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Herodotus · Histories §1.43.1-1.43.3

Accidental Death of the Prince by Adrastus

Passage 43 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Adrastus and the others hunt the boar on Mount Olympus, but Adrastus's spear accidentally strikes and kills Croesus's son, fulfilling the dream.

§1.43.1τοιούτοισι ἐπείτε οὗτος ἀμείψατο Κροῖσον, ἤισαν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξηρτυμένοι λογάσι τε νεηνίῃσι καὶ κυσί.
When he had answered Croesus with these words, they set out after this, equipped with chosen young men and dogs.
ἀπικόμενοι δὲ ἐς τὸν Ὄλυμπον τὸ ὄρος ἐζήτεον τὸ θηρίον, εὑρόντες δὲ καὶ περιστάντες αὐτὸ κύκλῳ ἐσηκόντιζον.
Having arrived at Mount Olympus, they searched for the wild beast, and when they found it and stood around it in a circle, they cast their spears at it.
§1.43.2ἔνθα δὴ ὁ ξεῖνος, οὗτος δὴ ὁ καθαρθεὶς τὸν φόνον, καλεόμενος δὲ Ἄδρηστος, ἀκοντίζων τὸν ὗν τοῦ μὲν ἁμαρτάνει, τυγχάνει δὲ τοῦ Κροίσου παιδός.
Thereupon, the stranger—the very one who had been cleansed of the murder, namely Adrastus—while casting his spear at the boar, missed it, but struck the son of Croesus.
§1.43.3ὃ μὲν δὴ βληθεὶς τῇ αἰχμῇ ἐξέπλησε τοῦ ὀνείρου τὴν φήμην, ἔθεε δέ τις ἀγγελέων τῷ Κροίσῳ τὸ γεγονός, ἀπικόμενος δὲ ἐς τὰς Σάρδις τὴν τε μάχην καὶ τὸν τοῦ παιδὸς μόρον ἐσήμηνέ οἱ.
The son, struck by the spearpoint, fulfilled the prophecy of the dream; and someone ran to report what had happened to Croesus, and having arrived at Sardis, he made known to him the battle and the fate of his son.

Notes

  1. §1.43.1τοιούτοισι — Dative neuter plural, used instrumentally ("with such words"), where a noun like ἔπεσι ("words") is implied or it is used substantively.
  2. §1.43.2τοῦ μὲν ἁμαρτάνει — The genitive τοῦ is a demonstrative use of the article referring back to τὸν ὗν (the boar). The verb ἁμαρτάνω takes the genitive in the sense of "to miss (a mark)."
  3. §1.43.3ἀγγελέων — Future active participle of ἀγγέλλω (masculine nominative singular). Used with the verb of motion ἔθεε ("ran") to express purpose ("in order to report").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.43.1-1.43.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.43.1-1.43.3

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