§1.35.1ἔχοντι δέ οἱ ἐν χερσὶ τοῦ παιδὸς τὸν γάμον, ἀπικνέεται ἐς τὰς Σάρδις ἀνὴρ συμφορῇ ἐχόμενος καὶ οὐ καθαρὸς χεῖρας, ἐὼν Φρὺξ μὲν γενεῇ, γένεος δὲ τοῦ βασιληίου.
While he had in hand the marriage of his son, there arrived in Sardis a man gripped by misfortune and not clean as to his hands, being a Phrygian by birth, and of the royal family.
παρελθὼν δὲ οὗτος ἐς τὰ Κροίσου οἰκία κατὰ νόμους τοὺς ἐπιχωρίους καθαρσίου ἐδέετο κυρῆσαι, Κροῖσος δέ μιν ἐκάθηρε.
Having come into the house of Croesus according to the local customs, this man begged to obtain purification, and Croesus purified him.
§1.35.2ἔστι δὲ παραπλησίη ἡ κάθαρσις τοῖσι Λυδοῖσι καὶ τοῖσι Ἕλλησι.
The purification is very similar for the Lydians and the Greeks.
ἐπείτε δὲ τὰ νομιζόμενα ἐποίησε ὁ Κροῖσος, ἐπυνθάνετο ὁκόθεν τε καὶ τίς εἴη, λέγων τάδε· §1.35.3ὤνθρωπε, τίς τε ἐὼν καὶ κόθεν τῆς Φρυγίης ἥκων ἐπίστιός μοι ἐγένεο;
When Croesus had performed the customary rites, he inquired whence and who he was, saying these words: "Man, who are you, and from where in Phrygia have you come to become a suppliant at my hearth?
τίνα τε ἀνδρῶν ἢ γυναικῶν ἐφόνευσας; ὁ δὲ ἀμείβετο
ὦ βασιλεῦ, Γορδίεω μὲν τοῦ Μίδεω εἰμὶ παῖς, ὀνομάζομαι δὲ Ἄδρηστος, φονεύσας δὲ ἀδελφεὸν ἐμεωυτοῦ ἀέκων πάρειμι ἐξεληλαμένος τε ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐστερημένος πάντων. §1.35.4Κροῖσος δέ μιν ἀμείβετο τοῖσιδε· ἀνδρῶν τε φίλων τυγχάνεις ἔκγονος ἐὼν καὶ ἐλήλυθας ἐς φίλους, ἔνθα ἀμηχανήσεις χρήματος οὐδενὸς μένων ἐν ἡμετέρου, συμφορήν τε ταύτην ὡς κουφότατα φέρων κερδανέεις πλεῖστον.
And whom of men or women did you slay?" And he replied: "O king, I am the son of Gordias, the son of Midas, and my name is Adrastus. Having slain my own brother unwillingly, I am here, having been driven out by my father and deprived of everything." And Croesus answered him with these words: "You happen to be the offspring of friendly men, and you have come to friends, where you will lack nothing of any necessity while staying in our house; and by bearing this misfortune as lightly as possible, you will gain the most."