Herodotus · Histories §1.37.1-1.37.3

Croesus' Son Questions His Confinement from Hunts

Passage 37 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

As the Mysians are content with Croesus' reply, his son approaches him and questions why he is being barred from both hunting and war.

§1.37.1ταῦτα ἀμείψατο· ἀποχρεωμένων δὲ τούτοισι τῶν Μυσῶν, ἐπεσέρχεται ὁ τοῦ Κροίσου παῖς ἀκηκοὼς τῶν ἐδέοντο οἱ Μυσοί.

Thus he answered; and while the Mysians were content with these words, the son of Croesus came in, having heard what the Mysians were requesting.

οὐ φαμένου δὲ τοῦ Κροίσου τόν γε παῖδά σφι συμπέμψειν, λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ νεηνίης τάδε. §1.37.2ὦ πάτερ, τὰ κάλλιστα πρότερον κοτὲ καὶ γενναιότατα ἡμῖν ἦν ἔς τε πολέμους καὶ ἐς ἄγρας φοιτέοντας εὐδοκιμέειν·

Since Croesus flatly refused to send his son with them, the young man spoke to him as follows: "O father, in former times it was the finest and most noble thing for us to win renown by constantly going to wars and to the chase.

νῦν δὲ ἀμφοτέρων με τούτων ἀποκληίσας ἔχεις, οὔτε τινὰ δειλίην μοι παριδὼν οὔτε ἀθυμίην νῦν τε τέοισί με χρὴ ὄμμασι ἔς τε ἀγορὴν καὶ ἐξ ἀγορῆς φοιτέοντα φαίνεσθαι;

But now you keep me locked out from both of these, although you have observed neither cowardice nor lack of spirit in me. And now, with what eyes must I appear when I go to and from the marketplace?

§1.37.3κοῖος μέν τις τοῖσι πολιήτῃσι δόξω εἶναι, κοῖος δέ τις τῇ νεογάμῳ γυναικί;

What kind of man shall I seem to the citizens, and what kind to my newly married wife?

κοίῳ δὲ ἐκείνη δόξει ἀνδρὶ συνοικέειν;

What kind of husband will she think she is living with?

ἐμὲ ὦν σὺ ἢ μέτες ἰέναι ἐπὶ τὴν θήρην, ἢ λόγῳ ἀνάπεισον ὅκως μοι ἀμείνω ἐστὶ ταῦτα οὕτω ποιεόμενα.

Therefore, either let me go to the hunt, or convince me by argument how it is better for me that things are done this way."

Notes

1.37.1ἀποχρεωμένων δὲ τούτοισι τῶν Μυσῶν — Genitive absolute construction. The participle ἀποχρεωμένων is the present participle (Ionic form) of ἀποχρέομαι (to be content with, be satisfied), taking the dative τούτοισι ('with these things', referring to Croesus' reply), meaning 'while the Mysians were content with these words'.
1.37.1τῶν ἐδέοντο — The relative pronoun (the genitive plural of the article τῶν used as a relative pronoun in the Ionic dialect) is governed in the genitive by the verb ἐδέοντο (imperfect of δέομαι, 'to request, beg'). It means 'the things which they were requesting'.
1.37.2ἀποκληίσας ἔχεις — A periphrasis expressing a completed action with lasting results, combining the aorist participle with ἔχω. It emphasizes the continuation of the state ('you keep me locked out') rather than a simple historical perfect.
1.37.3ταῦτα οὕτω ποιεόμενα — The subject within the clause introduced by ὅκως (= ὅπως, the conjunction introducing a noun clause meaning 'how' or 'that'). Literally 'these things being done in this way', meaning 'the fact that things are managed in this manner'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.37.1-1.37.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.37.1-1.37.3

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