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Herodotus · Histories §1.158.1-1.158.2

Oracle of Branchidae and Aristodicus's Doubts

Passage 158 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Cymaeans consult the oracle at Branchidae regarding Pactyes and receive a command to deliver him, but Aristodicus, doubting the oracle, stops them and suggests a second inquiry.

§1.158.1πέμψαντες ὦν οἱ Κυμαῖοι ἐς τοὺς Βραγχίδας θεοπρόπους εἰρώτευν περὶ Πακτύην ὁκοῖόν τι ποιέοντες θεοῖσι μέλλοιεν χαριεῖσθαι.
So the Cymaeans sent messengers to Branchidae and asked about Pactyes, what kind of action they should take to please the gods.
ἐπειρωτῶσι δέ σφι ταῦτα χρηστήριον ἐγένετο ἐκδιδόναι Πακτύην Πέρσῃσι.
When they asked this question, the oracle given to them was to deliver Pactyes up to the Persians.
ταῦτα δὲ ὡς ἀπενειχθέντα ἤκουσαν οἱ Κυμαῖοι, ὁρμέατο ἐκδιδόναι· §1.158.2ὁρμημένου δὲ ταύτῃ τοῦ πλήθεος, Ἀριστόδικος ὁ Ἡρακλείδεω ἀνὴρ τῶν ἀστῶν ἐὼν δόκιμος ἔσχε μὴ ποιῆσαι ταῦτα Κυμαίους, ἀπιστέων τε τῷ χρησμῷ καὶ δοκέων τοὺς θεοπρόπους οὐ λέγειν ἀληθέως, ἐς ὃ τὸ δεύτερον περὶ Πακτύεω ἐπειρησόμενοι ἤισαν ἄλλοι θεοπρόποι, τῶν καὶ Ἀριστόδικος ἦν.
When the Cymaeans heard this report brought back, they were set on delivering him up. But while the multitude was bent on this course, Aristodicus the son of Heracleides, a man of distinction among the citizens, prevented the Cymaeans from doing this, because he distrusted the oracle and thought that the messengers were not speaking the truth; until at last other messengers, among whom was Aristodicus himself, went to inquire for a second time concerning Pactyes.

Notes

  1. §1.158.1ὁκοῖόν τι ποιέοντες — The participle ποιέοντες (= ποιούντες, Ionic dialect) is used in a conditional sense, meaning 'by doing what sort of thing' or 'if they did what sort of thing' they would please the gods.
  2. §1.158.2ἔσχε μὴ ποιῆσαι — The verb ἔσχε (aorist of ἔχω/σχέω, 'prevented' or 'held back') takes an infinitive accompanied by the redundant or 'preventative' negative μή, meaning 'prevented the Cymaeans from doing this'.
  3. §1.158.2ἐς ὃ — The phrase ἐς ὅ (= εἰς ὅ) functions as a temporal conjunction meaning 'until' or 'until at last', introducing the ultimate outcome or limit of the preceding action.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.158.1-1.158.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.158.1-1.158.2

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