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Herodotus · Histories §6.80.1

Burning of the Grove of Argos and the Fulfilled Oracle

Passage 982 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Cleomenes orders the Helots to surround the grove with wood and sets it on fire; upon learning that the grove is named after Argus, he realizes the true meaning of the oracle promising him the capture of Argos.

§6.80.1ἐνθαῦτα δὴ ὁ Κλεομένης ἐκέλευε πάντα τινὰ τῶν εἱλωτέων περινέειν ὕλῃ τὸ ἄλσος, τῶν δὲ πειθομένων ἐνέπρησε τὸ ἄλσος.
Then Cleomenes ordered every single one of the Helots to pile brushwood around the grove, and when they obeyed, he set fire to the grove.
καιομένου δὲ ἤδη ἐπείρετο τῶν τινα αὐτομόλων τίνος εἴη θεῶν τὸ ἄλσος· ὁ δὲ ἔφη Ἄργου εἶναι.
As it was already burning, he asked one of the deserters which of the gods the grove belonged to; and the man said it belonged to Argus.
ὁ δὲ ὡς ἤκουσε, ἀναστενάξας μέγα εἶπε ὦ Ἄπολλον χρηστήριε, ἦ μεγάλως με ἠπάτηκας φάμενος Ἄργος αἱρήσειν· συμβάλλομαι δʼ ἐξήκειν μοι τὸ χρηστήριον.
When he heard this, he groaned aloud and said, "O Apollo of the oracle, indeed you have greatly deceived me by saying that I would take Argos; I conjecture that the oracle has run its course for me."

Notes

  1. 6.80.1τῶν δὲ πειθομένων — Genitive absolute with the present middle/passive participle, whose implied subject is `τῶν εἱλωτέων` from the preceding clause. It translates as 'when they obeyed.'
  2. 6.80.1Ἄργος αἱρήσειν — A future infinitive of `αἱρέω` depending on `φάμενος`. The word `Ἄργος` functions as a double entendre: it can be the neuter accusative singular of the city name *Argos*, or the masculine accusative singular of the hero *Argus*, which causes Cleomenes' misunderstanding of the oracle.
  3. 6.80.1ἐξήκειν — Infinitive depending on `συμβάλλομαι` ('conjecture', 'conclude'). The verb `ἐξήκω` means 'to have reached the end', 'to be fulfilled' or 'to run its course', indicating that the oracle has already been realized and finished.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.80.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.80.1

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