- 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-grc2:3.53.1-3.53.7
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
As Periander grows old, he attempts to recall his son Lycophron from Corcyra to succeed him, sending his daughter to persuade him. Lycophron agrees on the condition that his father retires, but the Corcyraeans, fearing Periander's arrival, murder the youth.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ χρόνου προβαίνοντος ὅ τε Περίανδρος παρηβήκεε καὶ συνεγινώσκετο ἑωυτῷ οὐκέτι εἶναι δυνατὸς1 τὰ πρήγματα ἐπορᾶν τε καὶ διέπειν, πέμψας ἐς τὴν Κέρκυραν ἀπεκάλεε τὸν Λυκόφρονα ἐπὶ τὴν τυραννίδα· ἐν γὰρ δὴ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῶν παίδων οὔκων ἐνώρα, ἀλλά οἱ κατεφαίνετο εἶναι νωθέστερος.
But as time went on, Periander grew past his prime and was conscious within himself that he was no longer able to oversee and manage affairs, so he sent to Corcyra and recalled Lycophron to the tyranny; for in the elder of his sons he saw no capability, but he appeared to him to be rather dull-witted.
ὁ δὲ Λυκόφρων οὐδὲ ἀνακρίσιος ἠξίωσε τὸν φέροντα τὴν ἀγγελίην. Περίανδρος δὲ περιεχόμενος τοῦ νεηνίεω δεύτερα ἀπέστειλε ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τὴν ἀδελφεήν, ἑωυτοῦ δὲ θυγατέρα, δοκέων μιν μάλιστα ταύτῃ ἂν πείθεσθαι.2
But Lycophron did not even deem the bearer of the message worthy of a response. Periander, however, clinging to the youth, sent to him a second time his sister, who was his own daughter, thinking that Lycophron would be most persuaded by her.
ἀπικομένης δὲ ταύτης καὶ λεγούσης, ὦ παῖ, βούλεαι τήν τε τυραννίδα ἐς ἄλλους πεσεῖν καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς διαφορηθέντα μᾶλλον ἢ αὐτός σφεα ἀπελθὼν ἔχειν; ἄπιθι ἐς τὰ οἰκία, παῦσαι σεωυτὸν ζημιῶν.
And when she had arrived, she said: “Brother, do you wish the tyranny to fall into the hands of others, and your father’s house to be plundered, rather than to go back and possess them yourself? Go back to the house; cease punishing yourself.
φιλοτιμίη κτῆμα σκαιόν. μὴ τῷ κακῷ τὸ κακὸν ἰῶ. πολλοὶ τῶν δικαίων τὰ ἐπιεικέστερα προτιθεῖσι, πολλοὶ δὲ ἤδη τὰ μητρώια διζήμενοι τὰ πατρώια ἀπέβαλον. τυραννὶς χρῆμα σφαλερόν, πολλοὶ δὲ αὐτῆς ἐρασταί εἰσι, ὁ δὲ γέρων τε ἤδη καὶ παρηβηκώς· μὴ δῷς τὰ σεωυτοῦ ἀγαθὰ ἄλλοισι.
Ambition is a troublesome possession. Do not cure ill with ill. Many among those who demand justice prefer more moderate terms, and many before now, while seeking their mother’s inheritance, have lost their father’s. Tyranny is a slippery thing, and many are lovers of it, while our father is already old and past his prime; do not give your own goods to others.”
ἣ μὲν δὴ τὰ ἐπαγωγότατα διδαχθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἔλεγε πρὸς αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ ὑποκρινάμενος ἔφη οὐδαμὰ ἥξειν ἐς Κόρινθον, ἔστʼ ἂν πυνθάνηται περιεόντα3 τὸν πατέρα.
She indeed said to him the most persuasive arguments, having been taught by her father; but he in reply said that he would never come to Corinth so long as he should hear that his father was alive.
ἀπαγγειλάσης δὲ ταύτης ταῦτα, τὸ τρίτον Περίανδρος κήρυκα πέμπει βουλόμενος αὐτὸς μὲν ἐς Κέρκυραν ἥκειν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ ἐκέλευε ἐς Κόρινθον ἀπικόμενον διάδοχον γίνεσθαι τῆς τυραννίδος.
And when she had reported this, for the third time Periander sent a herald, wishing himself to come to Corcyra, and bidding him go to Corinth and become his successor in the tyranny.
καταινέσαντος δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοισι τοῦ παιδός, ὁ μὲν Περίανδρος ἐστέλλετο ἐς τὴν Κέρκυραν, ὁ δὲ παῖς οἱ ἐς τὴν Κόρινθον. μαθόντες δὲ οἱ Κερκυραῖοι τούτων ἕκαστα, ἵνα μή σφι Περίανδρος ἐς τὴν χώρην ἀπίκηται, κτείνουσι τὸν νεηνίσκον. ἀντὶ τούτων μὲν Περίανδρος Κερκυραίους ἐτιμωρέετο.
And when the youth had agreed to these terms, Periander prepared to set out for Corcyra, and his son for Corinth on his behalf. But when the Corcyraeans learned each of these things, lest Periander should come to their country, they killed the young man. In return for this, Periander took vengeance on the Corcyraeans.
- 3.53.1συνεγινώσκετο ἑωυτῷ οὐκέτι εἶναι δυνατὸς
A reflexive construction meaning "to be conscious within oneself that...". The predicate adjective of the infinitive, δυνατὸς, is in the nominative case (singular masculine), agreeing with the subject of the main verb (συνεγινώσκετο), because the subject of the infinitive is identical to the subject of the main clause.
- 3.53.2δοκέων μιν μάλιστα ταύτῃ ἂν πείθεσθαι
The particle ἄν with the infinitive πείθεσθαι represents a potential optative (ἂν πείθοιτο) transferred into indirect discourse after δοκέων. μιν (him) is the accusative subject of the infinitive, and ταύτῃ (by her) is the dative of agent or instrument.
- 3.53.5ἔστʼ ἂν πυνθάνηται περιεόντα
The conjunction ἔστ' ἂν with the subjunctive (πυνθάνηται) denotes a temporal limit ("as long as"). The participle περιεόντα (from περιεῖναι, "to survive/be alive") is in the accusative masculine singular, agreeing with τὸν πατέρα, and functions as a supplementary participle after the verb of perception πυνθάνηται, forming an indirect statement.