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Herodotus · Histories §4.88.1-4.88.2

Reward of Mandrokles and His Dedication to Hera

Passage 652 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Darius rewards the architect Mandrokles, who then uses a portion of his reward to dedicate a painting of the bridge and Darius's crossing to the temple of Hera in Samos.

§4.88.1Δαρεῖος δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡσθεὶς τῆ σχεδίῃ τὸν ἀρχιτέκτονα αὐτῆς Μανδροκλέα τὸν Σάμιον ἐδωρήσατο πᾶσι δέκα·
After this, Darius, being pleased with the bridge, rewarded its architect, Mandrokles of Samos, with ten of everything.
ἀπʼ ὧν δὴ Μανδροκλέης ἀπαρχὴν ζῷα γραψάμενος πᾶσαν τὴν ζεῦξιν τοῦ Βοσπόρου καὶ βασιλέα τε Δαρεῖον ἐν προεδρίῃ κατήμενον καὶ τὸν στρατὸν αὐτοῦ διαβαίνοντα ταῦτα γραψάμενος ἀνέθηκε ἔς τὸ Ἥραιον, ἐπιγράψας τάδε. §4.88.2" Βόσπορον ἰχθυόεντα γεφυρώσας ἀνέθηκε Μανδροκλέης Ἥρῃ μνημόσυνον σχεδίης, αὑτῷ μὲν στέφανον περιθείς, Σαμίοισι δὲ κῦδος, Δαρείου βασιλέος ἐκτελέσας κατὰ νοῦν.
From these, Mandrokles, as a first-fruit offering, had a picture painted showing the whole bridging of the Bosporus, with King Darius sitting in a seat of honour and his army crossing over; having had these painted, he dedicated them in the Heraion, with this inscription: "Having bridged the fish-abundant Bosporus, Mandrokles dedicated to Hera a memorial of the bridge, winning a crown for himself, and glory for the Samians, having accomplished the work according to the mind of King Darius.
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Notes

  1. 4.88.1πᾶσι δέκα — An idiomatic expression meaning "ten of all things" or "tenfold of everything". The dative "πᾶσι" is governed by "ἐδωρήσατο", indicating that Mandrokles was lavishly rewarded with ten specimens of every kind of gift.
  2. 4.88.1ἀπαρχὴν — The accusative singular of "ἀπαρχή" (first-fruits), functioning as an appositive of effect or purpose (predicate accusative) to the action of having the picture painted, meaning "as a first-fruit offering".
  3. 4.88.1γραψάμενος — The middle participle of "γράφω", here used in a causative sense ("having a picture painted" or "commissioning a painting"). Since Mandrokles was an architect, the middle voice appropriately denotes that he had the scene painted by an artist for himself. The same applies to "ταῦτα γραψάμενος" below.
  4. 4.88.2Δαρείου βασιλέος ἐκτελέσας κατὰ νοῦν — The object of the participle "ἐκτελέσας" (having accomplished) is omitted and understood from the context (the bridging of the Bosporus). The genitive "Δαρείου βασιλέος" depends on the prepositional phrase "κατὰ νοῦν" (according to the mind/pleasure of), meaning he finished the work to the King's satisfaction.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §4.88.1-4.88.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.88.1-4.88.2

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