Herodotus · Histories §3.37.1-3.37.3

Cambyses Desecrates Temples and Destroys Statues

Passage 441 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While staying in Memphis, Cambyses continued his mad actions by opening tombs, and further desecrated the temples of Hephaestus and the Cabeiri by mocking and burning their sacred statues.

§3.37.1ὃ μὲν δὴ τοιαῦτα πολλὰ ἐς Πέρσας τε καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους ἐξεμαίνετο, μένων ἐν Μέμφι καὶ θήκας τε παλαιὰς ἀνοίγων καὶ σκεπτόμενος τοὺς νεκρούς.

Thus he committed many such mad acts against the Persians and their allies, remaining in Memphis and opening ancient tombs and inspecting the dead.

§3.37.2ὣς δὲ δὴ καὶ ἐς τοῦ Ἡφαίστου τὸ ἱρὸν ἦλθε καὶ πολλὰ τῷ ἀγάλματι κατεγέλασε.

So also he went into the temple of Hephaestus and laughed much at the image.

ἔστι γὰρ τοῦ Ἡφαίστου τὤγαλμα τοῖσι Φοινικηίοισι Παταΐκοισι ἐμφερέστατον, τοὺς οἱ Φοίνικες ἐν τῇσι πρῴρῃσι τῶν τριηρέων περιάγουσι.

For the image of Hephaestus is very like the Phoenician Pataïcoi, which the Phoenicians carry about on the prows of their triremes.

ὃς δὲ τούτους μὴ ὄπωπε, ὧδε σημανέω· πυγμαίου ἀνδρὸς μίμησις ἐστί.

For anyone who has not seen these, I will describe them: it is the likeness of a pygmy man.

§3.37.3ἐσῆλθε δὲ καὶ ἐς τῶν Καβείρων τὸ ἱρόν, ἐς τὸ οὐ θεμιτόν ἐστι ἐσιέναι ἄλλον γε ἢ τὸν ἱρέα· ταῦτα δὲ τὰ ἀγάλματα καὶ ἐνέπρησε πολλὰ κατασκώψας.

He also entered the temple of the Cabeiri, into which it is not lawful for anyone to enter except the priest; and he even burned these images after mocking them greatly.

ἔστι δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ὅμοια τοῖσι τοῦ Ἡφαίστου· τούτου δὲ σφέας παῖδας λέγουσι εἶναι.

These too are like those of Hephaestus, and they say that these are his children.

Notes

3.37.1ὃ μὲν δὴ — The demonstrative pronoun ὅ combined with the particles μὲν δὴ indicates the subject (Cambyses). Although there is no explicit corresponding δέ clause, it marks the continuation of the narrative about his mad actions.
3.37.3ἐς τὸ οὐ θεμιτόν ἐστι ἐσιέναι ἄλλον γε ἢ τὸν ἱρέα — The infinitive ἐσιέναι depends on the impersonal expression οὐ θεμιτόν ἐστι ("it is not lawful"), with the accusative ἄλλον γε serving as its subject. The particle ἢ introduces an exception ("other than the priest").
3.37.3τούτου δὲ σφέας παῖδας λέγουσι εἶναι — An accusative with infinitive (A.c.I.) construction dependent on λέγουσι. σφέας ("they", referring to the Cabeiri) is the subject accusative of εἶναι, παῖδας is the predicate, and τούτου is the genitive depending on παῖδας, referring to Hephaestus.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §3.37.1-3.37.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.37.1-3.37.3

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