- 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-grc2:4.154.1-4.154.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
The alternative account of Battus by the Cyrenaeans is introduced, depicting how Phronime, daughter of King Etearchus of Oaxus in Crete, is plotted against by her stepmother and ordered to be drowned, but is saved by the merchant Themison and brought to Thera.
ταῦτα δὲ Θηραῖοι λέγουσι, τὰ δʼ ἐπίλοιπα τοῦ λόγου συμφέρονται ἤδη Θηραῖοι Κυρηναίοισι. Κυρηναῖοι γὰρ τὰ περὶ Βάττον οὐδαμῶς ὁμολογέουσι Θηραίοισι λέγουσι γὰρ οὕτω. ἔστι τῆς Κρήτης Ὀαξὸς πόλις, ἐν τῇ ἐγένετο Ἐτέαρχος βασιλεύς, ὃς ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ ἀμήτορι τῇ οὔνομα ἦν Φρονίμη, ἐπὶ ταύτῃ1 ἔγημε ἄλλην γυναῖκα.
These are the things that the Theraeans say, but for the rest of the story, the Theraeans now agree with the Cyrenaeans. For the Cyrenaeans by no means agree with the Theraeans concerning the matters of Battus; for they tell it thus. There is in Crete a city, Oaxus, in which Etearchus became king. He, in addition to a motherless daughter whose name was Phronime, married another woman over her.
ἣ δὲ ἐπεσελθοῦσα ἐδικαίου καὶ τῷ ἔργῳ εἶναι μητρυιὴ τῇ Φρονίμῃ, παρέχουσα τε κακὰ καὶ πᾶν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ μηχανωμένη, καὶ τέλος μαχλοσύνην ἐπενείκασά οἱ πείθει τὸν ἄνδρα ταῦτα ἔχειν οὕτω. ὁ δὲ ἀναγνωσθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἔργον οὐκ ὅσιον ἐμηχανᾶτο ἐπὶ τῇ θυγατρί.
And she, having entered the house, thought it right to be a stepmother to Phronime in very deed also, both causing her trouble and scheming everything against her, and finally, having accused her of wantonness, she persuaded her husband that this was so. And he, persuaded by his wife, schemed an unholy deed against his daughter.
ἦν γὰρ δὴ Θεμίσων ἀνὴρ Θηραῖος ἔμπορος ἐν τῇ Ὀαξῷ· τοῦτον ὁ Ἐτέαρχος παραλαβὼν ἐπὶ ξείνια ἐξορκοῖ ἦ μέν2 οἱ διηκονήσειν ὅ τι ἂν δεηθῇ. ἐπείτε δὴ ἐξώρκωσε, ἀγαγών οἱ παραδιδοῖ τὴν ἑωυτοῦ θυγατέρα καὶ ταύτην ἐκέλευε καταποντῶσαι ἀπαγαγόντα.
For there was indeed a certain Themison, a Theraean merchant, in Oaxus; Etearchus, having received him under the terms of guest-friendship, bound him by oath that he would indeed serve him in whatever he might ask. And when he had bound him by oath, he brought and handed over his own daughter to him and ordered him to take her away and throw her into the sea.
ὁ δὲ Θεμίσων περιημεκτήσας τῇ ἀπάτῃ τοῦ ὅρκου καὶ διαλυσάμενος τὴν ξεινίην ἐποίεε τοιάδε· παραλαβὼν τὴν παῖδα ἀπέπλεε· ὡς δὲ ἐγίνετο ἐν τῷ πελάγεϊ, ἀποσιεύμενος3 τὴν ἐξόρκωσιν τοῦ Ἐτεάρχου, σχοινίοισι αὐτὴν διαδήσας κατῆκε ἐς τὸ πέλαγος, ἀνασπάσας δὲ ἀπίκετο ἐς τὴν Θήρην.
But Themison, being exceedingly vexed at the deceit of the oath and having dissolved the guest-friendship, did as follows: taking the girl, he sailed away; and when he was in the open sea, wishing to clear himself of the oath imposed by Etearchus, he bound her with ropes and let her down into the sea, and having hauled her up again, he arrived at Thera.
- 4.154.1ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ ... ἐπὶ ταύτῃ
The preposition ἐπί with the dative here is used in the sense of 'in addition to' or 'over', indicating that the king married another woman on top of already having a motherless daughter, positioning the stepmother over or against her.
- 4.154.3ἦ μέν
An idiomatic combination of particles introducing a solemn oath or strong affirmation (corresponding to Attic ἦ μήν). Here it introduces the infinitive clause detailing the content of the oath: to perform whatever might be requested.
- 4.154.4ἀποσιεύμενος
A middle participle meaning 'clearing oneself of a religious/moral obligation or pollution.' Here, it expresses Themison's intent to satisfy the letter of the oath imposed by Etearchus (by lowering her into the sea) while saving her from death, thus freeing himself from the guilt and curse of the oath.