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Herodotus · Histories §5.92B.1-5.92B.3

Marriage of Labda and the Delphic Oracles on Eetion's Line

Passage 863 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Labda, a member of the ruling oligarchic Bacchiadae clan of Corinth, marries Eetion. Seeking an oracle at Delphi due to childlessness, Eetion is foretold that his future child will become a ruler and overthrow the oligarchs, prompting the Bacchiadae to recall an earlier, cryptic oracle pointing to the same destiny.

§5.92B.1Κορινθίοισι γὰρ ἦν πόλιος κατάστασις τοιήδε· ἦν ὀλιγαρχίη, καὶ οὗτοι Βακχιάδαι καλεόμενοι ἔνεμον τὴν πόλιν, ἐδίδοσαν δὲ καὶ ἤγοντο ἐξ ἀλλήλων.
For the constitution of the Corinthians' city was of this kind: there was an oligarchy, and those who were called Bacchiadae governed the city, and they gave in marriage and took wives from among one another.
Ἀμφίονι δὲ ἐόντι τούτων τῶν ἀνδρῶν γίνεται θυγάτηρ χωλή· οὔνομα δέ οἱ ἦν Λάβδα.
And to Amphion, who was one of these men, was born a lame daughter; and her name was Labda.
ταύτην Βακχιαδέων γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἤθελε γῆμαι, ἴσχει Ἠετίων ὁ Ἐχεκράτεος, δήμου μὲν ἐὼν ἐκ Πέτρης, ἀτὰρ τὰ ἀνέκαθεν Λαπίθης τε καὶ Καινείδης.
Since no one of the Bacchiadae wished to marry her, Eetion the son of Echecrates took her to wife, who was of the deme of Petra, but by descent from of old a Lapith and a Caeneid.
§5.92B.2ἐκ δέ οἱ ταύτης τῆς γυναικὸς οὐδʼ ἐξ ἄλλης παῖδες ἐγίνοντο.
But from this wife, nor from any other, were children born to him.
ἐστάλη ὦν ἐς Δελφοὺς περὶ γόνου.
He was sent, therefore, to Delphi to inquire about offspring.
ἐσιόντα δὲ αὐτὸν ἰθέως ἡ Πυθίη προσαγορεύει τοῖσιδε τοῖσι ἔπεσι. " Ἠετίων, οὔτις σε τίει πολύτιτον ἐόντα.
And as he was entering, straightway the Pythia addressed him in these words: "Eetion, no one honors thee, though thou art worthy of much honor.
Λάβδα κύει, τέξει δʼ ὀλοοίτροχον· ἐν δὲ πεσεῖται ἀνδράσι μουνάρχοισι, δικαιώσει δὲ Κόρινθον. "
Labda is pregnant, and she will bring forth a rolling stone; and it will fall upon monarchic men, and will bring justice to Corinth.
§5.92B.3ταῦτα χρησθέντα τῷ Ἠετίωνι ἐξαγγέλλεταί κως τοῖσι Βακχιάδῃσι, τοῖσι τὸ μὲν πρότερον γενόμενον χρηστήριον ἐς Κόρινθον ἦν ἄσημον, φέρον τε ἐς τὠυτὸ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἠετίωνος καὶ λέγον ὧδε. " αἰετὸς ἐν πέτρῃσι κύει, τέξει δὲ λέοντα καρτερὸν ὠμηστήν· πολλῶν δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατα λύσει.
"This oracle given to Eetion was somehow reported to the Bacchiadae, to whom the previous oracle concerning Corinth had been obscure, though it pointed to the same end as that of Eetion, and spoke thus: "An eagle is pregnant in the rocks, and will bring forth a lion, strong and ravenous; and he will loose the knees of many.
ταῦτά νυν εὖ φράζεσθε, Κορίνθιοι, οἳ περὶ καλήν Πειρήνην οἰκεῖτε καὶ ὀφρυόεντα Κόρινθον.
Lay these things well to heart now, O Corinthians, who dwell about beautiful Peirene and frowning Corinth.
"
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Notes

  1. §5.92B.1ἐδίδοσαν δὲ καὶ ἤγοντο ἐξ ἀλλήλων — The contrast between the active voice ἐδίδοσαν ('gave in marriage') and the middle voice ἤγοντο ('took wives') illustrates the endogamous practice of the Bacchiadae, who married only within their own clan.
  2. §5.92B.1τὰ ἀνέκαθεν — Accusative of respect (or adverbial accusative), meaning 'by descent from of old' or 'in terms of ancestry.'
  3. §5.92B.2ἐν δὲ πεσεῖται — An example of tmesis, where the prefix ἐν of the compound verb ἐμπίπτω is separated from the verb πεσεῖται (future of πἰπτω). It governs the dative ἀνδράσι μουνάρχοισι, meaning 'it will fall upon monarchic men.'
  4. §5.92B.3τοῖσι — Ionic relative pronoun equivalent to Attic οἷς. Here it functions as a dative of reference ('for whom') or dative of possession ('whose').
  5. §5.92B.3φέρον τε ἐς τὠυτὸ — The verb φέρω is used intransitively meaning 'to tend toward' or 'to lead to,' which combined with ἐς τὠυτὸ ('to the same') means 'pointing to the same outcome.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §5.92B.1-5.92B.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.92B.1-5.92B.3

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