Herodotus · Histories §2.151.1-2.151.3

Psammetichus and the Libation from a Bronze Helmet

Passage 373 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

During a libation at the temple of Hephaestus, Psammetichus used his bronze helmet as a cup due to a shortage of gold cups, fulfilling the oracle that whoever poured a libation from bronze would become sole king, which led the other kings to banish him to the marshes.

§2.151.1τῶν δὲ δυώδεκα βασιλέων δικαιοσύνῃ χρεωμένων, ἀνὰ χρόνον ὡς ἔθυσαν ἐν τῷ ἱρῷ τοῦ Ἡφαίστου, τῇ ὑστάτῃ τῆς ὁρτῆς, μελλόντων κατασπείσειν, ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐξήνεικέ σφι φιάλας χρυσέας, τῇσί περ ἐώθεσαν σπένδειν, ἁμαρτὼν τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, ἕνδεκα δυώδεκα ἐοῦσι.

While the twelve kings were ruling with justice, in the course of time, as they were sacrificing in the temple of Hephaestus on the last day of the festival and were about to pour libations, the chief priest brought out for them the golden cups which they were accustomed to use for pouring libations; but he made a mistake in the number, bringing only eleven, although they were twelve.

§2.151.2ἐνθαῦτα ὡς οὐκ εἶχε φιάλην ὁ ἔσχατος ἑστεὼς αὐτῶν Ψαμμήτιχος, περιελόμενος τὴν κυνέην ἐοῦσαν χαλκέην ὑπέσχε τε καὶ ἔσπενδε.

Then, as the last of them, Psammetichus, who was standing there, did not have a cup, he took off his helmet, which was of bronze, held it out, and poured his libation.

κυνέας δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἅπαντες ἐφόρεόν τε βασιλέες καὶ ἐτύγχανον τότε ἔχοντες.

All the other kings also wore helmets and happened to have them on at that time.

§2.151.3Ψαμμήτιχος μέν νυν οὐδενὶ δολερῷ νόῳ χρεώμενος ὑπέσχε τὴν κυνέην·

Now Psammetichus had held out his helmet with no treacherous intent; but they took to heart what had been done by Psammetichus and the oracle, because it had been prophesied to them that whichever of them poured a libation from a bronze cup should be sole king of Egypt.

οἳ δὲ ἐν φρενὶ λαβόντες τό τε ποιηθὲν ἐκ Ψαμμητίχου καὶ τὸ χρηστήριον, ὅτι ἐκέχρηστό σφι τὸν χαλκέῃ σπείσαντα αὐτῶν φιάλῃ τοῦτον βασιλέα ἔσεσθαι μοῦνον Αἰγύπτου, ἀναμνησθέντες τοῦ χρησμοῦ κτεῖναι μὲν οὐκ ἐδικαίωσαν Ψαμμήτιχον, ὡς ἀνεύρισκον βασανίζοντες ἐξ οὐδεμιῆς προνοίης αὐτὸν ποιήσαντα, ἐς δὲ τὰ ἕλεα ἔδοξέ σφι διῶξαι ψιλώσαντας τὰ πλεῖστα τῆς δυνάμιος, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἑλέων ὁρμώμενον μὴ ἐπιμίσγεσθαι τῇ ἄλλῃ Αἰγύπτῳ.

Remembering the oracle, they did not think it right to kill Psammetichus, since upon examining him they found that he had done it with no forethought; but they resolved to banish him to the marshes, stripping him of most of his power, and that, starting from the marshes, he should have no intercourse with the rest of Egypt.

Notes

§2.151.1τῶν δὲ δυώδεκα βασιλέων — A genitive absolute construction at the beginning of the sentence. The subsequent participle `μελλόντων` is also in the genitive absolute with the twelve kings as its logical subject, and the temporal clause (`ὡς ἔθυσαν...`) is inserted between them, complicating the sentence structure.
§2.151.1ἕνδεκα δυώδεκα ἐοῦσι — `ἕνδεκα` is the direct object of the verb `ἐξήνεικε` (indeclinable numeral). `δυώδεκα ἐοῦσι` is a dative participle phrase modifying the preceding dative pronoun `σφι` (for them), expressing a concessive sense: 'bringing eleven, although they were twelve.'
§2.151.3ὡς ἀνεύρισκον βασανίζοντες ἐξ οὐδεμιῆς προνοίης αὐτὸν ποιήσαντα — The participle `ποιήσαντα` (accusative) is used as a supplementary participle with the verb of finding/discovering `ἀνεύρισκον` ('they found that he had done...'). `ἐξ οὐδεμιῆς προνοίης` is an adverbial phrase meaning 'from no forethought' or 'without any design.'
§2.151.3ἔδοξέ σφι διῶξαι ψιλώσαντας — Although the dative `σφι` is used with the impersonal verb `ἔδοξε` ('it seemed good to them'), the participle `ψιλώσαντας`, which expresses the logical subject of the infinitive `διῶξαι`, is in the accusative. This is a common Greek construction where the subject of the infinitive is put in the accusative despite the presence of the dative `σφι`. Similarly, `ὁρμώμενον` in the next clause is an accusative participle acting as the subject of the infinitive `μὴ ἐπιμίσγεσθαι`.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.151.1-2.151.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.151.1-2.151.3

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