- 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-grc2:8.144.1-8.144.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-09
The Athenians assert their unwavering refusal to compromise with the Persians, citing their shared Greek heritage and duty to the gods, and urgently request Sparta to dispatch their army.
πρὸς μὲν Ἀλέξανδρον ταῦτα ὑπεκρίναντο, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ Σπάρτης ἀγγέλους τάδε. τὸ μὲν δεῖσαι1 Λακεδαιμονίους μὴ ὁμολογήσωμεν τῷ βαρβάρῳ, κάρτα ἀνθρωπήιον ἦν· ἀτὰρ αἰσχρῶς γε οἴκατε ἐξεπιστάμενοι τὸ Ἀθηναίων φρόνημα ἀρρωδῆσαι, ὅτι οὔτε χρυσός ἐστι γῆς οὐδαμόθι τοσοῦτος οὔτε χώρη κάλλεϊ καὶ ἀρετῇ μέγα ὑπερφέρουσα, τὰ ἡμεῖς δεξάμενοι2 ἐθέλοιμεν ἂν μηδίσαντες καταδουλῶσαι τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
To Alexander they gave this answer, but to the envoys from Sparta the following: “That the Lacedaemonians should fear lest we make an agreement with the barbarian was indeed very human; yet it is a shameful thing that you, who knew well the spirit of the Athenians, should have been afraid—seeing that there is nowhere on earth so much gold, nor any land so outstanding in beauty and fertility, that we would be willing to accept it in order to side with the Mede and enslave Greece.
πολλά τε γὰρ καὶ μεγάλα ἐστι τὰ διακωλύοντα ταῦτα μὴ ποιέειν μηδʼ ἢν ἐθέλωμεν, πρῶτα μὲν καὶ μέγιστα τῶν θεῶν τὰ ἀγάλματα καὶ τὰ οἰκήματα ἐμπεπρησμένα τε καὶ συγκεχωσμένα, τοῖσι3 ἡμέας ἀναγκαίως ἔχει τιμωρέειν ἐς τὰ μέγιστα μᾶλλον ἤ περ ὁμολογέειν τῷ ταῦτα ἐργασαμένῳ, αὖτις δὲ τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν ἐὸν ὅμαιμόν τε καὶ ὁμόγλωσσον καὶ θεῶν ἱδρύματά τε κοινὰ καὶ θυσίαι ἤθεά τε ὁμότροπα, τῶν προδότας γενέσθαι Ἀθηναίους οὐκ ἂν εὖ ἔχοι.
For there are many and great things that prevent us from doing this, even if we wished to do so. First and greatest, the statues and temples of the gods, burned and thrown into ruins, which we must of necessity avenge to the utmost, rather than make terms with the one who did these things. And next, the Greek nation, being of one blood and one tongue, having common shrines of the gods and sacrifices, and similar customs, to which it would not be well for the Athenians to become traitors.
ἐπίστασθέ τε οὕτω, εἰ μὴ πρότερον ἐτυγχάνετε ἐπιστάμενοι, ἔστʼ ἂν καὶ εἷς περιῇ Ἀθηναίων, μηδαμὰ ὁμολογήσοντας ἡμέας4 Ξέρξῃ. ὑμέων μέντοι ἀγάμεθα τὴν προνοίην τὴν πρὸς ἡμέας ἐοῦσαν, ὅτι προείδετε ἡμέων οἰκοφθορημένων οὕτω ὥστε ἐπιθρέψαι ἐθέλειν ἡμέων τοὺς οἰκέτας.
Know then, if you did not happen to know it before, that as long as even one of the Athenians remains alive, we will never make an agreement with Xerxes. We do, however, admire your forethought toward us, in that you made provision for us when our homes were ruined, wishing to support our households.
καὶ ὑμῖν μὲν ἡ χάρις ἐκπεπλήρωται, ἡμεῖς μέντοι λιπαρήσομεν οὕτω ὅκως ἂν ἔχωμεν, οὐδὲν λυπέοντες ὑμέας. νῦν δέ, ὡς οὕτω ἐχόντων, στρατιὴν ὡς τάχιστα ἐκπέμπετε.
On your part, the kindness is fully completed; but we shall hold out as best we can, without causing you any trouble. And now, since things are so, send out your army as quickly as possible.
ὡς γὰρ ἡμεῖς εἰκάζομεν, οὐκ ἑκὰς χρόνου παρέσται ὁ βάρβαρος ἐσβαλὼν ἐς τὴν ἡμετέρην, ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὰν τάχιστα πύθηται τὴν ἀγγελίην ὅτι οὐδὲν ποιήσομεν τῶν ἐκεῖνος ἡμέων προσεδέετο.5 πρὶν ὦν παρεῖναι ἐκεῖνον ἐς τὴν Ἀττικήν, ἡμέας καιρός ἐστι προβοηθῆσαι ἐς τὴν Βοιωτίην. οἳ μὲν ταῦτα ὑποκριναμένων Ἀθηναίων ἀπαλλάσσοντο ἐς Σπάρτην.
For as we estimate, the barbarian will not be far off in point of time from invading our land, but will be here as soon as he hears the news that we will do none of the things he requested of us. Therefore, before he arrives in Attica, it is the opportune time for us to march out to protect Boeotia.” When the Athenians had answered thus, the envoys departed for Sparta.
- 8.144.1τὸ μὲν δεῖσαι
The articular infinitive τὸ δεῖσαι serves as the subject of the sentence, with Λακεδαιμονίους acting as its subject accusative. It is followed by the object clause of fearing, μὴ ὁμολογήσωμεν (subjunctive).
- 8.144.1τὰ ἡμεῖς δεξάμενοι
The relative pronoun τὰ (neuter plural accusative) refers collectively to the preceding nouns of different genders, χρυσός (masculine singular) and χώρη (feminine singular). The participle δεξάμενοι functions conditionally ("if we should accept them").
- 8.144.2τοῖσι
Ionic relative pronoun in the dative plural, corresponding to Attic οἷς. Its antecedents are the statues and temples (ἀγάλματα καὶ τὰ οἰκήματα), and it is governed by τιμωρέειν (to avenge) as a dative of interest or object of vengeance.
- 8.144.3μηδαμὰ ὁμολογήσοντας ἡμέας
A construction of accusative with a future participle (ὁμολογήσοντας) representing indirect discourse under the verb ἐπίστασθε ("know that we will never make an agreement").
- 8.144.5τῶν ἐκεῖνος ἡμέων προσεδέετο
τῶν is a relative pronoun in the genitive plural, with its antecedent τούτων omitted. The verb προσδέομαι (to request/expect something from someone) takes a double genitive of the thing requested (τῶν) and the person from whom it is requested (ἡμέων).