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Herodotus · Histories §4.161.1-4.161.3

Arrival and Reforms of Demonax at Cyrene

Passage 725 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After the death of Arcesilaus, the lame Battus succeeds to the throne, and the Cyrenaeans, following the Delphic oracle, invite Demonax from Mantinea to reform their state. Demonax reorganizes the population into three tribes and curtails the royal privileges, transferring most powers to the people.

§4.161.1διεδέξατο δὲ τὴν βασιληίην τοῦ Ἀρκεσίλεω ὁ παῖς Βάττος, χωλός τε ἐὼν καὶ οὐκ ἀρτίπους.
The kingship of Arcesilaus was succeeded by his son Battus, who was lame and infirm of foot.
οἱ δὲ Κυρηναῖοι πρὸς τὴν καταλαβοῦσαν συμφορὴν ἔπεμπον ἐς Δελφοὺς ἐπειρησομένους ὅντινα τρόπον καταστησάμενοι κάλλιστα ἂν οἰκέοιεν.
In the face of the misfortune that had befallen them, the Cyrenaeans sent messengers to Delphi to inquire in what way they might best establish their constitution and dwell.
§4.161.2ἡ δὲ Πυθίη ἐκέλευε ἐκ Μαντινέης τῆς Ἀρκάδων καταρτιστῆρα ἀγαγέσθαι.
The Pythian priestess bade them bring a reformer from Mantinea of the Arcadians.
αἴτεον ὦν οἱ Κυρηναῖοι, καὶ οἱ Μαντινέες ἔδοσαν ἄνδρα τῶν ἀστῶν δοκιμώτατον, τῷ οὔνομα ἦν Δημῶναξ.
So the Cyrenaeans made their request, and the Mantineans gave them the most highly esteemed of their citizens, whose name was Demonax.
§4.161.3οὗτος ὦν ὡνὴρ ἀπικόμενος ἐς τὴν Κυρήνην καὶ μαθὼν ἕκαστα τοῦτο μὲν τριφύλους ἐποίησε σφεας, τῇδε διαθείς· Θηραίων μὲν καὶ τῶν περιοίκων μίαν μοῖραν ἐποίησε, ἄλλην δὲ Πελοποννησίων καὶ Κρητῶν, τρίτην δὲ νησιωτέων πάντων.
This man, having arrived in Cyrene and informed himself of all the circumstances, in the first place divided them into three tribes, distributing them in this way: of the Theraeans and their neighbors he made one division; another of the Peloponnesians and Cretans; and a third of all the islanders.
τοῦτο δὲ τῷ βασιλέι Βάττῳ τεμένεα ἐξελὼν καὶ ἱρωσύνας, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ πρότερον εἶχον οἱ βασιλέες ἐς μέσον τῷ δήμῳ ἔθηκε.
In the second place, setting aside sacred precincts and priesthoods for the king Battus, he placed all the other privileges which the kings previously held in common for the people.

Notes

  1. 4.161.1ἐπειρησομένους — Accusative plural of the future participle. It agrees with the unexpressed direct object of ἔπεμπον (messengers), expressing purpose ('to inquire').
  2. 4.161.3τοῦτο μὲν ... τοῦτο δὲ — Correlative adverbial accusative phrases, equivalent to τὸ μέν ... τὸ δέ ... . They contrast the two main reforms introduced by Demonax: 'in the first place (firstly) ... in the second place (secondly) ...'.
  3. 4.161.3ἐς μέσον τῷ δήμῳ ἔθηκε — The idiom ἐς μέσον τιθέναι (literally 'to place in the middle', meaning 'to make public/common') is used with the dative of interest τῷ δήμῳ (for the people). It signifies placing the king's former privileges into the public domain for the common use of the citizenry.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.161.1-4.161.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.161.1-4.161.3

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