Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §6.130.1-6.130.2

Betrothal of Agariste to Megacles and Gifts for Suitors

Passage 1035 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Cleisthenes addresses the suitors, presenting a talent of silver to each of those who are rejected, and formally betrothes his daughter Agariste to Megacles.

§6.130.1Κλεισθένης δὲ σιγὴν ποιησάμενος ἔλεξε ἐς μέσον τάδε. ἄνδρες παιδὸς τῆς ἐμῆς μνηστῆρες, ἐγὼ καὶ πάντας ὑμέας ἐπαινέω καὶ πᾶσι ὑμῖν, εἰ οἷόν τε εἴη, χαριζοίμην ἄν, μήτʼ ἕνα ὑμέων ἐξαίρετον ἀποκρίνων μήτε τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποδοκιμάζων.
Cleisthenes, having obtained silence, spoke to the assembly as follows: "Gentlemen, suitors of my daughter, I both praise all of you, and to all of you, if it were possible, I would gladly do a favor, neither choosing one of you as exceptional nor rejecting the rest.
§6.130.2ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ οἷά τε ἐστὶ μιῆς πέρι παρθένου βουλεύοντα πᾶσι κατὰ νόον ποιέειν, τοῖσι μὲν ὑμέων ἀπελαυνομένοισι τοῦδε τοῦ γάμου τάλαντον ἀργυρίου ἑκάστῳ δωρεὴν δίδωμι τῆς ἀξιώσιος εἵνεκα τῆς ἐξ ἐμεῦ γῆμαι καὶ τῆς ἐξ οἴκου ἀποδημίης, τῷ δὲ Ἀλκμέωνος Μεγακλέι ἐγγυῶ παῖδα τὴν ἐμὴν Ἀγαρίστην νόμοισι τοῖσι Ἀθηναίων. φαμένου δὲ ἐγγυᾶσθαι Μεγακλέος ἐκεκύρωτο ὁ γάμος Κλεισθένεϊ.
But since it is not possible, when deciding about a single maiden, to act according to the mind of all, to those of you who are rejected from this marriage I give to each a talent of silver as a gift, because of your deeming it worthy to marry from me and because of your journey away from home; and to Megacles, son of Alcmeon, I betroth my daughter Agariste according to the laws of the Athenians." When Megacles declared that he accepted the betrothal, the marriage was ratified for Cleisthenes.

Notes

  1. §6.130.1εἰ οἷόν τε εἴη, χαριζοίμην ἄν — A conditional structure with εἰ + optative in the protasis and ἄν + optative in the apodosis, expressing a potential situation or a polite/wishful statement ("if it were possible, I would gladly favor...") where the condition is recognized as unattainable in practice.
  2. §6.130.2ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ — A frequent idiomatic formula in Ionic and poetic prose. The direct assertion of ἀλλά ("but this is impossible") is elliptical, and γάρ immediately introduces the reason for it: "But (this cannot be), for...".
  3. §6.130.2τῆς ἐξ ἐμεῦ γῆμαι — An infinitive phrase dependent on the noun ἀξιώσιος ("aspiration", "deeming worthy"). The prepositional phrase ἐξ ἐμεῦ ("from me") indicates the source of the bride, meaning "wishing to marry from my household".
  4. §6.130.2Κλεισθένεϊ — Dative case. It functions as a dative of agent with the pluperfect passive/middle verb ἐκεκύρωτο, or as a dative of interest, indicating that the marriage was finalized on Cleisthenes' part ("for Cleisthenes" / "by Cleisthenes").

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.130.1-6.130.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.130.1-6.130.2

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