐπὶ κόσῳ ἂν χρήματι βουλοίατο τοὺς πατέρας ἀποθνήσκοντας κατασιτέεσθαι· οἳ δὲ ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ ἔφασαν ἔρδειν ἂν τοῦτο.

​Darius, during his own reign, having called those of the Greeks who were present, asked for how much money they would be willing to eat their deceased fathers; and they said they would do this for no amount.

§3.38.4

Δαρεῖος δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα καλέσας Ἰνδῶν τοὺς καλεομένους Καλλατίας, οἳ τοὺς γονέας κατεσθίουσι, εἴρετο, παρεόντων τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ διʼ ἑρμηνέος μανθανόντων τὰ λεγόμενα, ἐπὶ τίνι χρήματι δεξαίατʼ ἂν τελευτῶντας τοὺς πατέρας κατακαίειν πυρί· οἳ δὲ ἀμβώσαντες μέγα εὐφημέειν μιν ἐκέλευον. οὕτω μέν νυν ταῦτα νενόμισται, καὶ ὀρθῶς μοι δοκέει Πίνδαρος ποιῆσαι4 νόμον πάντων βασιλέα φήσας εἶναι.

​After this, Darius called those of the Indians called Callatiae, who eat their parents, and asked them, in the presence of the Greeks who were learning what was said through an interpreter, for what money they would consent to burn their deceased fathers with fire; but they cried out aloud and bade him speak words of good omen. Thus then are these things established by custom, and it seems to me that Pindar wrote correctly when he said that custom is king of all.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 3.38.1οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἱροῖσί τε καὶ νομαίοισι ἐπεχείρησε

    In the clause introduced by the conjunction γάρ, the particle ἂν is combined with the indicative aorist (ἐπεχείρησε) to express a past contrary-to-fact apodosis. It implies: "for (if he had not been mad,) he would not have attempted to mock."

  2. 3.38.1εἰ γάρ τις προθείη ... ἂν ἑλοίατο

    This is a conditional construction expressing a future less vivid or potential assumption, consisting of the protasis with εἰ + optative (προθείη) and the apodosis with ἂν + optative (ἑλοίατο, Ionic form for ἕλοιντο).

  3. 3.38.2ἄλλον γε ἢ μαινόμενον ἄνδρα γέλωτα τὰ τοιαῦτα τίθεσθαι

    This is an accusative with infinitive construction dependent on the impersonal expression οἰκός ἐστι (it is likely/fitting). The subject accusative of the infinitive τίθεσθαι is ἄλλον γε ἢ μαινόμενον ἄνδρα (anyone other than a madman), and the infinitive takes τὰ τοιαῦτα as direct object and γέλωτα as a predicate accusative (to make a laughingstock of such things).

  4. 3.38.4ὀρθῶς μοι δοκέει Πίνδαρος ποιῆσαι

    This is a personal construction where the verb δοκέει takes the subject Πίνδαρος and the infinitive ποιῆσαι (to make poetry/write). Literally: "Pindar seems to have written correctly." The participle φήσας modifies Πίνδαρος and governs the indirect statement with the accusative and infinitive (νόμον ... εἶναι).

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-grc2:3.38.1-3.38.4