Herodotus · Histories §3.21.1-3.21.3

The Ethiopian King's Rebuff of Cambyses' Spies

Passage 425 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The messengers of the Fish-eaters deliver Cambyses' gifts to the Ethiopian king, but the king perceives that they are spies, denounces Cambyses' injustice, and sends them back with a bow and a warning.

§3.21.1ἐς τούτους δὴ ὦν τοὺς ἄνδρας ὡς ἀπίκοντο οἱ Ἰχθυοφάγοι, διδόντες τὰ δῶρα τῷ, βασιλέι αὐτῶν ἔλεγον τάδε. βασιλεὺς ὁ Περσέων Καμβύσης, βουλόμενος φίλος καὶ ξεῖνός τοι γενέσθαι, ἡμέας τε ἀπέπεμψε ἐς λόγους τοι ἐλθεῖν κελεύων, καὶ δῶρα ταῦτά τοι διδοῖ τοῖσι καὶ αὐτὸς μάλιστα ἥδεται χρεώμενος. §3.21.2ὁ δὲ Αἰθίοψ μαθὼν ὅτι κατόπται ἥκοιεν, λέγει πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοιάδε. οὔτε ὁ Περσέων βασιλεὺς δῶρα ὑμέας ἔπεμψε φέροντας προτιμῶν πολλοῦ ἐμοὶ ξεῖνος γενέσθαι, οὔτε ὑμεῖς λέγετε ἀληθέα (ἥκετε γὰρ κατόπται τῆς ἐμῆς ἀρχῆς), οὔτε ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ δίκαιος.

So when the Fish-eaters arrived among these men, they gave the gifts to their king and spoke as follows: "Cambyses, the king of the Persians, wishing to become your friend and guest-friend, has sent us, bidding us to enter into conversation with you, and he gives you these gifts, which he himself also takes the greatest pleasure in using." But the Ethiopian, understanding that they had come as spies, spoke to them as follows: "Neither did the king of the Persians send you bearing gifts because he highly valued becoming my guest-friend, nor do you speak the truth (for you have come as spies of my kingdom), nor is that man just.

εἰ γὰρ ἦν δίκαιος, οὔτʼ ἂν ἐπεθύμησε χώρης ἄλλης ἢ τῆς ἑωυτοῦ, οὔτʼ ἂν ἐς δουλοσύνην ἀνθρώπους ἦγε ὑπʼ ὧν μηδὲν ἠδίκηται.

For if he were just, he would not have desired another land than his own, nor would he be leading into slavery men by whom he has been wronged in no way.

νῦν δὲ αὐτῷ τόξον τόδε διδόντες τάδε ἔπεα λέγετε. §3.21.3βασιλεὺς ὁ Αἰθιόπων συμβουλεύει τῷ Περσέων βασιλέι, ἐπεὰν οὕτω εὐπετέως ἕλκωσι τὰ τόξα Πέρσαι ἐόντα μεγάθεϊ τοσαῦτα, τότε ἐπʼ Αἰθίοπας τοὺς μακροβίους πλήθεϊ ὑπερβαλλόμενον στρατεύεσθαι· μέχρι δὲ τούτου θεοῖσι εἰδέναι χάριν, οἳ οὐκ ἐπὶ νόον τρέπουσι Αἰθιόπων παισὶ γῆν ἄλλην προσκτᾶσθαι τῇ ἑωυτῶν.

But now, give him this bow and say these words to him: 'The king of the Ethiopians counsels the king of the Persians that, when the Persians can draw bows of this size as easily as this, then he should march against the long-lived Ethiopians with an overwhelming force; but until then, he should be grateful to the gods, who do not turn the minds of the sons of the Ethiopians to acquiring another land in addition to their own.'"

Notes

3.21.2ὅτι κατόπται ἥκοιεν — Because the historical present λέγει (or the participle μαθών) in the main clause acts as a past tense, the verb in the indirect discourse clause shifts from the indicative (ἥκασι or ἥκουσι) to the oblique optative (ἥκοιεν).
3.21.2εἰ γὰρ ἦν δίκαιος, οὔτʼ ἂν ἐπεθύμησε... οὔτʼ ἂν... ἦγε — A conditional sentence contrary to fact. The protasis with ἦν (imperfect indicative) represents a condition contrary to present or general fact ('if he were just'). In the apodosis, ἂν ἐπεθύμησε (aorist indicative with ἄν) expresses past unreality ('he would not have desired'), while ἂν ἦγε (imperfect indicative with ἄν) expresses present unreality ('he would not be leading').
3.21.3συμβουλεύει... στρατεύεσθαι... εἰδέναι — The verb συμβουλεύει (counsels) introduces indirect commands, with the infinitives στρατεύεσθαι and εἰδέναι in parataxis. Although the latter, εἰδέναι χάριν (to give thanks), could also be interpreted as an independent infinitive of command ('let him be grateful'), it is most natural to construe both as parallel clauses dependent on the main verb of counseling.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.21.1-3.21.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.21.1-3.21.3

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