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Herodotus · Histories §1.88.1-1.88.3

The Plunder of Sardis and Croesus's Advice to Cyrus

Passage 88 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Cyrus releases Croesus and treats him with great respect. Observing the Persian soldiers plundering the Lydian capital, Croesus questions Cyrus and points out that the plundered wealth no longer belongs to him, but is now the property of the conqueror, Cyrus.

§1.88.1ὅ μὲν ταῦτα ἔλεγε, Κῦρος δὲ αὐτὸν λύσας κατεῖσέ τε ἐγγὺς ἑωυτοῦ καὶ κάρτα ἐν πολλῇ προμηθίῃ εἶχε, ἀπεθώμαζέ τε ὁρέων καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ περὶ ἐκεῖνον ἐόντες πάντες.
He said these things, and Cyrus, having unbound him, seated him near himself and held him in great respect, and both he himself and all those who were about him looked on in wonder.
ὁ δὲ συννοίῃ ἐχόμενος ἥσυχος ἦν·
But he, possessed by deep thought, remained quiet.
§1.88.2μετὰ δὲ ἐπιστραφείς τε καὶ ἰδόμενος τοὺς Πέρσας τὸ τῶν Λυδῶν ἄστυ κεραΐζοντας εἶπε ὦ βασιλεῦ, κότερον λέγειν πρὸς σὲ τὰ νοέων τυγχάνω ἢ σιγᾶν ἐν τῷ παρεόντι χρή; Κῦρος δέ μιν θαρσέοντα ἐκέλευε λέγειν ὅ τι βούλοιτο.
But afterwards, having turned around and seen the Persians plundering the city of the Lydians, he said: "O King, must I tell you what I happen to be thinking, or should I remain silent at present?" And Cyrus encouraged him and bade him speak whatever he wished.
ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν εἰρώτα λέγων §1.88.3οὗτος ὁ πολλὸς ὅμιλος τί ταῦτα πολλῇ σπουδῇ ἐργάζεται; ὁ δὲ εἶπε πόλιν τε τὴν σὴν διαρπάζει καὶ χρήματα τὰ σὰ διαφορέει. Κροῖσος δὲ ἀμείβετο οὔτε πόλιν τὴν ἐμὴν οὔτε χρήματα τὰ ἐμὰ διαρπάζει· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμοὶ ἔτι τούτων μέτα· ἀλλὰ φέρουσί τε καὶ ἄγουσι τὰ σά.
And he asked him, saying: "What is this great multitude doing with such great haste?" And he said: "They are plundering your city and carrying off your possessions." And Croesus replied: "They are plundering neither my city nor my possessions; for none of these things belongs to me anymore; rather, they are carrying and driving away what is yours."

Notes

  1. §1.88.1ὅ μὲν — Although taking the form of a relative pronoun, ὅ here functions as a demonstrative pronoun, common in Homer and Herodotus, referring to 'he' (Croesus) in contrast with the subsequent Κῦρος δὲ.
  2. §1.88.2τὰ νοέων τυγχάνω — The verb τυγχάνω is constructed with the present participle νοέων (the uncontracted Ionic form of νοέω, 'to think'), forming an idiom meaning 'happen to be thinking' or 'am actually thinking'.
  3. §1.88.3οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐμοὶ ἔτι τούτων μέτα — μέτα stands by anastrophe for the compound impersonal verb μέτεστι with the verb ἐστί omitted. Combined with the dative ἐμοί and the genitive τούτων, it means 'for I no longer have any share (or concern) in these things'.
  4. §1.88.3φέρουσί τε καὶ ἄγουσι — A traditional Greek idiom ('carrying and driving away') used to describe military plundering. It combines φέρω (to carry away inanimate goods) and ἄγω (to drive away livestock or captives) to denote overall pillaging.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.88.1-1.88.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.88.1-1.88.3

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