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Herodotus · Histories §1.41.1-1.41.3

Croesus Entrusts His Son's Safety to Adrastus

Passage 41 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Croesus summons Adrastus, whom he had previously purified and supported as a guest, and requests him to accompany and guard his son on the hunt to repay his obligations and to distinguish himself according to his ancestral custom and strength.

§1.41.1εἴπας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Κροῖσος μεταπέμπεται τὸν Φρύγα Ἄδρηστον, ἀπικομένῳ δέ οἱ λέγει τάδε. Ἄδρηστε, ἐγώ σε συμφορῇ, πεπληγμένον ἀχάρι, τήν τοι οὐκ ὀνειδίζω, ἐκάθηρα καὶ οἰκίοισι ὑποδεξάμενος ἔχω, παρέχων πᾶσαν δαπάνην.
Having said these things, Croesus sent for the Phrygian Adrastus, and when he arrived, he spoke to him as follows: "Adrastus, I purified you when you were struck by an unpleasant misfortune—with which I do not reproach you—and I have received and kept you in my house, providing all your expenses.
§1.41.2νῦν ὤν (ὀφείλεις γὰρ ἐμοῦ προποιήσαντος χρηστὰ ἐς σὲ χρηστοῖσί με ἀμείβεσθαι) φύλακα παιδός σε τοῦ ἐμοῦ χρηίζω γενέσθαι ἐς ἄγρην ὁρμωμένου, μή τινες κατʼ ὁδὸν κλῶπες κακοῦργοι ἐπὶ δηλήσι φανέωσι ὑμῖν.
Now therefore (for since I have previously done good to you, you ought to repay me with good), I ask you to become a guardian of my son as he sets out for the hunt, lest some villainous thieves appear on the way to do you harm.
§1.41.3πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ καὶ σέ τοι χρεόν ἐστι ἰέναι ἔνθα ἀπολαμπρυνέαι τοῖσι χρεόν πατρώιόν τε γάρ τοι ἐστὶ καὶ προσέτι ῥώμη ὑπάρχει.
In addition to this, it is fitting for you too to go where you will distinguish yourself by those deeds; for this is an obligation, being your ancestral heritage, and besides, you have the strength for it."

Notes

  1. §1.41.1ἀπικομένῳ δέ οἱ — The pronoun οἱ is a third-person dative personal pronoun depending on the main verb λέγει. The participle ἀπικομένῳ is a dative singular masculine agreeing with οἱ, functioning temporally ("when he arrived").
  2. §1.41.1ὑποδεξάμενος ἔχω — A periphrastic construction combining the participle ὑποδεξάμενος and the verb ἔχω, emphasizing the continuation of the state resulting from a past action ("I have received and am keeping you").
  3. §1.41.2ἐμοῦ προποιήσαντος — A genitive absolute construction expressing cause ("since I have previously done [good] to you"), with χρηστά functioning as its accusative object.
  4. §1.41.3τοῖσι χρεόν — In this text, where the word ἔργοισι (deeds) found in standard editions is missing, τοῖσι is best interpreted as a demonstrative pronoun in the neuter plural dative ("by those things"), and the subsequent χρεόν is understood as a nominal/adjectival complement ("a duty", "fitting") belonging to the following clause πατρώιόν ... ἐστὶ.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.41.1-1.41.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.41.1-1.41.3

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