- 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-grc2:6.19.1-6.19.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Explains how a double oracle given to the Argives contained a grim prophecy for Miletus, which was fulfilled when the Persians captured the city, enslaved its people, and burned its sanctuary.
χρεωμένοισι γὰρ Ἀργείοισι1 ἐν Δελφοῖσι περὶ σωτηρίης τῆς πόλιος τῆς σφετέρης ἐχρήσθη ἐπίκοινον χρηστήριον, τὸ μὲν ἐς αὐτοὺς τοὺς Ἀργείους φέρον, τὴν δὲ παρενθήκην ἔχρησε ἐς Μιλησίους.2 τὸ μέν νυν ἐς τοὺς Ἀργείους ἔχον, ἐπεὰν κατὰ τοῦτο γένωμαι τοῦ λόγου, τότε μνησθήσομαι· τὰ δὲ τοῖσι Μιλησίοισι οὐ παρεοῦσι ἔχρησε, ἔχει ὧδε. "καὶ τότε δή, Μίλητε κακῶν ἐπιμήχανε ἔργων, πολλοῖσιν δεῖπνόν τε καὶ ἀγλαὰ δῶρα γενήσῃ, σαὶ δʼ ἄλοχοι πολλοῖσι πόδας νίψουσι κομήταις, νηοῦ δʼ ἡμετέρου Διδύμοις ἄλλοισι μελήσει.3"
For when the Argives were inquiring at Delphi concerning the safety of their city, a common oracle was given to them, of which one part referred to the Argives themselves, while the addition that was made referred to the Milesians. Now, the part concerning the Argives, I will mention when I come to that part of my history; but the part which was given to the Milesians, though they were not present, is as follows: “And then indeed, O Miletus, deviser of evil deeds, thou shalt become a feast and splendid gifts to many, and thy wives shall wash the feet of many long-haired men, and our temple at Didyma shall be cared for by others.” “And then indeed, O Miletus, deviser of evil deeds, thou shalt become a feast and splendid gifts to many, and thy wives shall wash the feet of many long-haired men, and our temple at Didyma shall be cared for by others.”
τότε δὴ ταῦτα τοὺς Μιλησίους κατελάμβανε, ὁκότε ἄνδρες μὲν οἱ πλεῦνες ἐκτείνοντο ὑπὸ τῶν Περσέων ἐόντων κομητέων, γυναῖκες δὲ καὶ τέκνα ἐν ἀνδραπόδων λόγῳ ἐγίνοντο,4 ἱρὸν δὲ τὸ ἐν Διδύμοισι καὶ ὁ νηός τε καὶ τὸ χρηστήριον. συληθέντα ἐνεπίμπρατο. τῶν δʼ ἐν τῷ ἱρῷ τούτῳ χρημάτων πολλάκις μνήμην ἑτέρωθι τοῦ λόγου ἐποιησάμην.
Then indeed did these calamities overtake the Milesians, when most of the men were slain by the Persians, who wear their hair long, and the women and children were reckoned in the class of slaves, and the sanctuary at Didyma, both the temple and the oracle, was plundered and burnt. Of the treasures in this temple I have made mention many times elsewhere in my history. Then indeed did these calamities overtake the Milesians, when most of the men were slain by the Persians, who wear their hair long, and the women and children were reckoned in the class of slaves, and the sanctuary at Didyma, both the temple and the oracle, was plundered and burnt. Of the treasures in this temple I have made mention many times elsewhere in my history.
- 6.19.1χρεωμένοισι ... Ἀργείοισι
A dative participle of χράομαι. It functions as a dative of reference or interest (or a temporal dative of circumstance) modifying the passive/impersonal verb ἐχρήσθη ('an oracle was delivered').
- 6.19.1τὴν δὲ παρενθήκην ἔχρησε ἐς Μιλησίους
The noun παρενθήκη means 'addition' or 'digression'. The subject of the active verb ἔχρησε is implicitly the god (Apollo, or the Pythia), meaning 'the god delivered the addition concerning the Milesians.'
- 6.19.2νηοῦ δʼ ἡμετέρου Διδύμοις ἄλλοισι μελήσει
A construction using the future form μελήσει of the impersonal verb μέλει ('to care for'). The object of care (the temple) is in the genitive νηοῦ, and the agents are in the dative ἄλλοισι. Διδύμοις is a locative dative meaning 'at Didyma'.
- 6.19.3ἐν ἀνδραπόδων λόγῳ ἐγίνοντο
An idiomatic expression ἐν λόγῳ γίνομαι meaning 'to be reckoned in the number/class of'. Here, it means 'they were reduced to the status of slaves.'