- 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-grc2:7.47.1-7.47.2
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Xerxes cuts short the discussion on the hardships of life and asks Artabanus if he would have maintained his opposition without the vivid dream-vision; Artabanus replies that he remains filled with fear, seeing two of the greatest things as most hostile.
Ξέρξης δὲ ἀμείβετο λέγων Ἀρτάβανε, βιοτῆς μέν νυν ἀνθρωπηίης πέρι, ἐούσης τοιαύτης οἵην περ σὺ διαιρέαι1 εἶναι, παυσώμεθα, μηδὲ κακῶν μεμνώμεθα χρηστὰ ἔχοντες πρήγματα ἐν χερσί, φράσον δέ μοι τόδε· εἴ τοι ἡ ὄψις τοῦ ἐνυπνίου μὴ ἐναργὴς οὕτω ἐφάνη, εἶχες ἂν2 τὴν ἀρχαίην γνώμην, οὐκ ἐῶν με στρατεύεσθαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ἢ μετέστης ἄν; φέρε τοῦτό μοι ἀτρεκέως εἰπέ.
Xerxes answered, saying: “Artabanus, concerning human life, although it is indeed such as you describe it to be, let us cease speaking of it, and let us not remember evils since we have good affairs in our hands. But tell me this: if the vision of the dream had not appeared so clearly to you, would you have held your former opinion, not permitting me to march against Greece, or would you have changed your mind? Come, tell me this truly.”
ὁ δὲ ἀμείβετο λέγων ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὄψις μὲν ἡ ἐπιφανεῖσα τοῦ ὀνείρου ὡς βουλόμεθα ἀμφότεροι τελευτήσειε, ἐγὼ δʼ ἔτι καὶ ἐς τόδε δείματος εἰμὶ ὑπόπλεος οὐδʼ ἐντὸς ἐμεωυτοῦ,3 ἄλλα τε πολλὰ ἐπιλεγόμενος καὶ δὴ καὶ ὁρῶν τοι δύο τὰ μέγιστα πάντων ἐόντα πολεμιώτατα.4
And he answered, saying: “O King, may the vision of the dream that appeared turn out as we both wish. But I am still even to this point full of fear and not in control of myself, both because I am reflecting on many other things and especially because I see that two of the greatest things of all are most hostile to you.”
- 7.47.1διαιρέαι
The second-person singular present middle indicative of διαιρέω (to divide, define, analyze), in the Ionic form corresponding to Attic διαιρῇ. It refers to the analysis of life's misery that Artabanus gave in the previous section, meaning 'as you define (or describe) it to be.'
- 7.47.1εἶχες ἂν ... ἢ μετέστης ἂν
The apodoses of a past contrary-to-fact conditional. The protasis is εἰ ... μὴ ... ἐφάνη (aorist indicative), representing a condition contrary to past fact ('if the vision had not appeared'). In the apodoses, the imperfect with ἄν (εἶχες ἂν) represents a continuing state ('would you have held your opinion'), while the aorist with ἄν (μετέστης ἂν) represents a change of state ('or would you have changed your mind'), showing a precise distinction of aspects.
- 7.47.2οὐδʼ ἐντὸς ἐμεωυτοῦ
Literally 'not even within myself,' an idiomatic expression meaning 'out of my mind,' 'beside myself with fear,' or 'not in control of my senses,' indicating extreme anxiety or agitation.
- 7.47.2δύο τὰ μέγιστα πάντων ἐόντα πολεμιώτατα
The participle ἐόντα (present participle of εἰμί, Ionic for Attic ὄντα) functions as a predicative participle after the verb of perception ὁρῶν (present participle of ὁράω), meaning 'seeing that they are most hostile.' The enclitic dative τοι acts as a dative of reference or ethical dative ('for you,' 'in your eyes').