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Herodotus · Histories §1.46.1-1.46.3

Rise of Persia and Croesus's Testing of the Oracles

Passage 46 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After mourning his son for two years, Croesus is stirred by the rapid rise of Persia and decides to test the reliability of various Greek and Libyan oracles before consulting them on a potential campaign.

§1.46.1Κροῖσος δὲ ἐπὶ δύο ἔτεα ἐν πένθεϊ μεγάλῳ κατῆστο τοῦ παιδὸς ἐστερημένος.
For two years Croesus sat in deep grief, bereaved of his son.
μετὰ δὲ ἡ Ἀστυάγεος τοῦ Κυαξάρεω ἡγεμονίη καταιρεθεῖσα ὑπὸ Κύρου τοῦ Καμβύσεω καὶ τὰ τῶν Περσέων πρήγματα αὐξανόμενα πένθεος μὲν Κροῖσον ἀπέπαυσε, ἐνέβησε δὲ ἐς φροντίδα, εἴ κως δύναιτο, πρὶν μεγάλους γενέσθαι τοὺς Πέρσας, καταλαβεῖν αὐτῶν αὐξανομένην τὴν δύναμιν.
But after this, the overthrow of the rule of Astyages, son of Cyaxares, by Cyrus, son of Cambyses, and the growing power of the Persians, released Croesus from his grief and brought him to consider whether he might somehow be able, before the Persians became too powerful, to check their growing strength.
§1.46.2μετὰ ὦν τὴν διάνοιαν ταύτην αὐτίκα ἀπεπειρᾶτο τῶν μαντείων τῶν τε ἐν Ἕλλησι καὶ τοῦ ἐν Λιβύῃ, διαπέμψας ἄλλους ἄλλῃ, τοὺς μὲν ἐς Δελφοὺς ἰέναι, τοὺς δὲ ἐς Ἄβας τὰς Φωκέων, τοὺς δὲ ἐς Δωδώνην· οἳ δὲ τινὲς ἐπέμποντο παρὰ τε Ἀμφιάρεων καὶ παρὰ Τροφώνιον, οἳ δὲ τῆς Μιλησίης ἐς Βραγχίδας.
With this intention, therefore, he immediately began to test the oracles both in Greece and in Libya, sending different messengers to different places—some to go to Delphi, some to Abae in Phocis, and some to Dodona; others were sent to the shrines of Amphiaraus and Trophonius, and others to Branchidae in the territory of Miletus.
§1.46.3ταῦτα μέν νυν τὰ Ἑλληνικὰ μαντήια ἐς τὰ ἀπέπεμψε μαντευσόμενος Κροῖσος· Λιβύης δὲ παρὰ Ἄμμωνα ἀπέστελλε ἄλλους χρησομένους.
These were the Greek oracles to which Croesus sent to consult; but to Libya he dispatched others to consult Ammon.
διέπεμπε δὲ πειρώμενος τῶν μαντηίων ὅ τι φρονέοιεν, ὡς εἰ φρονέοντα τὴν ἀληθείην εὑρεθείη, ἐπείρηται σφέα δεύτερα πέμπων εἰ ἐπιχειρέοι ἐπὶ Πέρσας στρατεύεσθαι.
He sent them to test what the oracles knew, so that, if they were found to know the truth, he might send a second time to ask them whether he should undertake an expedition against the Persians.

Notes

  1. §1.46.1ἡγεμονίη καταιρεθεῖσα — A noun combined with a passive participle in the 'ab urbe condita' construction, where the expression represents the action or fact itself ('the overthrow of the rule') rather than a modified noun ('the overthrown rule').
  2. §1.46.1εἴ κως δύναιτο — The optative (δύναιτο) is used in the subordinate clause in harmony with the past tense of the main verb (ἐνέβησε). It functions as an indirect question expressing doubt or expectation ('whether he might somehow be able'), or represents the object of his effort.
  3. §1.46.2τοὺς μὲν ἐς Δελφοὺς ἰέναι — The infinitive `ἰέναι` following the participle `διαπέμψας` (having sent) functions as an accusative with infinitive of command or instruction, indicating what the dispatched messengers were ordered to do.
  4. §1.46.3ὡς ... ἐπείρηται — A purpose clause introduced by the conjunction `ὡς`. `ἐπείρηται` is the Ionic form of `ἐπέρηται` (the third-person singular aorist subjunctive middle of `ἐπείρομαι`, 'to ask'), sharing the subject (Croesus) with the main clause.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.46.1-1.46.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.46.1-1.46.3

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