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Herodotus · Histories §5.21.1-5.21.2

Concealment of the Murder and the Bribing of Bubares

Passage 790 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The slain Persian envoys and their retinue vanished along with their equipment, and when a Persian search was later launched, Alexander resolved it by bribing the searching general Bubares with money and his sister's hand in marriage.

§5.21.1καὶ οὗτοι μὲν τούτῳ τῷ μόρῳ διεφθάρησαν, καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἡ θεραπηίη αὐτῶν· εἵπετο γὰρ δή σφι καὶ ὀχήματα καὶ θεράποντες καὶ ἡ πᾶσα πολλὴ παρασκευή·
And these indeed were destroyed by this fate, both themselves and their retinue; for there followed them indeed both carriages and servants and all their vast equipment.
πάντα δὴ ταῦτα ἅμα πᾶσι ἐκείνοισι ἠφάνιστο.
All these things indeed vanished together with all of those men.
§5.21.2μετὰ δὲ χρόνῳ οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον ζήτησις τῶν ἀνδρῶν τούτων μεγάλη ἐκ τῶν Περσέων ἐγίνετο, καί σφεας Ἀλέξανδρος κατέλαβε σοφίῃ, χρήματά τε δοὺς πολλὰ καὶ τὴν ἑωυτοῦ ἀδελφεὴν τῇ οὔνομα ἦν Γυγαίη· δοὺς δὲ ταῦτα κατέλαβε ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος Βουβάρῃ ἀνδρὶ Πέρσῃ, τῶν διζημένων τοὺς ἀπολομένους τῷ στρατηγῷ.
And not long afterward, a great search for these men was made by the Persians, but Alexander stopped them by his cleverness, giving much money and his own sister whose name was Gygaea; by giving these things, Alexander won over Bubares, a Persian man, the general of those who were searching for the lost men.

Notes

  1. §5.21.2κατέλαβε — The verb `καταλαμβάνω` (aorist `κατέλαβε`), appearing twice in 21.2, has different constructions and meanings. In the first instance, `καί σφεας ... κατέλαβε`, it takes the accusative `σφέας` (them) as its object, meaning "to stop, silence (their inquiry)". In the second instance, `κατέλαβε ... Βουβάρῃ`, it is construed with the dative `Βουβάρῃ`, meaning "to win over, conciliate (someone by gifts or marriage)", which is a usage characteristic of Herodotus.
  2. §5.21.2τῶν διζημένων τοὺς ἀπολομένους τῷ στρατηγῷ — The noun `τῷ στρατηγῷ` (the general) is in the dative, in apposition to the preceding `Βουβάρῃ` (Bubares). `τῶν διζημένων` is a genitive plural present participle meaning "of those who were searching," modifying `στρατηγῷ`. `τοὺς ἀπολομένους` (those who had perished/the lost ones) is the accusative object of the participle `διζημένων`.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.21.1-5.21.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.21.1-5.21.2

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