- 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-grc2:4.68.1-4.68.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
When the Scythian king falls ill, diviners are summoned to accuse someone of swearing falsely by the royal hearths; if the accused denies it, more diviners are called to judge, and a majority decision determines whether the accused or the original diviners are executed.
ἐπεὰν δὲ βασιλεὺς ὁ Σκυθέων κάμῃ, μεταπέμπεται τῶν μαντίων ἄνδρας τρεῖς τοὺς εὐδοκιμέοντας μάλιστα, οἳ τρόπῳ τῷ εἰρημένῳ μαντεύονται· καὶ λέγουσι οὗτοι ὡς τὸ ἐπίπαν μάλιστα τάδε, ὡς τὰς βασιληίας ἱστίας ἐπιώρκηκε ὃς καὶ ὅς,1 λέγοντες τῶν ἀστῶν τὸν ἂν δὴ λέγωσι.
When the king of the Scythians falls sick, he sends for three of the most famous diviners, who divine in the manner mentioned above. And these generally declare that such and such a citizen, naming whoever they will, has sworn falsely by the royal hearths.
τὰς δὲ βασιληίας ἱστίας νόμος Σκύθῃσι τὰ μάλιστα ἐστὶ ὀμνύναι τότε ἐπεὰν τὸν μέγιστον ὅρκον ἐθέλωσι ὀμνύναι. αὐτίκα δὲ διαλελαμμένος2 ἄγεται οὗτος τὸν ἂν δὴ φῶσι ἐπιορκῆσαι, ἀπιγμένον δὲ ἐλέγχουσι οἱ μάντιες ὡς ἐπιορκήσας φαίνεται3 ἐν τῇ μαντικῇ τὰς βασιληίας ἱστίας καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ἀλγέει ὁ βασιλεύς· ὁ δὲ ἀρνέεται, οὐ φάμενος ἐπιορκῆσαι, καὶ δεινολογέεται.
It is the custom of the Scythians to swear by the royal hearths above all when they wish to take the most solemn oath. Immediately, the man whom they accuse of false swearing is arrested and brought in; and upon his arrival, the diviners convict him, showing that by their art of divination he appears to have sworn falsely by the royal hearths, and that the king is suffering because of this. But the man denies it, saying that he did not swear falsely, and protests violently against the charge.
ἀρνεομένου δὲ τούτου ὁ βασιλεὺς μεταπέμπεται ἄλλους διπλησίους μάντιας· καὶ ἢν μὲν καὶ οὗτοι ἐσορῶντες ἐς τὴν μαντικὴν καταδήσωσι4 ἐπιορκῆσαι, τοῦ δὲ ἰθέως τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτάμνουσι, καὶ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ διαλαγχάνουσι οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν μαντίων·
If he denies it, the king sends for twice as many other diviners. And if these also, looking into their art, find him guilty of false swearing, they immediately cut off his head, and the first diviners divide his property among themselves.
ἢν δὲ οἱ ἐπελθόντες μάντιες ἀπολύσωσι, ἄλλοι πάρεισι μάντιες καὶ μάλα ἄλλοι. ἢν ὦν οἱ πλεῦνες τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπολύσωσι, δέδοκται τοῖσι πρώτοισι τῶν μαντίων αὐτοῖσι ἀπόλλυσθαι.5
But if the new diviners acquit him, other diviners come, and yet others. If then the majority of them acquit the man, it is decreed that the first diviners themselves must perish.
- 4.68.1ὃς καὶ ὅς
A pronominal expression meaning 'such and such a person' or 'so and so,' used to refer to an indefinite individual without naming them directly.
- 4.68.2διαλελαμμένος
The perfect passive participle of διαλαμβάνω ('to seize on both sides', 'to arrest'), representing the state of being physically apprehended or bound on either side.
- 4.68.2ὡς ἐπιορκήσας φαίνεται
The construction of φαίνεται ('appears, is shown to be') with the participle ἐπιορκήσας ('having sworn falsely'), introduced by ὡς, representing the diviners' assertion that the suspect's guilt is clearly revealed through their art.
- 4.68.3καταδήσωσι
The aorist subjunctive of καταδέω ('to bind down'). In a magical or judicial context, it means 'to bind with guilt' or 'to convict/pronounce guilty' through their divinatory art.
- 4.68.4δέδοκται τοῖσι πρώτοισι τῶν μαντίων αὐτοῖσι ἀπόλλυσθαι
The impersonal perfect δέδοκται ('it has been decreed') followed by the dative of agent/interest (the first diviners themselves) and the present infinitive passive/intransitive ἀπόλλυσθαι ('to perish'), indicating that it is settled that they themselves must be put to death.