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Herodotus · Histories §1.128.1-1.128.3

Defeat and Capture of Astyages

Passage 128 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Upon learning of the Medes' defeat, Astyages impals the dream-interpreters who had advised releasing Cyrus, mobilizes all remaining Medes in the city for a final battle, but is defeated and captured.

§1.128.1διαλυθέντος δὲ τοῦ Μηδικοῦ στρατεύματος αἰσχρῶς, ὡς ἐπύθετο τάχιστα ὁ Ἀστυάγης, ἔφη ἀπειλέων τῷ Κύρῳ ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ὣς Κῦρός γε χαιρήσει. §1.128.2τοσαῦτα εἶπας πρῶτον μὲν τῶν Μάγων τοὺς ὀνειροπόλους, οἵ μιν ἀνέγνωσαν μετεῖναι τὸν Κῦρον, τούτους ἀνεσκολόπισε, μετὰ δὲ ὥπλισε τοὺς ὑπολειφθέντας ἐν τῷ ἄστεϊ τῶν Μήδων, νέους τε καὶ πρεσβύτας ἄνδρας.
As soon as Astyages learned that the Median army had been disgracefully scattered, he said, threatening Cyrus: "But even so, Cyrus at least shall not rejoice." Having said this, first of all he impaled those of the Magi who were dream-interpreters and had persuaded him to let Cyrus go; next, he armed the Medes who had been left behind in the city, both young and old men.
§1.128.3ἐξαγαγὼν δὲ τούτους καὶ συμβαλὼν τοῖσι Πέρῃσι ἑσσώθη, καὶ αὐτός τε Ἀστυάγης ἐζωγρήθη καὶ τοὺς ἐξήγαγε τῶν Μήδων ἀπέβαλε.
Leading these out and engaging with the Persians, he was defeated; Astyages himself was taken alive, and he lost the Medes whom he had led out.

Notes

  1. §1.128.1ὡς ἐπύθετο τάχιστα — The conjunction ὡς combined with the superlative adverb τάχιστα forms a temporal construction meaning "as soon as."
  2. §1.128.1οὐδʼ ὣς — The accented ὣς is a demonstrative adverb equivalent to οὕτως ("so, thus"). Combined with the negative οὐδέ, it means "not even so" or "not even under these circumstances," expressing a strong concession.
  3. §1.128.2ἀνέγνωσαν — The verb ἀναγινώσκω (which in Attic Greek chiefly means "to read" or "to recognize") is used here in its Ionic sense "to persuade," taking an infinitive (here μετεῖναι).
  4. §1.128.2μετεῖναι — The second aorist active infinitive of μεθίημι ("to let go, release"). Contextually, the logical subject of this infinitive is the object of the main verb, namely Astyages (represented by the accusative pronoun μιν).
  5. §1.128.2τούτους — A resumptive use of the demonstrative pronoun τούτους (accusative), which picks up the phrase placed at the beginning of the sentence (τῶν Μάγων τοὺς ὀνειροπόλους) after the intervening relative clause (οἵ μιν ...), serving to clarify the syntax of a long sentence.
  6. §1.128.3τοὺς ἐξήγαγε — Here τοὺς is used not as a definite article but as a relative pronoun (equivalent to the Attic οὓς), a common feature in Ionic Greek, introducing the clause "whom he had led out."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.128.1-1.128.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.128.1-1.128.3

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