- 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-grc2:6.69.1-6.69.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Demaratus' mother reveals the truth that on the third night of her marriage, a phantom resembling Ariston (the hero Astrobacus) visited her and she conceived, explaining that her enemies exploit Ariston's ignorant words uttered because Demaratus was born at seven months.
ὃ μὲν δὴ τοιαῦτα ἔλεγε, ἣ δὲ ἀμείβετο τοῖσιδε. ὦ παῖ, ἐπείτε με λιτῇσι μετέρχεαι εἰπεῖν τὴν ἀληθείην, πᾶν ἐς σὲ κατειρήσεται τὠληθές. ὥς1 με ἠγάγετο Ἀρίστων ἐς ἑωυτοῦ, νυκτὶ τρίτῃ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἦλθέ μοι φάσμα εἰδόμενον Ἀρίστωνι, συνευνηθὲν δὲ τοὺς στεφάνους τοὺς εἶχε ἐμοὶ περιετίθεε.
Thus he spoke, and she answered him with these words: “My son, since you entreat me with prayers to tell you the truth, the whole truth shall be declared to you. When Ariston had brought me to his own house, on the third night from the first, there came to me a phantom resembling Ariston, and having slept with me, it placed on me the garlands which it had.
καὶ τὸ μὲν οἰχώκεε, ἧκε δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα Ἀρίστων. ὡς δέ με εἶδε ἔχουσαν στεφάνους, εἰρώτα τίς εἴη μοι ὁ δούς· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐφάμην ἐκεῖνον, ὁ δὲ οὐκ ὑπεδέκετο. ἐγὼ δὲ κατωμνύμην φαμένη αὐτὸν οὐ ποιέειν καλῶς ἀπαρνεόμενον· ὀλίγῳ γὰρ τι πρότερον ἐλθόντα καὶ συνευνηθέντα δοῦναί μοι τοὺς στεφάνους.
And when this had gone, Ariston came after this. When he saw me having the garlands, he asked who it was that had given them to me; and I said it was he, but he denied it. And I swore an oath, saying that he did not do well to deny it; for having come and slept with me a little while before, he had given me the garlands.
ὁρέων δέ με κατομνυμένην ὁ Ἀρίστων ἔμαθε ὡς θεῖον εἴη τὸ πρῆγμα. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν οἱ στέφανοι ἐφάνησαν ἐόντες ἐκ τοῦ ἡρωίου τοῦ παρὰ τῇσι θύρῃσι τῇσι αὐλείῃσι ἱδρυμένου, τὸ καλέουσι Ἀστροβάκου, τοῦτο δὲ2 οἱ μάντιες τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον ἥρωα ἀναίρεον εἶναι.
Seeing me swearing this oath, Ariston perceived that the matter was divine. And on the one hand, the garlands were found to have come from the shrine of the hero which is established by the courtyard doors, whom they call Astrobacus; and on the other hand, the seers declared that this same hero was the one who had come.
οὕτω ὦ παῖ ἔχεις πᾶν, ὅσον τι καὶ βούλεαι πυθέσθαι· ἢ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ἥρωος τούτου γέγονας, καί τοι πατήρ ἐστι Ἀστρόβακος ὁ ἥρως, ἢ Ἀρίστων· ἐν γάρ σε τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ἀναιρέομαι.3 τῇ δέ σευ μάλιστα κατάπτονται οἱ ἐχθροί, λέγοντες ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀρίστων, ὅτε αὐτῷ σὺ ἠγγέλθης γεγενημένος, πολλῶν ἀκουόντων οὐ φήσειέ σε ἑωυτοῦ εἶναι ʽτὸν χρόνον γάρ, τοὺς δέκα μῆνας, οὐδέκω ἐξήκειν̓, ἀιδρείῃ τῶν τοιούτων κεῖνος τοῦτο ἀπέρριψε τὸ ἔπος.
Thus, my son, you have all that you wish to learn; for either you are begotten of this hero, and your father is the hero Astrobacus, or else your father is Ariston; for I conceived you on that very night. And as for the point on which your enemies especially attack you, saying that Ariston himself, when your birth was announced to him, said in the hearing of many that you were not his because the time of ten months had not yet run out—he let fall that word in ignorance of such matters.
τίκτουσι γὰρ γυναῖκες καὶ ἐννεάμηνα καὶ ἑπτάμηνα, καὶ οὐ πᾶσαι δέκα μῆνας ἐκτελέσασαι· ἐγὼ δὲ σὲ ὦ παῖ ἑπτάμηνον ἔτεκον. ἔγνω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀρίστων οὐ μετὰ πολλὸν χρόνον ὡς ἀνοίῃ τὸ ἔπος ἐκβάλοι τοῦτο. λόγους δὲ ἄλλους περὶ γενέσιος τῆς σεωυτοῦ μὴ δέκεο· τὰ γὰρ ἀληθέστατα πάντα ἀκήκοας. ἐκ δὲ ὀνοφορβῶν αὐτῷ τε Λευτυχίδῃ καὶ τοῖσι ταῦτα λέγουσι τίκτοιεν αἱ γυναῖκες παῖδας.
For women bear children both at nine months and at seven months, and not all complete ten months; and I bore you, my son, at seven months. And Ariston himself also realized not long afterwards that he had let fall this word out of folly. Therefore receive no other stories about your birth; for you have heard the whole truth. And as for Leotychides himself and those who say these things, may their wives bear children to them from ass-herds!”
- 6.69.1ὥς
The conjunction ὥς introduces a temporal clause, meaning "when." This usage is characteristic of the Ionic dialect, corresponding to ἐπεί or ὅτε in Attic Greek.
- 6.69.3τοῦτο μὲν ... τοῦτο δὲ
A correlative adverbial expression meaning "on the one hand ... on the other hand" (equivalent to τὸ μὲν ... τὸ δὲ ...). It structures the contrasting elements of the sentence.
- 6.69.4ἀναιρέομαι
The middle voice of the verb ἀναιρέω (to take up, receive), used here in the sense of "to conceive (a child)." The present tense vividly presents a definite past event whose outcome persists.