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§5.51.1-5.51.3

Bribery of Cleomenes and the Warning of Gorgo

Aristagoras goes to Cleomenes' house to bribe him, but Cleomenes' young daughter, Gorgo, warns her father, leading Cleomenes to reject the bribe and Aristagoras to depart from Sparta.

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§5.51.1

ὁ μὲν Κλεομένης ταῦτα εἴπας ἤιε ἐς τὰ οἰκία, ὁ δὲ Ἀρισταγόρης λαβὼν ἱκετηρίην ἤιε ἐς τοῦ Κλεομένεος,1 ἐσελθὼν δὲ ἔσω ἅτε ἱκετεύων ἐπακοῦσαι ἐκέλευε τὸν Κλεομένεα ἀποπέμψαντα2 τὸ παιδίον· προσεστήκεε γὰρ δὴ τῷ Κλεομένεϊ ἡ θυγάτηρ, τῇ οὔνομα ἦν Γοργώ· τοῦτο δέ οἱ καὶ μοῦνον τέκνον ἐτύγχανε ἐὸν ἐτέων ὀκτὼ ἢ ἐννέα ἡλικίην.3 Κλεομένης δὲ λέγειν μιν ἐκέλευε τὰ βούλεται μηδὲ ἐπισχεῖν τοῦ παιδίου εἵνεκα.

​Cleomenes, having said this, went to his house; but Aristagoras, taking a suppliant’s branch, went to Cleomenes’ house. Having entered inside, as a suppliant he urged Cleomenes to send the child away and listen to him; for his daughter, whose name was Gorgo, was standing by Cleomenes. She happened to be his only child, about eight or nine years of age. But Cleomenes told him to say what he wished and not to hesitate on account of the child.

§5.51.2

ἐνθαῦτα δὴ ὁ Ἀρισταγόρης ἄρχετο ἐκ δέκα ταλάντων ὑπισχνεόμενος, ἤν οἱ ἐπιτελέσῃ τῶν ἐδέετο. ἀνανεύοντος δὲ τοῦ Κλεομένεος προέβαινε τοῖσι χρήμασι ὑπερβάλλων ὁ Ἀρισταγόρης, ἐς οὗ4 πεντήκοντά τε τάλαντα ὑπεδέδεκτο καὶ τὸ παιδίον ηὐδάξατο πάτερ, διαφθερέει σε ὁ ξεῖνος, ἢν μὴ ἀποστὰς ἴῃς.

​Thereupon Aristagoras began by promising ten talents, if he would accomplish for him what he requested. When Cleomenes shook his head in refusal, Aristagoras went on increasing the money, until he had promised fifty talents, and the child spoke out: “Father, the stranger will corrupt you, if you do not go away and leave him.”

§5.51.3

ὅ τε δὴ Κλεομένης ἡσθεὶς τοῦ παιδίου τῇ παραινέσι ἤιε ἐς ἕτερον οἴκημα, καὶ ὁ Ἀρισταγόρης ἀπαλλάσσετο τὸ παράπαν ἐκ τῆς Σπάρτης, οὐδέ οἱ ἐξεγένετο ἐπὶ πλέον ἔτι σημῆναι περὶ τῆς ἀνόδου τῆς παρὰ βασιλέα.

​Cleomenes, pleased with the child’s advice, went into another room, and Aristagoras departed altogether from Sparta, nor did it lie in his power to explain any further about the journey inland to the King.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 5.51.1ἐς τοῦ Κλεομένεος

    Meaning "to Cleomenes' (house)". The noun οἰκία (house) or οἴκημα (dwelling) is omitted, with the genitive τοῦ Κλεομένεος standing alone as the object of the preposition ἐς.

  2. 5.51.1ἀποπέμψαντα

    Accusative participle agreeing with τὸν Κλεομένεα, which is the logical subject of the infinitive ἐπακοῦσαι. It expresses the prior action required of Cleomenes: "sending the child away (and then listening)."

  3. 5.51.1ἐτύγχανε ἐὸν ἐτέων ὀκτὼ ἢ ἐννέα ἡλικίην

    The verb τυγχάνω with the participle ἐών (from εἰμί) forms the construction "happened to be." ἐτέων ὀκτὼ ἢ ἐννέα is a genitive of quality/age, and ἡλικίην is an accusative of respect/limitation ("with respect to age").

  4. 5.51.2ἐς οὗ

    Functioning as a conjunction meaning "until." This is a contracted expression arising from ἐς τοῦτο χρόνου ἐν ᾧ (up to the point in time when).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.51.1-5.51.3