Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §5.18.1-5.18.5

Impertinence of the Persian Envoys at Amyntas's Banquet

Passage 787 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The Persian envoys arriving in Macedonia are welcomed by Amyntas and demand that women be brought into the banquet. Amyntas reluctantly complies, but the drunken Persians begin to behave impertinently toward the women.

§5.18.1οἱ ὦν Πέρσαι οἱ πεμφθέντες οὗτοι παρὰ τὸν Ἀμύντην ὡς ἀπίκοντο, αἴτεον ἐλθόντες ἐς ὄψιν τὴν Ἀμύντεω Δαρείῳ βασιλέι γῆν τε καὶ ὕδωρ.
\nSo when these Persians who had been sent arrived at Amyntas' court, they went into the presence of Amyntas and demanded earth and water for King Darius.
ὁ δὲ ταῦτά τε ἐδίδου καὶ σφεας ἐπὶ ξείνια καλέει, παρασκευασάμενος δὲ δεῖπνον μεγαλοπρεπὲς ἐδέκετο τοὺς Πέρσας φιλοφρόνως. §5.18.2ὡς δὲ ἀπὸ δείπνου ἐγένοντο, διαπίνοντες εἶπαν οἱ Πέρσαι τάδε. ξεῖνε Μακεδών, ἡμῖν νόμος ἐστὶ τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι, ἐπεὰν δεῖπνον προτιθώμεθα μέγα, τότε καὶ τὰς παλλακὰς καὶ τὰς κουριδίας γυναῖκας ἐσάγεσθαι παρέδρους.
Amyntas consented to give these and invited them to hospitality, and having prepared a magnificent dinner, he received the Persians in a friendly manner.\n\nAnd when they had finished dinner, drinking together, the Persians said these words: "Macedonian host, it is our custom among the Persians, whenever we set a great dinner, then to bring in also the concubines and wedded wives to sit beside us.
σύ νυν, ἐπεί περ προθύμως μὲν ἐδέξαο μεγάλως δὲ ξεινίζεις, διδοῖς δὲ βασιλέι Δαρείῳ γῆν τε καὶ ὕδωρ, ἕπεο νόμῳ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ. §5.18.3εἶπε πρὸς ταῦτα Ἀμύντης ὦ Πέρσαι, νόμος μὲν ἡμῖν γε ἐστὶ οὐκ οὗτος, ἀλλὰ κεχωρίσθαι ἄνδρας γυναικῶν·
You, therefore, since you have received us eagerly and are entertaining us sumptuously, and are giving earth and water to King Darius, follow our custom."\n\nTo this Amyntas replied: "O Persians, our custom is not this, but that men and women should be kept separate.
ἐπείτε δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐόντες δεσπόται προσχρηίζετε τούτων, παρέσται ὑμῖν καὶ ταῦτα. εἴπας τοσαῦτα ὁ Ἀμύντης μετεπέμπετο τὰς γυναῖκας· αἳ δʼ ἐπείτε καλεόμεναι ἦλθον, ἐπεξῆς ἀντίαι ἵζοντο τοῖσι Πέρσῃσι. §5.18.4ἐνθαῦτα οἱ Πέρσαι ἰδόμενοι γυναῖκας εὐμόρφους ἔλεγον πρὸς Ἀμύντην φάμενοι τὸ ποιηθὲν τοῦτο οὐδὲν εἶναι σοφόν· κρέσσον γὰρ εἶναι ἀρχῆθεν μὴ ἐλθεῖν τὰς γυναῖκας ἢ ἐλθούσας καὶ μὴ παριζομένας ἀντίας ἵζεσθαι ἀλγηδόνας σφίσι ὀφθαλμῶν. §5.18.5ἀναγκαζόμενος δὲ ὁ Ἀμύντης ἐκέλευε παρίζειν· πειθομενέων δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν αὐτίκα οἱ Πέρσαι μαστῶν τε ἅπτοντο οἷα πλεόνως οἰνωμένοι, καί κού τις καὶ φιλέειν ἐπειρᾶτο.
But since you, being our masters, demand this also, this also shall be granted to you." Having said this, Amyntas sent for the women; and when they came upon being called, they sat down in order opposite the Persians.\n\nThen the Persians, seeing beautiful women, spoke to Amyntas, saying that this which had been done was not at all wise; for it would have been better from the start for the women not to come, than, having come, to sit opposite instead of beside them, as a pain to their eyes.\n\nAnd Amyntas, being forced, ordered them to sit beside them; and when the women complied, straightway the Persians, as men heavily drunk, began to touch their breasts, and perhaps some even tried to kiss them.

Notes

  1. 5.18.1ἐδίδου — Imperfect tense. It represents the initiation of an agreement or readiness ("consented to give" or "was ready to give") rather than the completed physical transfer of earth and water on the spot.
  2. 5.18.4ἀλγηδόνας — Accusative plural of the noun ἀλγηδών (pain). It functions here as a predicative accusative or accusative of apposition denoting result or character ("as a pain to their eyes", "to be a source of grief to their eyes").
  3. 5.18.5οἷα — Neuter plural used adverbially with the participle (οἰνωμένοι) to emphasize an objective cause or reason ("inasmuch as they were", "since they were").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.18.1-5.18.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.18.1-5.18.5

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