Herodotus · Histories §6.51.1

Demaratus' Slander and the Two Spartan Royal Houses

Passage 953 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Demaratus, the other king who remained in Sparta, was slandering Cleomenes, and the relationship and hierarchy between the two Spartan royal houses are explained.

§6.51.1ἐν δὲ τῇ Σπάρτῃ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ὑπομένων Δημάρητος ὁ Ἀρίστωνος διέβαλλε τὸν Κλεομένεα, ἐὼν βασιλεὺς καὶ οὗτος Σπαρτιητέων, οἰκίης δὲ τῆς ὑποδεεστέρης, κατʼ ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ὑποδεεστέρης· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γεγόνασι· κατὰ πρεσβυγενείην δε κως τετίμηται μᾶλλον ἡ Εὐρυσθένεος.

Meanwhile, Demaratus, the son of Ariston, remaining behind in Sparta during this time, was slandering Cleomenes, being himself also a king of the Spartans, though of the inferior house—inferior, indeed, in no other respect, for they are descended from the same ancestor, but somehow the house of Eurysthenes has been honored more because of seniority of birth. Meanwhile, Demaratus, the son of Ariston, remaining behind in Sparta during this time, was slandering Cleomenes, being himself also a king of the Spartans, though of the inferior house—inferior, indeed, in no other respect, for they are descended from the same ancestor, but somehow the house of Eurysthenes has been honored more because of seniority of birth.

Notes

6.51.1οἰκίης δὲ τῆς ὑποδεεστέρης — A genitive of origin or belonging, dependent on the preceding participle ἐών, meaning "being of the inferior house" (of the two royal houses).
6.51.1ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γεγόνασι — τοῦ αὐτοῦ is a masculine singular genitive referring to "the same person" (their common ancestor, Aristodemus), pointing to the fact that the founders of the two Spartan royal houses were twin brothers sharing the same father.
6.51.1ἡ Εὐρυσθένεος — The feminine singular nominative article ἡ is used with the omission of the noun οἰκίη (house), which is understood from the context, meaning "the house of Eurysthenes."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.51.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.51.1

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