Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §1.8.1-1.8.4

Candaules Praising His Wife's Beauty to Gyges

Passage 8 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Candaules, deeply in love with his wife, boasts of her beauty to his bodyguard Gyges. Candaules then orders Gyges to see her naked, but Gyges refuses.

§1.8.1οὗτος δὴ ὦν ὁ Κανδαύλης ἠράσθη τῆς ἑωυτοῦ γυναικός, ἐρασθεὶς δὲ ἐνόμιζέ οἱ εἶναι γυναῖκα πολλὸν πασέων καλλίστην.
Now this Candaules fell in love with his own wife, and because of this love he believed that he had a wife by far the most beautiful of all women.
ὥστε δὲ ταῦτα νομίζων, ἦν γάρ οἱ τῶν αἰχμοφόρων Γύγης ὁ Δασκύλου ἀρεσκόμενος μάλιστα, τούτῳ τῷ Γύγῃ καὶ τὰ σπουδαιέστερα τῶν πρηγμάτων ὑπερετίθετο ὁ Κανδαύλης καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ εἶδος τῆς γυναικὸς ὑπερεπαινέων.
And as he believed this—for he had among his bodyguards one Gyges, the son of Dascylus, who pleased him the most—to this Gyges Candaules was wont to entrust even the most important of his affairs, and in particular he would extravagantly praise the beauty of his wife.
§1.8.2χρόνου δὲ οὐ πολλοῦ διελθόντος (χρῆν γὰρ Κανδαύλῃ γενέσθαι κακῶς) ἔλεγε πρὸς τὸν Γύγην τοιάδε. Γύγη, οὐ γὰρ σε δοκέω πείθεσθαι μοι λέγοντι περὶ τοῦ εἴδεος τῆς γυναικός (ὦτα γὰρ τυγχάνει ἀνθρώποισι ἐόντα ἀπιστότερα ὀφθαλμῶν), ποίεε ὅκως ἐκείνην θεήσεαι γυμνήν. §1.8.3ὃ δʼ ἀμβώσας εἶπε δέσποτα, τίνα λέγεις λόγον οὐκ ὑγιέα, κελεύων με δέσποιναν τὴν ἐμὴν θεήσασθαι γυμνήν;
After no long time had passed (for it was destined that evil should befall Candaules), he spoke to Gyges in this manner: "Gyges, since I do not think you believe me when I speak of my wife's beauty (for ears are less trustworthy for men than eyes), contrive that you may see her naked." But he cried out and said: "Master, what unhealthy word is this you speak, commanding me to see my mistress naked?
ἅμα δὲ κιθῶνι ἐκδυομένῳ συνεκδύεται καὶ τὴν αἰδῶ γυνή.
With her tunic stripped off, a woman also strips off her shame.
§1.8.4πάλαι δὲ τὰ καλὰ ἀνθρώποισι ἐξεύρηται, ἐκ τῶν μανθάνειν δεῖ· ἐν τοῖσι ἓν τόδε ἐστί, σκοπέειν τινὰ τὰ ἑωυτοῦ. ἐγὼ δὲ πείθομαι ἐκείνην εἶναι πασέων γυναικῶν καλλίστην, καὶ σέο δέομαι μὴ δέεσθαι ἀνόμων.
Of old, noble principles have been discovered by men, from which we ought to learn; among these is this single one, 'that each man should look to his own.' I indeed believe that she is the most beautiful of all women, and I entreat you not to ask of me what is unlawful."

Notes

  1. 1.8.1ὥστε δὲ ταῦτα νομίζων — An anacoluthon where ὥστε is followed by the participle νομίζων instead of an infinitive. Due to the insertion of the parenthetical ἦν γάρ... clause, the sentence structure shifts directly to the main verb ὑπερετίθετο (imperfect).
  2. 1.8.2χρῆν γὰρ Κανδαύλῃ γενέσθαι κακῶς — The imperfect form χρῆν of the impersonal verb χρή expresses here an inevitable destiny ("it was fated/destined"). Κανδαύλῃ (dative of interest) is used with γενέσθαι κακῶς ("to turn out badly," "to meet with disaster").
  3. 1.8.2ποιέε ὅκως ἐκείνην θεήσεαι γυμνήν — The imperative ποιέε (= ποιει, "make sure/contrive") is followed by the ὅκως (= ὅπως) clause. θεήσεαι is the aorist subjunctive middle second-person singular (or future indicative). The construction of ὅπως with the future indicative or subjunctive expresses a strong command or effort ("see to it that...").
  4. 1.8.3ἅμα δὲ κιθῶνι ἐκδυομένῳ συνεκδύεται καὶ τὴν αἰδῶ γυνή — ἅμα takes the dative κιθῶνι ἐκδυομένῳ ("with the tunic being taken off," present passive participle) to mean "at the same time as." συνεκδύεται is the third-person singular passive (or middle) of the compound verb συνεκδύω, emphasizing that the woman's shame is stripped off together with her garment.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.8.1-1.8.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.8.1-1.8.4

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