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Herodotus · Histories §2.115.1-2.115.6

Proteus Questions and Banishes Alexander

Passage 331 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Thonis brings Alexander, Helen, and the suppliants to King Proteus in Memphis. After questioning Alexander and exposing his crime, Proteus decides to keep Helen and the treasures for her Greek husband and orders Alexander to leave Egypt within three days.

§2.115.1ἀκούσας δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Θῶνις συλλαμβάνει τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ τὰς νέας αὐτοῦ κατίσχει, μετὰ δὲ αὐτόν τε τοῦτον ἀνήγαγε ἐς Μέμφιν καὶ τὴν Ἑλένην τε καὶ τὰ χρήματα, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἱκέτας.
Upon hearing this, Thonis arrested Alexander and detained his ships; after that, he brought this man himself to Memphis, along with Helen and the treasures, and also the suppliants. Upon hearing this, Thonis arrested Alexander and detained his ships; after that, he brought this man himself to Memphis, along with Helen and the treasures, and also the suppliants.
§2.115.2ἀνακομισθέντων δὲ πάντων, εἰρώτα τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ὁ Πρωτεὺς τίς εἴη καὶ ὁκόθεν πλέοι. ὁ δέ οἱ καὶ τὸ γένος κατέλεξε καὶ τῆς πάτρης εἶπε τὸ οὔνομα, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸν πλόον ἀπηγήσατο ὁκόθεν πλέοι.
When everyone had been brought up, Proteus asked Alexander who he was and from where he was sailing. He told him his lineage and gave the name of his homeland, and moreover, he recounted his voyage, from where he was sailing. When everyone had been brought up, Proteus asked Alexander who he was and from where he was sailing. He told him his lineage and gave the name of his homeland, and moreover, he recounted his voyage, from where he was sailing.
§2.115.3μετὰ δὲ ὁ Πρωτεὺς εἰρώτα αὐτὸν ὁκόθεν τὴν Ἑλένην λάβοι· πλανωμένου δὲ τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ οὐ λέγοντος τὴν ἀληθείην, ἤλεγχον οἱ γενόμενοι ἱκέται, ἐξηγεύμενοι πάντα λόγον τοῦ ἀδικήματος.
Thereupon, Proteus asked him where he had taken Helen from; and when Alexander prevaricated in his speech and would not speak the truth, those who had become suppliants refuted him, explaining the whole story of his crime. Thereupon, Proteus asked him where he had taken Helen from; and when Alexander prevaricated in his speech and would not speak the truth, those who had become suppliants refuted him, explaining the whole story of his crime.
§2.115.4τέλος δὲ δή σφι λόγον τόνδε ἐκφαίνει ὁ Πρωτεύς, λέγων ὅτι ἐγὼ εἰ μὴ περὶ πολλοῦ ἡγεύμην μηδένα ξείνων κτείνειν, ὅσοι ὑπʼ ἀνέμων ἤδη ἀπολαμφθέντες ἦλθον ἐς χώρην τὴν ἐμήν, ἐγὼ ἄν σε ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἕλληνος ἐτισάμην, ὅς, ὦ κάκιστε ἀνδρῶν, ξεινίων τυχὼν ἔργον ἀνοσιώτατον ἐργάσαο· παρὰ τοῦ σεωυτοῦ ξείνου τὴν γυναῖκα ἦλθες. καὶ μάλα ταῦτά τοι οὐκ ἤρκεσε, ἀλλʼ ἀναπτερώσας αὐτὴν οἴχεαι ἔχων ἐκκλέψας.
At last Proteus declared this speech to them, saying: "If I did not make it of great account to kill none of the strangers who, having already been cut off by the winds, have come to my country, I would have taken vengeance on you on behalf of the Greek, you most wicked of men, who, having received hospitality, committed the most impious deed. You came away with the wife of your own host; and indeed, this was by no means enough for you, but having excited her, you went off with her, having stolen her away." At last Proteus declared this speech to them, saying: "If I did not make it of great account to kill none of the strangers who, having already been cut off by the winds, have come to my country, I would have taken vengeance on you on behalf of the Greek, you most wicked of men, who, having received hospitality, committed the most impious deed. You came away with the wife of your own host; and indeed, this was by no means enough for you, but having excited her, you went off with her, having stolen her away.
§2.115.5καὶ οὐδὲ ταῦτά τοι μοῦνα ἤρκεσε, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκία τοῦ ξείνου κεραΐσας ἥκεις.
And not even this alone was enough for you, but you have also come after plundering the house of your host. And not even this alone was enough for you, but you have also come after plundering the house of your host.
§2.115.6νῦν ὦν ἐπειδὴ περὶ πολλοῦ ἥγημαι μὴ ξεινοκτονέειν, γυναῖκα μὲν ταύτην καὶ τὰ χρήματα οὔ τοι προήσω ἀπάγεσθαι, ἀλλʼ αὐτὰ ἐγὼ τῷ Ἕλληνι ξείνῳ φυλάξω, ἐς ὃ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἀπαγαγέσθαι ἐθέλῃ· αὐτὸν δέ σε καὶ τοὺς σοὺς συμπλόους τριῶν ἡμερέων προαγορεύω ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς γῆς ἐς ἄλλην τινὰ μετορμίζεσθαι, εἰ δὲ μή, ἅτε πολεμίους περιέψεσθαι.
Now therefore, since I make it of great account not to kill strangers, I will not allow you to carry away this woman and the treasures, but I myself will guard them for the Greek host, until such time as he himself shall come and wish to carry them away. But as for you yourself and your shipmates, I command you to move from my land to some other within three days; otherwise, you will be treated as enemies." Now therefore, since I make it of great account not to kill strangers, I will not allow you to carry away this woman and the treasures, but I myself will guard them for the Greek host, until such time as he himself shall come and wish to carry them away. But as for you yourself and your shipmates, I command you to move from my land to some other within three days; otherwise, you will be treated as enemies."

Notes

  1. §2.115.4εἰ μὴ περὶ πολλοῦ ἡγεύμην ... ἐγὼ ἄν σε ... ἐτισάμην — A contrary-to-fact conditional sentence. The imperfect in the protasis (ἡγεύμην) denotes a continuous state in the past (or a state contrary to present fact: 'if I did not hold it of great account'), while the aorist with ἄν in the apodosis (ἄν ... ἐτισάμην) expresses a past counterfactual action ('I would have taken vengeance').
  2. §2.115.4παρὰ τοῦ σεωυτοῦ ξείνου τὴν γυναῖκα ἦλθες — ἦλθες (aorist of ἔρχομαι) can mean 'go away' or 'depart' as well as 'come.' Combined with the prepositional phrase παρά with the genitive ('from the side of'), it means 'you went away from your own host [taking] his wife.' The accusative τὴν γυναῖκα is governed either by the implied idea of taking/carrying away, or by assuming an ellipsis of a participle like ἔχων.
  3. §2.115.4ἀναπτερώσας αὐτὴν οἴχεαι ἔχων ἐκκλέψας — The verb οἴχομαι with the participle ἔχων (literally 'to go off having') is an idiomatic construction meaning 'to carry off' or 'to go away with.' Here, two other aorist participles, ἀναπτερώσας ('having excited/enticed') and ἐκκλέψας ('having stolen'), also modify the main verb οἴχεαι ('you have gone off').
  4. §2.115.6ἐς ὃ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἀπαγαγέσθαι ἐθέλῃ — ἐς ὅ is equivalent to ἕως, meaning 'until.' Combined with ἄν and the subjunctive ἐθέλῃ, it forms a temporal clause referring to an indefinite future time ('until he himself shall wish'). The subject is emphasized by the demonstrative and intensive pronouns αὐτὸς ... ἐκεῖνος ('that man himself').
  5. §2.115.6ἅτε πολεμίους περιέψεσθαι — The infinitive περιέψεσθαι is the future middle of περιέπω ('to treat, handle'), here used with a passive meaning ('to be treated'). Introduced by ἅτε ('as'), it is part of the accusative and infinitive construction dependent on the main verb προαγορεύω ('I command/declare'), referring to the subject (σε καὶ τοὺς σοὺς συμπλόους) being 'treated as enemies.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.115.1-2.115.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.115.1-2.115.6

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