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Herodotus · Histories §1.206.1-1.206.3

Tomyris's Warning and Cyrus's Council with the Nobles

Passage 206 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Tomyris sends a messenger to Cyrus, advising him to cease his campaign and rule his own land. Alternatively, she offers two options for battle: either he crosses into her territory or she enters his. Cyrus consults the Persian nobles, who agree on receiving the enemy into their own country.

§1.206.1ἔχοντι δέ οἱ τοῦτον τὸν πόνον πέμψασα ἡ Τόμυρις κήρυκα ἔλεγε τάδε. ὦ βασιλεῦ Μήδων, παῦσαι σπεύδων τὰ σπεύδεις· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἰδείης εἴ τοι ἐς καιρὸν ἔσται ταῦτα τελεόμενα·
While he was engaged in this labor, Tomyris sent a herald to him with this message: "O king of the Medes, cease to strive after what you are striving after; for you cannot know whether these things, when accomplished, will turn out to your advantage.
παυσάμενος δὲ βασίλευε τῶν σεωυτοῦ, καὶ ἡμέας ἀνέχευ ὁρέων ἄρχοντας τῶν περ ἄρχομεν.
Cease, and rule your own people, and endure to look upon us ruling those whom we rule.
§1.206.2οὔκων ἐθελήσεις ὑποθήκῃσι τῇσιδε χρᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντως μᾶλλον ἢ διʼ ἡσυχίης εἶναι· σὺ δὴ εἰ μεγάλως προθυμέαι Μασσαγετέων πειρηθῆναι, φέρε μόχθον μὲν τὸν ἔχεις ζευγνὺς τὸν ποταμὸν ἄπες, σὺ δὲ ἡμέων ἀναχωρησάντων ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τριῶν ἡμερέων ὁδὸν διάβαινε ἐς τὴν ἡμετέρην·
But since you will not be willing to follow these counsels, but prefer anything rather than to remain at peace, if you are exceedingly eager to make trial of the Massagetae, come, leave off the labor you have in bridging the river, and, while we withdraw a three days' journey from the river, cross over into our country.
§1.206.3εἰ δʼ ἡμέας βούλεαι ἐσδέξασθαι μᾶλλον ἐς τὴν ὑμετέρην, σὺ τὠυτὸ τοῦτο ποίεε. ταῦτα δὲ ἀκούσας ὁ Κῦρος συνεκάλεσε Περσέων τοὺς πρώτους, συναγείρας δὲ τούτους ἐς μέσον σφι προετίθεε τὸ πρῆγμα, συμβουλευόμενος ὁκότερα ποιέῃ.
But if you would rather receive us into your country, do you yourself do this same thing." On hearing this, Cyrus assembled the chief men of the Persians, and having gathered them into their midst, he laid the matter before them, consulting them as to which of the two courses he should take.
τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὠυτὸ αἱ γνῶμαι συνεξέπιπτον κελευόντων ἐσδέκεσθαι Τόμυρίν τε καὶ τὸν στρατὸν αὐτῆς ἐς τὴν χώρην.
And their opinions all agreed in advising that they should receive Tomyris and her army into their country.

Notes

  1. §1.206.1ἔχοντι δέ οἱ τοῦτον τὸν πόνον — The dative present participle `ἔχοντι` agrees with the dative personal pronoun `οἱ` (referring to Cyrus), serving as a dative of interest or reference, or a dative indicating the temporal circumstance. It is translated as 'while he was engaged in this labor'.
  2. §1.206.1παῦσαι σπεύδων — The aorist middle imperative second person singular `παῦσαι` (cease) from `παύω` is construed with the present participle `σπεύδων` as a supplementary participle, meaning 'cease striving'.
  3. §1.206.1ἀνέχευ ὁρέων — The present middle imperative second person singular `ἀνέχευ` (Ionic contracted form of `ἀνέχομαι`, 'endure') is accompanied by the supplementary participle `ὁρέων` (from `ὁράω`), meaning 'endure to look upon' or 'tolerate seeing'.
  4. §1.206.2μᾶλλον ἢ διʼ ἡσυχίης εἶναι — The preposition `διά` with the genitive noun `ἡσυχίης` is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to be in a state of peace/quiet'. The preceding `μᾶλλον ἢ` contrasts this with some active inclination implied by `ἐθελήσεις` (or an omitted infinitive), forming the structural meaning 'to prefer anything rather than to remain at peace'.
  5. §1.206.3τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὠυτὸ αἱ γνῶμαι συνεξέπιπτον κελευόντων — In relation to the noun phrase `αἱ γνῶμαι`, `τῶν` is a genitive pronoun referring to the Persians, and `κελευόντων` is a participle agreeing with it. Syntactically, `τῶν ... κελευόντων` can be taken as a genitive of possessor/subject ('the opinions of them advising...'), or as a genitive absolute ('while they advised..., their opinions coincided'). The resulting sense remains the same.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.206.1-1.206.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.206.1-1.206.3

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