- 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-grc2:7.101.1-7.101.3
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-06
After inspecting his forces, Xerxes summons Demaratus and asks whether the Greeks will stand and resist his army. Demaratus asks if he should speak the truth or give a pleasing answer, and Xerxes commands him to speak the truth.
ὡς δὲ καὶ ταύτας διεξέπλωσε καὶ ἐξέβη ἐκ τῆς νεός, μετεπέμψατο Δημάρητον τὸν Ἀρίστωνος συστρατευόμενον αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, καλέσας δʼ αὐτὸν εἴρετο τάδε. Δημάρητε, νῦν μοι σὲ ἡδύ τι ἐστὶ εἰρέσθαι τὰ θέλω. σὺ εἶς Ἕλλην τε, καὶ ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι σεῦ τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων τῶν ἐμοὶ ἐς λόγους ἀπικνεομένων, πόλιος οὔτʼ ἐλαχίστης οὔτʼ ἀσθενεστάτης.1
And when he had sailed past these also and had disembarked from the ship, he sent for Demaratus, the son of Ariston, who was campaigning with him against Greece, and having called him, he asked him these things: “Demaratus, now it is a pleasure for me to ask you what I wish. You are a Greek, and, as I learn from you and from the other Greeks who come to speak with me, from a city that is neither the smallest nor the weakest.
νῦν ὦν μοι τόδε φράσον, εἰ Ἕλληνες ὑπομενέουσι χεῖρας ἐμοὶ ἀνταειρόμενοι. οὐ γάρ, ὡς ἐγὼ δοκέω, οὐδʼ εἰ πάντες Ἕλληνες καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ πρὸς ἑσπέρης οἰκέοντες ἄνθρωποι συλλεχθείησαν, οὐκ2 ἀξιόμαχοι εἰσὶ ἐμὲ ἐπιόντα ὑπομεῖναι, μὴ ἐόντες ἄρθμιοι.
Now therefore tell me this: whether the Greeks will stand their ground and raise their hands against me. For, as I think, not even if all the Greeks and the rest of the people living towards the west were gathered together, would they be strong enough to withstand me as I advance, unless they are united.
θέλω μέντοι καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ σεῦ, ὁκοῖόν τι λέγεις περὶ αὐτῶν, πυθέσθαι. ὃ μὲν ταῦτα εἰρώτα, ὁ δὲ ὑπολαβὼν ἔφη βασιλεῦ, κότερα ἀληθείῃ χρήσωμαι πρὸς σὲ ἢ ἡδονῇ; ὁ δέ μιν ἀληθείῃ χρήσασθαι ἐκέλευε, φὰς οὐδέν οἱ ἀηδέστερον ἔσεσθαι ἢ πρότερον ἦν.3
However, I wish also to learn your own opinion, what kind of thing you say about them.” He asked these things, and the other answered and said: “O King, shall I speak to you with truth, or to please you?” And Xerxes ordered him to speak the truth, saying that he would be in no way less pleasing to him than he was before.
- 7.101.1πόλιος οὔτʼ ἐλαχίστης οὔτʼ ἀσθενεστάτης
The genitive πόλιος (Ionic genitive of πόλις) indicates origin or belonging. It functions as a predicate qualifying the subject σὺ (Demaratus), meaning 'from a city (that is neither the smallest nor the weakest).'
- 7.101.2οὐ γάρ... οὐδʼ εἰ... οὐκ...
Cumulative negation. In Greek, the repetition of negatives (οὐ γάρ... οὐδʼ εἰ... οὐκ...) does not cancel each other out but reinforces the negation, emphasizing Xerxes' strong conviction: 'For, not even if..., are they by any means able...'
- 7.101.3φὰς οὐδέν οἱ ἀηδέστερον ἔσεσθαι ἢ πρότερον ἦν
The subject of the infinitive ἔσεσθαι is Demaratus (omitted as accusative), while the indirect object pronoun οἱ (equivalent to αὐτῷ) refers back to the main subject, Xerxes. Thus it means 'saying that he (Demaratus) would be in no way less pleasing (more unpleasant) to him (Xerxes) than he was before.'