- 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-grc2:7.10D.1-7.10D.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Artabanus urges Xerxes to dissolve the assembly and deliberate by himself to make the best decision, emphasizing that careful planning is paramount regardless of the outcome determined by fortune.
σὺ ὦν μὴ βούλευ1 ἐς κίνδυνον μηδένα τοιοῦτον ἀπικέσθαι μηδεμιῆς ἀνάγκης ἐούσης, ἀλλὰ ἐμοὶ πείθευ. νῦν μὲν τὸν σύλλογον τόνδε διάλυσον· αὖτις δέ, ὅταν τοι δοκέῃ, προσκεψάμενος ἐπὶ σεωυτοῦ προαγόρευε τά τοι δοκέει εἶναι ἄριστα.
Therefore, do not resolve to run into any such danger when there is no necessity, but listen to me. For now, dissolve this assembly; and later, when it seems good to you, after having considered the matter by yourself, declare what seems to you to be best.
τὸ γὰρ εὖ βουλεύεσθαι κέρδος μέγιστον εὑρίσκω ἐόν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐναντιωθῆναί τι θέλει,2 βεβούλευται μὲν οὐδὲν ἧσσον εὖ, ἕσσωται3 δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τύχης τὸ βούλευμα· ὁ δὲ βουλευσάμενος αἰσχρῶς, εἴ οἱ ἡ τύχη ἐπίσποιτο, εὕρημα εὕρηκε, ἧσσον δὲ οὐδέν οἱ κακῶς βεβούλευται.
For I find that to plan well is the greatest gain; for even if something wishes to oppose it, the plan has nonetheless been well laid, though the decision has been defeated by fortune. But he who has planned ill, if fortune should favor him, has found a stroke of luck, but nonetheless his planning was bad.
- 7.10D.1βούλευ
The second-person singular present imperative of the verb βουλεύομαι (to plan, resolve). The standard Attic form βουλεύου becomes βούλευ in the Ionic dialect due to contraction. Here it is used with an infinitive to mean 'resolve to do'.
- 7.10D.2θέλει
Taking the infinitive ἐναντιωθῆναι (to oppose) with an inanimate subject (τι), this is a personifying usage of θέλω meaning 'tends to' or 'wishes to'. It describes an abstract obstacle attempting to stand in the way.
- 7.10D.2ἕσσωται
The third-person singular perfect passive of ἑσσόομαι, the Ionic form of ἡσσάομαι (to be defeated, yield). The subject is τὸ βούλευμα (the plan). It indicates that although the plan itself was well laid, it was defeated by fortune (ἡ τύχη).