- 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-grc2:7.209.1-7.209.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-07
Xerxes, unable to comprehend the actions of the Spartans, summons Demaratus for questioning. Demaratus warns the king of the Spartans' resolute determination and their unparalleled strength.
ἀκούων δὲ Ξέρξης οὐκ εἶχε συμβαλέσθαι1 τὸ ἐόν, ὅτι παρασκευάζοιντο ὡς ἀπολεόμενοί τε καὶ ἀπολέοντες2 κατὰ δύναμιν· ἀλλʼ αὐτῷ γελοῖα γὰρ ἐφαίνοντο ποιέειν, μετεπέμψατο Δημάρητον τὸν Ἀρίστωνος ἐόντα ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ·
Hearing this, Xerxes was unable to understand the reality, that they were preparing to die and to kill to the best of their power; but because their actions appeared ridiculous to him, he sent for Demaratus, the son of Ariston, who was in the camp.
ἀπικόμενον δέ μιν εἰρώτα Ξέρξης ἕκαστα τούτων, ἐθέλων μαθεῖν τὸ ποιεύμενον πρὸς τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων. ὁ δὲ εἶπε Ἤκουσας μὲν καὶ πρότερόν μευ, εὖτε ὁρμῶμεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, περὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τούτων, ἀκούσας δὲ γέλωτά με ἔθευ3 λέγοντα τῇ περ ὥρων ἐκβησόμενα πρήγματα ταῦτα· ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὴν ἀληθείην ἀσκέειν ἀντία σεῦ βασιλεῦ ἀγὼν μέγιστος ἐστί.
When he arrived, Xerxes questioned him about each of these things, wishing to understand what was being done by the Lacedaemonians. And Demaratus said: “You heard from me before, when we were setting out against Greece, about these men, but having heard me, you mocked me when I spoke of how these matters would turn out; for to me, O king, to practice the truth before you is a very great struggle.
ἄκουσον δὲ καὶ νῦν· οἱ ἄνδρες οὗτοι ἀπίκαται μαχησόμενοι ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς ἐσόδου, καὶ ταῦτα παρασκευάζονται. νόμος γάρ σφι ἔχων οὕτω ἐστί· ἐπεὰν μέλλωσι κινδυνεύειν τῇ ψυχῇ, τότε τὰς κεφαλὰς κοσμέονται.
Now hear also this: these men have arrived to fight us for the pass, and they are preparing for this. For it is their custom: whenever they are about to hazard their lives, then they adorn their heads.
ἐπίστασο δέ, εἰ τούτους γε καὶ τὸ ὑπομένον ἐν Σπάρτῃ καταστρέψεαι, ἔστι οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων τὸ σὲ βασιλεῦ ὑπομενέει χεῖρας ἀνταειρόμενον· νῦν γὰρ πρὸς βασιληίην τε καὶ καλλίστην πόλιν τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησι προσφέρεαι καὶ ἄνδρας ἀρίστους.
Know this well, if you conquer these men and those who remain in Sparta, there is no other nation of men, O king, that will withstand you by raising their hands against you; for now you are marching against the finest kingdom and city among the Greeks, and against the best of men.”
κάρτα τε δὴ Ξέρξῃ ἄπιστα ἐφαίνετο τὰ λεγόμενα εἶναι, καὶ δεύτερα ἐπειρώτα ὅντινα τρόπον τοσοῦτοι ἐόντες τῇ ἑωυτοῦ στρατιῇ μαχήσονται. ὁ δὲ εἶπε ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐμοὶ χρᾶσθαι4 ὡς ἀνδρὶ ψεύστῃ, ἢν μὴ ταῦτά τοι ταύτῃ ἐκβῇ τῇ ἐγὼ λέγω.
To Xerxes, what was said seemed utterly incredible, and he asked a second time in what manner so few men would fight his army. And Demaratus said: “O king, treat me as a liar if these things do not turn out for you in the way that I say.”
- 7.209.1οὐκ εἶχε συμβαλέσθαι
The verb ἔχω followed by an infinitive expresses capability ("could not", "was unable to"). Here, συμβαλέσθαι means "to conjecture" or "to comprehend".
- 7.209.1ὡς ἀπολεόμενοί τε καὶ ἀπολέοντες
The future participle with the conjunction ὡς expresses the intention or resolve of the subjects. ἀπολεόμενοι (Ionic for ἀπολούμενοι) is in the middle-passive voice meaning "to die, perish", while ἀπολέοντες (Ionic for ἀπολοῦντες) is in the active voice meaning "to kill, destroy", used here in contrast.
- 7.209.2γέλωτά με ἔθευ
ἔθευ is the Ionic form for the second-person singular aorist middle indicative of τίθημι (Attic ἔθου). The phrase γέλωτά με τίθεμαι forms an idiomatic expression meaning "to make a laughingstock of me".
- 7.209.5ἐμοὶ χρᾶσθαι
An instance of the infinitive used as an imperative (infinitive for imperative). It conveys a self-referential nuance of strong conviction ("treat me as...").