- 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-grc2:9.111.1-9.111.5
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-10
Compelled by Amestris's entreaties and the law of the royal banquet, Xerxes reluctantly agrees to hand over Masistes's wife, and orders Masistes to divorce her and marry the king's daughter; however, Masistes firmly refuses, provoking Xerxes's anger.
τέλος μέντοι ἐκείνης τε λιπαρεούσης καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου ἐξεργόμενος,1 ὅτι ἀτυχῆσαι τὸν χρηίζοντα οὔ σφι δυνατόν ἐστι βασιληίου δείπνου προκειμένου, κάρτα δὴ ἀέκων κατανεύει, καὶ παραδοὺς ποιέει ὧδε· τὴν μὲν κελεύει ποιέειν τὰ βούλεται, ὁ δὲ μεταπεμψάμενος τὸν ἀδελφεὸν λέγει τάδε.
At last, however, because she was persistent and he was constrained by the law—since it is not possible for them to refuse anyone who makes a request when the royal banquet is set before them—he nodded consent, though exceedingly against his will, and having handed her over, he acted as follows: he ordered her to do what she wished, while he sent for his brother and spoke these words.
Μασίστα, σὺ εἶς Δαρείου τε παῖς καὶ ἐμὸς ἀδελφεός, πρὸς δʼ ἔτι τούτοισι καὶ εἶς ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός· γυναικὶ δὴ ταύτῃ τῇ νῦν συνοικέεις μὴ συνοίκεε, ἀλλά τοι ἀντʼ αὐτῆς ἐγὼ δίδωμι θυγατέρα τὴν ἐμήν. ταύτῃ συνοίκεε· τὴν δὲ νῦν ἔχεις, οὐ γὰρ δοκέει ἐμοί, μὴ ἔχε γυναῖκα.
”Masistes, you are both a son of Darius and my brother, and furthermore, you are a good man. Do not continue to live with this wife with whom you now live, but in her place I give you my own daughter. Live with her; but as for the wife you now have—for it does not seem right to me—do not keep her as your wife.”
ὁ δὲ Μασίστης ἀποθωμάσας τὰ λεγόμενα λέγει τάδε. ὦ δέσποτα, τίνα μοι λόγον λέγεις ἄχρηστον, κελεύων με γυναῖκα, ἐκ τῆς μοι παῖδές τε νεηνίαι εἰσὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, τῶν καὶ σὺ μίαν τῷ παιδὶ τῷ σεωυτοῦ ἠγάγεο γυναῖκα, αὐτή τέ μοι κατὰ νόον τυγχάνει κάρτα ἐοῦσα· ταύτην με κελεύεις μετέντα θυγατέρα τὴν σὴν γῆμαι;
Masistes, utterly astonished at these words, spoke as follows: “O master, what useless words do you speak to me, commanding me to put away a wife by whom I have young sons and daughters, one of whom you yourself took as a wife for your own son, and who herself happens to be entirely to my liking? Do you command me to abandon her and marry your daughter?”
ἐγὼ δὲ βασιλεῦ μεγάλα μὲν ποιεῦμαι ἀξιεύμενος θυγατρὸς τῆς σῆς, ποιήσω μέντοι τούτων οὐδέτερα. σὺ δὲ μηδαμῶς βιῶ2 πρήγματος τοιοῦδε δεόμενος· ἀλλὰ τῇ τε σῇ θυγατρὶ ἀνὴρ ἄλλος φανήσεται ἐμεῦ οὐδὲν ἥσσων, ἐμέ τε ἔα γυναικὶ τῇ ἐμῇ συνοικέειν.
”O king, though I count it a great honor to be deemed worthy of your daughter, I will nevertheless do neither of these things. Do not force me by demanding such a thing; another husband will appear for your daughter who is in no way inferior to me, and leave me to live with my own wife.”
ὃ μὲν δὴ τοιούτοισι ἀμείβεται, Ξέρξης δὲ θυμωθεὶς λέγει τάδε. οὕτω τοι, Μασίστα, πέπρηκται· οὔτε γὰρ ἄν τοι δοίην θυγατέρα τὴν ἐμὴν γῆμαι, οὔτε ἐκείνῃ πλεῦνα χρόνον συνοικήσεις, ὡς μάθῃς τὰ διδόμενα δέκεσθαι. ὁ δὲ ὡς ταῦτα ἤκουσε, εἴπας τοσόνδε ἐχώρεε ἔξω δέσποτα, οὐ δὴ κώ με ἀπώλεσας.3
Thus he replied, but Xerxes became angry and said: “Thus, Masistes, it is done for you: I will neither give you my daughter to marry, nor shall you live with that other wife any longer, so that you may learn to accept what is offered.” When he heard this, he went out, saying only this: “O master, you have not yet destroyed me.”
- 9.111.1ἐξεργόμενος
Present passive participle. Here meaning 'being hemmed in', 'constrained', or 'bound' by the law or custom.
- 9.111.4βιῶ
Second-person singular present imperative middle/passive of βιάομαι (to force, constrain) in its contracted Ionic form. Easily confused with subjunctive forms of βιόω (to live), but here expresses the command 'do not force me'.
- 9.111.5οὐ δὴ κώ με ἀπώλεσας
Literally, 'you have not yet destroyed me.' The aorist ἀπώλεσας denotes a completed destruction; the phrase conveys an ominous defiance or warning that the speaker is not yet finished or dead.