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Herodotus · Histories §3.137.1-3.137.5

Rescue of Democedes at Croton and the Persians' Return

Passage 541 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persians attempt to capture Democedes in Croton, but they are beaten back by the Crotonians, who rescue Democedes and seize their ship, forcing them to return to Asia. Democedes bids them tell Darius that he has become betrothed to the daughter of the famous wrestler Milo.

§3.137.1πλέοντες δὲ ἐνθεῦτεν οἱ Πέρσαι καὶ διώκοντες Δημοκήδεα ἀπικνέονται ἐς τὴν Κρότωνα, εὑρόντες δέ μιν ἀγοράζοντα ἅπτοντο αὐτοῦ.
Sailing from there and pursuing Democedes, the Persians arrived at Croton; and finding him in the marketplace, they laid hands on him.
§3.137.2τῶν δὲ Κροτωνιητέων οἳ μὲν καταρρωδέοντες τὰ Περσικὰ πρήγματα προϊέναι ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν, οἳ δὲ ἀντάπτοντο καὶ τοῖσι σκυτάλοισι ἔπαιον τοὺς Πέρσας προϊσχομένους ἔπεα τάδε. ἄνδρες Κροτωνιῆται, ὁρᾶτε τὰ ποιέετε·
Some of the Crotonians, fearing the power of the Persians, were ready to give him up, but others stood against them and beat with their clubs the Persians, who protested with these words: "Men of Croton, consider what you are doing!
ἄνδρα βασιλέος δρηπέτην γενόμενον ἐξαιρέεσθε. §3.137.3κῶς ταῦτα βασιλέι Δαρείῳ ἐκχρήσει περιυβρίσθαι;
You are rescuing a man who is a runaway slave of the King." "How will it satisfy King Darius to be thus outraged?
κῶς δὲ ὑμῖν τὰ ποιεύμενα ἕξει καλῶς, ἢν ἀπέλησθε ἡμέας;
And how will it go well for you if you take him away from us?
ἐπὶ τίνα δὲ τῆσδε προτέρην στρατευσόμεθα πόλιν;
Against what city shall we march before this one?
τίνα δὲ προτέρην ἀνδραποδίζεσθαι περιησόμεθα; §3.137.4ταῦτα λέγοντες τοὺς Κροτωνιήτας οὔκων ἔπειθον, ἀλλʼ ἐξαιρεθέντες τε τὸν Δημοκήδεα καὶ τὸν γαῦλον τὸν ἅμα ἤγοντο ἀπαιρεθέντες ἀπέπλεον ὀπίσω ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην, οὐδʼ ἔτι ἐζήτησαν τὸ προσωτέρω τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἀπικόμενοι ἐκμαθεῖν, ἐστερημένοι τοῦ ἡγεμόνος.
And which one shall we first attempt to enslave?" Though they said this, they by no means persuaded the Crotonians; instead, having Democedes rescued from them and having the merchant ship which they brought with them taken away, they sailed back to Asia, and did not search any further to explore Greece, since they were deprived of their guide.
§3.137.5τοσόνδε μέντοι ἐνετείλατό σφι Δημοκήδης ἀναγομένοισι, κελεύων εἰπεῖν σφεας Δαρείῳ ὅτι ἅρμοσται τὴν Μίλωνος θυγατέρα Δημοκήδης γυναῖκα.
However, Democedes gave them this charge as they were putting to sea, bidding them tell Darius that Democedes was betrothed to the daughter of Milo as his wife.
τοῦ γὰρ δὴ παλαιστέω Μίλωνος ἦν οὔνομα πολλὸν παρὰ βασιλέι· κατὰ δὲ τοῦτό μοι δοκέει σπεῦσαι τὸν γάμον τοῦτον τελέσας χρήματα μεγάλα Δημοκήδης, ἵνα φανῇ πρὸς Δαρείου ἐὼν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἑωυτοῦ δόκιμος.
For indeed, the name of Milo the wrestler was of great account with the King; and it seems to me that Democedes hastened this marriage by paying a great sum of money for this very reason, so that he might appear to Darius to be a man of distinction in his own country as well.

Notes

  1. 3.137.3ἐκχρήσει περιυβρίσθαι — ἐκχρήσει is the third-person singular future of ἐκχράω ("to be sufficient, suffice"), used here impersonally. περιυβρίσθαι is the perfect passive infinitive of περιυβρίζω ("to outrage exceedingly"), with the preceding neuter plural ταῦτα ("these outrages") acting as its subject. The phrase means "how will it be sufficient (i.e., acceptable) to King Darius to be so greatly outraged?".
  2. 3.137.4ἐξαιρεθέντες τε τὸν Δημοκήδεα καὶ τὸν γαῦλον ... ἀπαιρεθέντες — The verbs ἐξαιρέω and ἀφαιρέω, which take a double accusative in the active voice ("to deprive [someone] of [something]"), are used here as passive aorist participles in the nominative masculine plural (agreeing with the Persians). Consequently, the things deprived ("Democedes" and "the merchant ship") remain in the accusative case (retained accusative).
  3. 3.137.5ἅρμοσται — The third-person singular perfect middle-passive of ἁρμόζω ("to fit, (in middle) betroth to oneself"). It is used here with a middle force ("has betrothed to himself"), taking the accusative τὴν Μίλωνος θυγατέρα ("the daughter of Milo") as its direct object, with γυναῖκα ("as wife") serving as an object complement.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.137.1-3.137.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.137.1-3.137.5

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