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Herodotus · Histories §6.30.1-6.30.2

Execution of Histiaeus and Burial Ordered by Darius

Passage 932 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author's speculation that Histiaeus would have been pardoned if sent to Darius, and the account of his execution by Artaphrenes and the honorable burial of his head by Darius.

§6.30.1εἰ μέν νυν, ὡς ἐζωγρήθη, ἄχθη ἀγόμενος παρὰ βασιλέα Δαρεῖον, ὁ δὲ οὔτʼ ἂν ἔπαθε κακὸν οὐδὲν δοκέειν ἐμοί, ἀπῆκέ τʼ ἂν αὐτῷ τὴν αἰτίην·
Now, if, when he was taken alive, he had been brought as a prisoner to King Darius, he would have suffered no harm, in my opinion, and the King would have forgiven him his offense.
νῦν δέ μιν αὐτῶν τε τούτων εἵνεκα καὶ ἵνα μὴ διαφυγὼν αὖτις μέγας παρὰ βασιλέι γένηται, Ἀρταφρένης τε ὁ Σαρδίων ὕπαρχος καὶ ὁ λαβὼν Ἅρπαγος, ὡς ἀπίκετο ἀγόμενος ἐς Σάρδις, τὸ μὲν αὐτοῦ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ ἀνεσταύρωσαν, τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν ταριχεύσαντες ἀνήνεικαν παρὰ βασιλέα Δαρεῖον ἐς Σοῦσα.
But as it was, both for these very reasons and lest he should escape again and become powerful with the King, Artaphrenes, the governor of Sardis, and Harpagus, who had captured him, as soon as he was brought to Sardis, crucified his body there on the spot, and having embalmed his head, they carried it to King Darius at Susa.
§6.30.2Δαρεῖος δὲ πυθόμενος ταῦτα καὶ ἐπαιτιησάμενος τοὺς ταῦτα ποιήσαντας ὅτι μιν οὐ ζώοντα ἀνήγαγον ἐς ὄψιν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ, τὴν κεφαλὴν τὴν Ἱστιαίου λούσαντάς τε καὶ περιστείλαντας εὖ ἐνετείλατο θάψαι ὡς ἀνδρὸς μεγάλως ἑωυτῷ τε καὶ Πέρσῃσι εὐεργέτεω.
Darius, when he learned of this, blamed those who had done this because they had not brought him alive into his presence, and after ordering Histiaeus' head to be washed and properly prepared for burial, he commanded that it be buried as that of a man who had been a great benefactor to himself and to the Persians.

Notes

  1. 6.30.1δοκέειν ἐμοί — An absolute infinitive used parenthetically, meaning 'in my opinion' or 'as it seems to me'.
  2. 6.30.1ὁ δὲ οὔτʼ ἂν ἔπαθε κακὸν οὐδὲν — The apodosis (past contrary-to-fact) corresponding to the condition εἰ ... ἄχθη. The subject of the first main clause ὁ δὲ refers to Histiaeus, who would have suffered nothing, while the king becomes the subject of the subsequent clause ἀπῆκέ τʼ ἂν.
  3. 6.30.1αὐτοῦ σῶμα αὐτοῦ — The first αὐτοῦ is the genitive of the personal pronoun referring to Histiaeus ('his body'), whereas the second αὐτοῦ is a demonstrative adverb of place meaning 'there' or 'on the spot' (i.e., in Sardis).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.30.1-6.30.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.30.1-6.30.2

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