- 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-grc2:8.106.1-8.106.4
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-08
Hermotimus meets his castrator Panionius in Atarneus and, by deceitful promises, lures him and his family into his hands. He exacts a gruesome vengeance by forcing Panionius to castrate his own sons, and then forcing the sons to castrate Panionius himself.
ὡς δὲ τὸ στράτευμα τὸ Περσικὸν ὅρμα1 βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὰς Ἀθήνας ἐὼν ἐν Σάρδισι, ἐνθαῦτα καταβὰς κατὰ δή τι πρῆγμα ὁ Ἑρμότιμος ἐς γῆν τὴν Μυσίην, τὴν Χῖοι μὲν νέμονται Ἀταρνεὺς δὲ καλέεται, εὑρίσκει τὸν Πανιώνιον ἐνθαῦτα.
When the Persian army was setting out against Athens and the king was in Sardis, Hermotimus, having gone down on some business or other to the Mysian land, which the Chians possess and is called Atarneus, found Panionius there.
ἐπιγνοὺς δὲ ἔλεγε πρὸς αὐτὸν πολλοὺς καὶ φιλίους λόγους, πρῶτα μέν οἱ καταλέγων ὅσα αὐτὸς διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἔχοι ἀγαθά, δεύτερα δέ οἱ ὑπισχνεύμενος ἀντὶ τούτων ὅσα μιν ἀγαθὰ ποιήσει ἢν κομίσας τοὺς οἰκέτας οἰκέῃ ἐκείνῃ, ὥστε ὑποδεξάμενον ἄσμενον τοὺς λόγους τὸν Πανιώνιον κομίσαι2 τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα.
Recognizing him, he spoke many friendly words to him, first enumerating to him how many good things he himself had thanks to him, and secondly promising him in return for these how many good things he would do for him if he brought his household and lived there; with the result that Panionius, gladly accepting his words, brought his children and his wife.
ὡς δὲ ἄρα πανοικίῃ μιν περιέλαβε, ἔλεγε ὁ Ἑρμότιμος τάδε. ὦ πάντων ἀνδρῶν ἤδη μάλιστα ἀπʼ ἔργων ἀνοσιωτάτων τὸν βίον κτησάμενε, τί σε ἐγὼ κακὸν ἢ αὐτὸς ἢ τῶν ἐμῶν τίς σε προγόνων ἐργάσατο, ἢ σὲ ἢ τῶν σῶν τινα, ὅτι με ἀντʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐποίησας τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι;3 ἐδόκεές τε θεοὺς λήσειν οἷα ἐμηχανῶ τότε· οἳ σε ποιήσαντα ἀνόσια, νόμῳ δικαίῳ χρεώμενοι, ὑπήγαγον ἐς χεῖρας τὰς ἐμάς, ὥστε σε μὴ μέμψασθαι τὴν ἀπʼ ἐμέο τοι ἐσομένην δίκην.4
When he had thus got him in his power along with his whole household, Hermotimus said these words: “O you who of all men have made your living from the most impious deeds, what evil did I myself or any of my ancestors do to you, or to any of yours, that you made me nothing instead of a man? Did you think that you would escape the notice of the gods in what you were plotting then? They, using a just law, have delivered you, who did impious things, into my hands, so that you cannot complain of the justice that will come to you from me.”
ὡς δέ οἱ ταῦτα ὠνείδισε, ἀχθέντων τῶν παίδων ἐς ὄψιν5 ἠναγκάζετο ὁ Πανιώνιος τῶν ἑωυτοῦ παίδων τεσσέρων ἐόντων τὰ αἰδοῖα ἀποτάμνειν, ἀναγκαζόμενος δὲ ἐποίεε ταῦτα· αὐτοῦ τε, ὡς ταῦτα ἐργάσατο, οἱ παῖδες ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἀπέταμνον.6 Πανιώνιον μέν νυν οὕτω περιῆλθε ἥ τε τίσις καὶ Ἑρμότιμος.
When he had reproached him with these things, the children were brought into sight, and Panionius was forced to cut off the genitals of his own children, who were four in number; and being forced, he did this. And when he had done this, his children, being forced, cut off his own. Thus it was that vengeance and Hermotimus overtook Panionius.
- 8.106.1ὅρμα
Ionic form of ὥρμα (imperfect indicative active 3rd singular of ὁρμάω). It can be interpreted either intransitively with "the Persian army" (τὸ στράτευμα τὸ Περσικὸν) as the subject ("was setting out"), or transitively with "the king" (βασιλεύς) as the subject ("was putting the army in motion"). This translation treats the clause with "the army" as the subject of the motion or the king actively starting the march.
- 8.106.2ὥστε ὑποδεξάμενον ἄσμενον τοὺς λόγους τὸν Πανιώνιον κομίσαι
A result clause introduced by the conjunction ὥστε, where the accusative τὸν Πανιώνιον acts as the subject of the infinitive κομίσαι. The participle ὑποδεξάμενον and the adjective ἄσμενον (functioning adverbially, "gladly") agree in case with this subject.
- 8.106.3ὅτι με ἀντʼ ἀνδρὸς ἐποίησας τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι
The conjunction ὅτι introduces the ground for the preceding indignant question ("in that you made me..."). The articular infinitive phrase τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι ("to be nothing / non-existence") functions as the object complement or result of ἐποίησας ("you made me, instead of a man, to be nothing").
- 8.106.3ὥστε σε μὴ μέμψασθαι τὴν ἀπʼ ἐμέο τοι ἐσομένην δίκην
A result or purpose clause introduced by ὥστε with the negative infinitive μὴ μέμψασθαι ("so that you cannot complain of..."). The genitive ἀπʼ ἐμέο (Ionic for ἐμοῦ, "from me") and the dative τοι (for σοι, "to you") modify the future participle ἐσομένην, which in turn attributes δίκην ("justice/punishment").
- 8.106.4ἀχθέντων τῶν παίδων ἐς ὄψιν
A genitive absolute construction using the aorist passive participle of ἄγω (to lead/bring), expressing the temporal circumstance: "when the children had been brought into his presence."
- 8.106.4αὐτού τε, ὡς ταῦτα ἐργάσατο, οἱ παῖδες ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἀπέταμνον
The genitive pronoun αὐτοῦ ("his own") depends on the omitted object "genitals" (τὰ αἰδοῖα) from the preceding clause, meaning "they cut off his own (genitals)." Alternatively, it could be taken as a direct genitive object of the action of castration, but the context clearly implies the reversal of the castration onto Panionius himself.