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Herodotus · Histories §6.62.1-6.62.2

Ariston's Deceptive Pact and the Taking of Agetus's Wife

Passage 964 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Ariston, driven by love, makes a pact with Agetus to exchange any one possession of their choice, and subsequently demands and takes Agetus's beautiful wife as his prize.

§6.62.1τὸν δὲ Ἀρίστωνα ἔκνιζε ἄρα τῆς γυναικὸς ταύτης ὁ ἔρως· μηχανᾶται δὴ τοιάδε·
Now Ariston was tormented by love for this woman; so he devised the following plan.
αὐτός τε τῷ ἑταίρῳ, τοῦ ἦν ἡ γυνὴ αὕτη, ὑποδέκεται δωτίνην δώσειν τῶν ἑωυτοῦ πάντων ἕν, τὸ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ἕληται, καὶ τὸν ἑταῖρον ἑωυτῷ ἐκέλευε ὡσαύτως τὴν ὁμοίην διδόναι·
He himself promised to give to his friend, whose wife this woman was, one thing of his own possessions, whichever the friend himself should choose, and he bade his friend in the same way to give a similar thing to him.
ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν φοβηθεὶς ἀμφὶ τῇ γυναικί, ὁρέων ἐοῦσαν καὶ Ἀρίστωνι γυναῖκα, καταινέει ταῦτα· ἐπὶ τούτοισι δὲ ὅρκους ἐπήλασαν.
But the friend, having no fear at all for his wife, seeing that Ariston also had a wife, agreed to this; and upon these terms they swore oaths to each other.
§6.62.2μετὰ δὲ αὐτός τε ὁ Ἀρίστων ἔδωκε τοῦτο, ὅ τι δὴ ἦν, τὸ εἵλετο τῶν κειμηλίων τῶν Ἀρίστωνος ὁ Ἄγητος, καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ὁμοίην ζητέων φέρεσθαι παρʼ ἐκείνου, ἐνθαῦτα δὴ τοῦ ἑταίρου τὴν γυναῖκα ἐπειρᾶτο ἀπάγεσθαι.
Afterwards, Ariston himself gave this, whatever it was, which Agetus chose from Ariston's treasures, and seeking to receive a similar thing from him in return, he then indeed attempted to lead away his friend's wife.
ὁ δὲ πλὴν τούτου μούνου τὰ ἄλλα ἔφη καταινέσαι· ἀναγκαζόμενος μέντοι τῷ τε ὅρκῳ καὶ τῆς ἀπάτης τῇ παραγωγῇ ἀπιεῖ ἀπάγεσθαι.
But the friend said that he had agreed to all the other things except this one alone; nevertheless, being compelled by both the oath and the deception of the trick, he let her be led away.

Notes

  1. §6.62.1τὸ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ἕληται — A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun `τὸ` (equivalent to Attic `ὅ`), accompanied by `ἄν` and the subjunctive `ἕληται` (aorist middle of `αἱρέω`), expressing a future or general condition ('whichever he himself should choose').
  2. §6.62.1ὁρέων ἐοῦσαν καὶ Ἀρίστωνι γυναῖκα — The participle `ὁρέων` (`ὁράω`) expresses cause ('seeing that...'). In its supplementary participle construction `ἐοῦσαν ... γυναῖκα` ('that there was a wife'), `ἐοῦσαν` is the feminine singular accusative present participle of `εἰμί`. `καὶ Ἀρίστωνι` is a dative of possession ('to Ariston also').
  3. §6.62.2ἀπιεῖ ἀπάγεσθαι — `ἀπιεῖ` is the Ionic form of the third-person singular present indicative active of `ἀπίημι` ('let go', 'allow'). Together with the infinitive `ἀπάγεσθαι` (to lead away, or to be led away), it expresses permission or concession: 'he let her be led away.'

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.62.1-6.62.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.62.1-6.62.2

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