Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §2.169.1-2.169.5

Defeat and Death of Apries and Royal Tombs at Sais

Passage 391 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Apries was defeated and captured by the Egyptian forces led by Amasis, and was ultimately handed over to the Egyptians, who executed him and buried him in his ancestral tombs within the temple of Athena, where Amasis's own grand tomb was also constructed.

§2.169.1ἐπείτε δὲ συνιόντες ὅ τε Ἀπρίης ἄγων τοὺς ἐπικούρους καὶ ὁ Ἄμασις πάντας Αἰγυπτίους ἀπίκοντο ἐς Μώμεμφιν πόλιν, συνέβαλον·
And when they had met and arrived at the city of Momemphis, Apries leading his auxiliaries and Amasis all the Egyptians, they joined battle.
καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο μὲν εὖ οἱ ξεῖνοι, πλήθεϊ δὲ πολλῷ ἐλάσσονες ἐόντες κατὰ τοῦτο ἑσσώθησαν.
The strangers indeed fought well, but being far fewer in number, they were defeated on this account.
§2.169.2Ἀπρίεω δὲ λέγεται εἶναι ἥδε διάνοια, μηδʼ ἂν θεόν μιν μηδένα δύνασθαι παῦσαι τῆς βασιληίης· οὕτω ἀσφαλέως ἑωυτῷ ἱδρῦσθαι ἐδόκεε.
Now the mind of Apries is said to have been such, that he believed not even any god would be able to depose him from his kingdom; so securely did it seem to him to be established for himself.
καὶ δὴ τότε συμβαλὼν ἑσσώθη καὶ ζωγρηθεὶς ἀπήχθη ἐς Σάιν πόλιν, ἐς τὰ ἑωυτοῦ οἰκία πρότερον ἐόντα, τότε δὲ Ἀμάσιος ἤδη βασιληία.
And indeed at that time, having joined battle, he was defeated, and being taken alive, he was led away to the city of Sais, to what was formerly his own palace, but was then already the royal palace of Amasis.
§2.169.3ἐνθαῦτα δὲ τέως μὲν ἐτρέφετο ἐν τοῖσι βασιληίοισι, καί μιν Ἄμασις εὖ περιεῖπε·
There for a time he was maintained in the palace, and Amasis treated him well.
τέλος δὲ μεμφομένων Αἰγυπτίων ὡς οὐ ποιέοι δίκαια τρέφων τὸν σφίσι τε καὶ ἑωυτῷ ἔχθιστον, οὕτω δὴ παραδιδοῖ τὸν Ἀπρίην τοῖσι Αἰγυπτίοισι.
But at last, since the Egyptians complained that he was not doing what was right in maintaining one who was the greatest enemy both to them and to himself, Amasis thus delivered Apries over to the Egyptians.
οἳ δέ μιν ἀπέπνιξαν καὶ ἔπειτα ἔθαψαν ἐν τῇσι πατρωίῃσι ταφῇσι·
And they strangled him, and then buried him in his ancestral tombs.
§2.169.4αἳ δὲ εἰσὶ ἐν τῷ ἱρῷ τῆς Ἀθηναίης, ἀγχοτάτω τοῦ μεγάρου, ἐσιόντι ἀριστερῆς χειρός.
These are in the temple of Athena, very close to the inner shrine, on the left hand as you enter.
ἔθαψαν δὲ Σαῗται πάντας τοὺς ἐκ νομοῦ τούτου γενομένους βασιλέας ἔσω ἐν τῷ ἱρῷ.
The Saites buried all the kings who were of this district inside the temple.
§2.169.5καὶ γὰρ τὸ τοῦ Ἀμάσιος σῆμα ἑκαστέρω μὲν ἐστὶ τοῦ μεγάρου ἢ τὸ τοῦ Ἀπρίεω καὶ τῶν τούτου προπατόρων, ἔστι μέντοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τοῦ ἱροῦ, παστὰς λιθίνη μεγάλη καὶ ἠσκημένη στύλοισί τε φοίνικας τὰ δένδρεα μεμιμημένοισι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ δαπάνῃ·
For indeed, the tomb of Amasis, though it is further from the inner shrine than that of Apries and his ancestors, is nevertheless also in the courtyard of the temple, a great stone colonnade adorned both with columns carved in imitation of palm trees and with other lavish expense.
ἔσω δὲ ἐν τῇ παστάδι διξὰ θυρώματα ἕστηκε, ἐν δὲ τοῖσι θυρώμασι ἡ θήκη ἐστί.
Within the colonnade stand double doors, and inside these doors is the sepulchre.

Notes

  1. 2.169.2μηδʼ ἂν θεόν μιν μηδένα δύνασθαι — The infinitive δύνασθαι accompanied by the particle ἄν represents a potential construction (corresponding to ἂν δύναιτο in direct discourse) transferred into indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive). It highlights the extreme confidence and arrogance of Apries.
  2. 2.169.3μεμφομένων Αἰγυπτίων ὡς οὐ ποιέοι δίκαια — μεμφομένων Αἰγυπτίων is a genitive absolute, followed by the ὡς clause expressing the content of their complaint. The verb ποιέοι is in the oblique optative because it depends on a past leading verb (or historical present, παραδιδοῖ), indicating the subjective allegation of the Egyptians.
  3. 2.169.4ἐσιόντι ἀριστερῆς χειρός — The dative participle ἐσιόντι is a 'dative of reference' commonly used in spatial descriptions ('to one entering', 'as you enter'). The genitive ἀριστερῆς χειρός is a genitive of place or direction ('on the left hand').
  4. 2.169.5στύλοισί τε φοίνικας τὰ δένδρεα μεμιμημένοισι — The dative participle μεμιμημένοισι agrees with στύλοισι, meaning 'columns that imitate'. The accusatives φοίνικας and τὰ δένδρεα are in apposition, serving as the direct object of the participle.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.169.1-2.169.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.169.1-2.169.5

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.