- 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-grc2:4.14.1-4.14.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Relates the legend that Aristeas was reported dead in a fuller's shop in Proconnesus, but his body vanished, and he reappeared seven years later to compose his epic.
καὶ ὅθεν μὲν ἦν Ἀριστέης ὁ ταῦτα εἴπας, εἴρηκα, τὸν δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἤκουον λόγον ἐν Προκοννήσῳ καί Κυζίκῳ, λέξω. Ἀριστέην γὰρ λέγουσι,1 ἐόντα τῶν ἀστῶν οὐδενὸς γένος2 ὑποδεέστερον, ἐσελθόντα ἐς κναφήιον ἐν Προκοννήσῳ ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ τόν κναφέα κατακληίσαντα τὸ ἐργαστήριον οἴχεσθαι ἀγγελέοντα τοῖσι προσήκουσι τῷ νεκρῷ.
Now, whence Aristeas who said these things was, I have already told; but the story which I heard about him in Proconnesus and Cyzicus, I will relate. For they say that Aristeas, who was in birth inferior to none of the citizens, entered into a fuller’s shop in Proconnesus and died there; and the fuller, having locked up his workshop, went away to report the matter to the relatives of the dead man.
ἐσκεδασμένου δὲ ἤδη τοῦ λόγου ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν ὡς τεθνεώς εἴη ὁ Ἀριστέης, ἐς ἀμφισβασίας τοῖσι λέγουσι ἀπικνέεσθαι3 ἄνδρα Κυζικηνὸν ἥκοντα ἐξ Ἀρτάκης πόλιος, φάντα συντυχεῖν τε οἱ4 ἰόντι ἐπὶ Κυζίκου καὶ ἐς λόγους ἀπικέσθαι. καὶ τοῦτον μὲν ἐντεταμένως ἀμφισβατέειν, τοὺς δὲ προσήκοντας τῷ νεκρῷ ἐπὶ τὸ κναφήιον παρεῖναι ἔχοντας τὰ πρόσφορα ὡς ἀναιρησομένους·5
But when the story had already spread through the city that Aristeas was dead, a man of Cyzicus who had come from the city of Artace arrived and entered into dispute with those who said so, saying that he had met Aristeas going towards Cyzicus and had spoken with him. While this man was disputing vehemently, the relatives of the dead man arrived at the fuller’s shop, bringing what was necessary to carry him away.
ἀνοιχθέντος δὲ τοῦ οἰκήματος οὔτε τεθνεῶτα οὔτε ζῶντα φαίνεσθαι Ἀριστέην. μετὰ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει φανέντα αὐτὸν ἐς Προκόννησον ποιῆσαι τὰ ἔπεα ταῦτα τὰ νῦν ὑπʼ Ἑλλήνων Ἀριμάσπεα καλέεται, ποιήσαντα δὲ ἀφανισθῆναι τὸ δεύτερον.
But when the room was opened, Aristeas was nowhere to be seen, neither dead nor alive. In the seventh year after that, he appeared in Proconnesus and composed those epic verses which are now called by the Greeks the ‘Arimaspea,’ and having composed them, disappeared for the second time.
- 4.14.1λέγουσι
The indirect speech introduced by this verb λέγουσι (they say) continues through to the final infinitive ἀφανισθῆναι in 4.14.3, indicating that the entire sequence of events is presented as hearsay or legend current in Proconnesus and Cyzicus.
- 4.14.1γένος
An accusative of specification (or relationship) modifying the comparative adjective ὑποδεέστερον (inferior), meaning 'in respect of birth' or 'by birth'.
- 4.14.2ἀπικνέεσθαι
Part of the accusative and infinitive construction in indirect discourse, with ἄνδρα Κυζικηνὸν (a Cyzicene man) as its subject accusative, dependent on the main verb λέγουσι (4.14.1).
- 4.14.2οἱ
The dative singular personal pronoun, functioning as an indirect reflexive referring to Aristeas himself; it serves as the object of συντυχεῖν (to meet) along with the participle ἰόντι (going).
- 4.14.2ὡς ἀναιρησομένους
The conjunction ὡς combined with the future participle (middle voice) expressing the subjective purpose of the subject of the clause (the relatives): 'with the intention of carrying away (the body)'.