Herodotus · Histories §1.137.1-1.137.2

Persian Laws on Sentencing and Views on Parricide

Passage 137 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author praises the Persian law that forbids execution for a single offense, requiring instead a comparison of merits and faults. He also notes the Persian belief that parricide is impossible for a true child, and any such perpetrators must be adopted or illegitimate.

§1.137.1αἰνέω μέν νυν τόνδε τὸν νόμον, αἰνέω δὲ καὶ τόνδε, τὸ μὴ μιῆς αἰτίης εἵνεκα μήτε αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα μηδένα φονεύειν, μήτε τῶν ἄλλων Περσέων μηδένα τῶν ἑωυτοῦ οἰκετέων ἐπὶ μιῇ αἰτίῃ ἀνήκεστον πάθος ἔρδειν· ἀλλὰ λογισάμενος ἢν εὑρίσκῃ πλέω τε καὶ μέζω τὰ ἀδικήματα ἐόντα τῶν ὑπουργημάτων, οὕτω τῷ θυμῷ χρᾶται.

On the one hand, I praise this custom, and on the other hand, I also praise this one: that neither the king himself shall put anyone to death because of a single accusation, nor shall any other Persian inflict an incurable injury upon any of his own household servants for a single fault; but rather, having calculated, if he should find that the wrongdoings are more and greater than the services, only then does he exercise his anger.

§1.137.2ἀποκτεῖναι δὲ οὐδένα κω λέγουσι τὸν ἑωυτοῦ πατέρα οὐδὲ μητέρα, ἀλλὰ ὁκόσα ἤδη τοιαῦτα ἐγένετο, πᾶσαν ἀνάγκην φασὶ ἀναζητεόμενα ταῦτα ἀνευρεθῆναι ἤτοι ὑποβολιμαῖα ἐόντα ἢ μοιχίδια· οὐ γὰρ δή φασι οἰκὸς εἶναι τόν γε ἀληθέως τοκέα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑωυτοῦ παιδὸς ἀποθνήσκειν.

And they say that no one has ever yet killed his own father or mother; but as many such things as have already occurred, they say that by all necessity, upon being investigated, these are found to be either supposititious or adulterous; for they say it is not at all reasonable that a true parent should be put to death by his own child.

Notes

1.137.1τόνδε τὸν νόμον, αἰνέω δὲ καὶ τόνδε — The first τόνδε refers to the custom mentioned in the preceding section (1.136), while the second τόνδε points forward to the custom explained immediately after in the τὸ μὴ... clause. Although ὅδε is typically prospective, here it is used in parallel to refer to two successive subjects.
1.137.1λογισάμενος — A nominative singular participle, agreeing with the singular main verb χρᾶται. Although the subjects of the preceding infinitive clauses (the king, or any of the other Persians) represent multiple possible actors, the writer conceptualizes them as a generalized singular individual ('each ruler or master'), resulting in a constructio ad sensum.
1.137.2πᾶσαν ἀνάγκην — The accusative of the noun ἀνάκη used adverbially, meaning 'by all necessity,' 'inevitably,' or 'without fail.'
1.137.2ταῦτα ἀνευρεθῆναι ἤτοι ὑποβολιμαῖα ἐόντα ἢ μοιχίδια — ἀνευρεθῆναι is the passive infinitive of ἀνευρίσκω (to find out). Its grammatical subject is the neuter plural pronoun ταῦτα, referring back to τοιαῦτα (such cases or perpetrators). The participle ἐόντα (neuter plural accusative of εἰμί) functions as a predicative complement to the passive infinitive, meaning 'these are found to be...'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.137.1-1.137.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.137.1-1.137.2

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