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Herodotus · Histories §3.128.1-3.128.5

Bagaeus's Strategy and the Execution of Oroetes

Passage 532 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Thirty men volunteer for Darius's mission, and Bagaeus is chosen by lot. He travels to Sardis with sealed letters to test the loyalty of Oroetes's bodyguards, gradually convincing them to abandon and ultimately execute Oroetes.

§3.128.1Δαρεῖος μὲν ταῦτα ἐπειρώτα, τῷ δὲ ἄνδρες τριήκοντα ὑπέστησαν, αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἐθέλων ποιέειν ταῦτα.
Darius asked this, and thirty men offered themselves, each one wishing to do this himself.
ἐρίζοντας δὲ Δαρεῖος κατελάμβανε κελεύων πάλλεσθαι· παλλομένων δὲ λαγχάνει ἐκ πάντων Βαγαῖος ὁ Ἀρτόντεω·
Since they were disputing, Darius restrained them by ordering that lots be cast; and when the lots were cast, Bagaeus the son of Artontes was chosen from them all.
§3.128.2λαχὼν δὲ ὁ Βαγαῖος ποιέει τάδε· βυβλία γραψάμενος πολλὰ καὶ περὶ πολλῶν ἔχοντα πρηγμάτων σφρηγῖδά σφι ἐπέβαλε τὴν Δαρείου, μετὰ δὲ ἤιε ἔχων ταῦτα ἐς τὰς Σάρδις.
Having been chosen, Bagaeus did as follows: he wrote many letters concerning many different matters and impressed on them the seal of Darius, and after this he went to Sardis carrying them.
§3.128.3ἀπικόμενος δὲ καὶ Ὀροίτεω ἐς ὄψιν ἐλθών, τῶν βυβλίων ἓν ἕκαστον περιαιρεόμενος ἐδίδου τῷ γραμματιστῇ τῷ βασιληίῳ ἐπιλέγεσθαι· γραμματιστὰς δὲ βασιληίους οἱ πάντες ὕπαρχοι ἔχουσι·
On his arrival, having come into the presence of Oroetes, he took the letters one by one, took off their covers, and gave them to the royal scribe to read aloud; for all satraps have royal scribes.
ἀποπειρώμενος δὲ τῶν δορυφόρων ἐδίδου τὰ βυβλία ὁ Βαγαῖος, εἰ ἐνδεξαίατο ἀπόστασιν ἀπὸ Ὀροίτεω.
Bagaeus gave the letters in order to test the bodyguards, to see if they would welcome rebellion against Oroetes.
§3.128.4ὁρέων δὲ σφέας τά τε βυβλία σεβομένους μεγάλως καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα ἐκ τῶν βυβλίων ἔτι μεζόνως, διδοῖ ἄλλο ἐν τῷ ἐνῆν ἔπεα τάδε· ὦ Πέρσαι, βασιλεὺς Δαρεῖος ἀπαγορεύει ὑμῖν μὴ δορυφορέειν Ὀροίτεα. οἳ δὲ ἀκούσαντες τούτων μετῆκάν οἱ τὰς αἰχμάς.
Seeing that they greatly respected the letters and respected still more what was read from them, he gave them another letter in which were written these words: 'O Persians, King Darius forbids you to serve as bodyguards to Oroetes.' Upon hearing this, they lowered their spears for him.
§3.128.5ἰδὼν δὲ τοῦτο σφέας ὁ Βαγαῖος πειθομένους τῷ βυβλίῳ, ἐνθαῦτα δὴ θαρσήσας τὸ τελευταῖον τῶν βυβλίων διδοῖ τῷ γραμματιστῇ, ἐν τῷ ἐγέγραπτο βασιλεὺς Δαρεῖος Πέρσῃσι τοῖσι ἐν Σάρδισι ἐντέλλεται κτείνειν Ὀροίτεα. οἱ δὲ δορυφόροι ὡς ἤκουσαν ταῦτα, σπασάμενοι τοὺς ἀκινάκας κτείνουσι παραυτίκα μιν, οὕτω δὴ Ὀροίτεα τὸν Πέρσην Πολυκράτεος τοῦ Σαμίου τίσιες μετῆλθον.
Seeing that they obeyed this letter, Bagaeus finally took courage and gave the last of the letters to the scribe, in which was written: 'King Darius commands the Persians in Sardis to kill Oroetes.' As soon as the bodyguards heard this, they drew their scimitars and killed him on the spot. In this way, the vengeance for Polycrates of Samos overtook Oroetes the Persian.

Notes

  1. 3.128.1ἐρίζοντας δὲ Δαρεῖος κατελάμβανε — The imperfect verb `κατελάμβανε` (restrained, checked) denotes an attempt or an ongoing action to suppress a process. The present participle `ἐρίζοντας` serves as its object, describing the men in the act of disputing with one another.
  2. 3.128.3εἰ ἐνδεξαίατο ἀπόστασιν — The conjunction `εἰ` introduces an indirect question ('whether') dependent on the historical tense of the main verb (`ἐδίδου`). The verb `ενδεξαίατο` is the Ionic form of the third-person plural optative middle (equivalent to Attic `ἐνδέξαιντο`), illustrating the optative of indirect discourse after a past tense.
  3. 3.128.4ἀπαγορεύει ὑμῖν μὴ δορυφορέειν — In Greek syntax, verbs of hindering or forbidding (here `ἀπαγορεύω`) are regularly followed by an infinitive with a redundant negative `μή`. This redundant negative should not be translated as a double negation (which would mean 'forbids you not to serve as bodyguards'), but simply as a negative mandate: 'forbids you to serve as bodyguards'.
  4. 3.128.5Πολυκράτεος τοῦ Σαμίου τίσιες — The subject `τίσιες` is the plural of `τίσις` (vengeance, retribution), with `Πολυκράτεος τοῦ Σαμίου` acting as an objective genitive. The plural form may imply multiple acts/aspects of vengeance or hint at the personified Furies (Erinyes). The verb `μετῆλθον` (overtook, pursued) takes Oroetes as its object.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.128.1-3.128.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.128.1-3.128.5

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