- 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-grc2:8.142.1-8.142.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
Following Alexander's speech, the Spartan envoys speak and entreat the Athenians not to make an agreement with the Persians. Emphasizing Athens' responsibility for initiating the war, they offer to support their non-combatants and warn them against the deceptive words of the Persians.
ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λέγων Ἀλέξανδρος, διαδεξάμενοι ἔλεγον οἱ ἀπὸ Σπάρτης ἄγγελοι ἡμέας δὲ ἔπεμψαν Λακεδαιμόνιοι δεησομένους1 ὑμέων μήτε νεώτερον ποιέειν μηδὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλάδα μήτε λόγους ἐνδέκεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ βαρβάρου.
When Alexander had finished speaking, the envoys from Sparta took their turn and spoke: “The Lacedaemonians sent us to entreat you neither to make any new move in Greece nor to accept proposals from the barbarian.
οὔτε γὰρ δίκαιον οὐδαμῶς οὔτε κόσμον φέρον οὔτε γε ἄλλοισι Ἑλλήνων οὐδαμοῖσι, ὑμῖν δὲ δὴ καὶ διὰ πάντων ἥκιστα2 πολλῶν εἵνεκα. ἠγείρατε γὰρ τόνδε τὸν πόλεμον ὑμεῖς οὐδὲν ἡμέων βουλομένων, καὶ περὶ τῆς ὑμετέρης3 ἀρχῆθεν ὁ ἀγὼν ἐγένετο, νῦν δὲ φέρει καὶ ἐς πᾶσαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα·
For that would be in no way just nor bring honor to any other of the Greeks, and least of all to you, and that for many reasons. For you yourselves stirred up this war when we did not wish it at all, and the struggle was at first for your own territory, but now it extends to the whole of Greece.
ἄλλως τε τούτων ἁπάντων αἰτίους γενέσθαι δουλοσύνης τοῖσι Ἕλλησι Ἀθηναίους οὐδαμῶς ἀνασχετόν, οἵτινες αἰεὶ καὶ τὸ πάλαι φαίνεσθε πολλοὺς ἐλευθερώσαντες ἀνθρώπων. πιεζευμένοισι μέντοι ὑμῖν συναχθόμεθα, καὶ ὅτι καρπῶν ἐστερήθητε διξῶν ἤδη καὶ ὅτι οἰκοφθόρησθε χρόνον ἤδη πολλόν.
Moreover, that the Athenians, who from of old have always visibly liberated many people, should become the cause of slavery for the Greeks is in no way to be tolerated. Nevertheless, we sympathize with you in your distress, both because you have already been deprived of two harvests and because you have been ruined in your homes for a long time now.
ἀντὶ τούτων δὲ ὑμῖν Λακεδαιμόνιοί τε καὶ οἱ σύμμαχοι ἐπαγγέλλονται γυναῖκάς τε καὶ τὰ ἐς πόλεμον ἄχρηστα οἰκετέων ἐχόμενα4 πάντα ἐπιθρέψειν, ἔστʼ ἂν ὁ πόλεμος ὅδε συνεστήκῃ. μηδὲ ὑμέας Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδὼν ἀναγνώσῃ,5 λεήνας τὸν Μαρδονίου λόγον.
In return for these things, the Lacedaemonians and their allies promise to sustain your women and all those of your households who are useless for war, as long as this war shall last. And let not Alexander the Macedonian persuade you, smoothing over the words of Mardonius.
τούτῳ μὲν γὰρ ταῦτα ποιητέα6 ἐστί· τύραννος γὰρ ἐὼν τυράννῳ συγκατεργάζεται· ὑμῖν δὲ οὐ ποιητέα, εἴ περ εὖ τυγχάνετε φρονέοντες, ἐπισταμένοισι ὡς βαρβάροισι ἐστὶ οὔτε πιστὸν οὔτε ἀληθὲς οὐδέν. ταῦτα ἔλεξαν οἱ ἄγγελοι.
For he must needs do this; since, being a tyrant himself, he helps a tyrant. But you must not do so, if indeed you are well-minded, knowing as you do that in barbarians there is neither faith nor truth at all.” Thus spoke the envoys.
- 8.142.1δεησομένους
Accusative plural of the future participle. Used with the verb ἔπεμψαν (sent) to express purpose ('to entreat').
- 8.142.2ὑμῖν δὲ δὴ καὶ διὰ πάντων ἥκιστα
Depends on the impersonal expressions in the preceding clause (δίκαιον [ἐστί] and κόσμον φέρον [ἐστί]). The dative ὑμῖν and the strengthened superlative διὰ πάντων ἥκιστα (least of all) mean 'least of all for you'.
- 8.142.2τῆς ὑμετέρης
Feminine genitive possessive adjective, where a noun like γῆς (land, territory) or ἡγεμονίης (hegemony) is omitted and understood from the context.
- 8.142.4οἰκετέων ἐχόμενα
An idiomatic construction of the verb ἔχομαι with the genitive, meaning 'belonging to' or 'connected with'. Here it refers to 'those belonging to your households (who are useless for war)'.
- 8.142.4ἀναγνώσῃ
Third-person singular aorist active subjunctive of ἀναγινώσκω (persuade, induce). Combined with the negative adverb μηδέ, it forms a third-person prohibition ('let him not persuade').
- 8.142.5ποιητέα
Neuter plural nominative of the verbal adjective ποιητέος (from ποιέω), expressing necessity or obligation ('must be done'). The agent is expressed by the datives τούτῳ and ὑμῖν.