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Herodotus · Histories §6.81.1

Cleomenes' Intrusion into the Heraeum and Forced Sacrifice

Passage 983 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Cleomenes sends most of his army back to Sparta and goes with a select group to the Heraeum, where he orders the priest who opposed him to be scourged and forces his way to offer sacrifice before returning home.

§6.81.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Κλεομένης τὴν μὲν πλέω στρατιὴν ἀπῆκε ἀπιέναι ἐς Σπάρτην, χιλίους δὲ αὐτὸς λαβὼν τοὺς ἀριστέας ἤιε ἐς τὸ Ἥραιον θύσων·
After this, Cleomenes dismissed the greater part of his army to return to Sparta, but he himself took a thousand of the best men and went to the Heraeum to offer sacrifice.
βουλόμενον δὲ αὐτὸν θύειν ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ ὁ ἱρεὺς ἀπηγόρευε, φὰς οὐκ ὅσιον εἶναι ξείνῳ αὐτόθι θύειν.
When he wished to sacrifice upon the altar, the priest forbade him, saying that it was not lawful for a stranger to sacrifice there.
ὁ δὲ Κλεομένης τὸν ἱρέα ἐκέλευε τοὺς εἵλωτας ἀπὸ τοῦ βωμοῦ ἀπάγοντας μαστιγῶσαι, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔθυσε· ποιήσας δὲ ταῦτα ἀπήιε ἐς τὴν Σπάρτην.
Thereupon Cleomenes ordered the Helots to drag the priest away from the altar and scourge him, and he himself offered the sacrifice; having done this, he returned to Sparta.

Notes

  1. §6.81.1ἀπιέναι — Complementary infinitive of purpose or result depending on the verb ἀπῆκε (aorist of ἀπίημι), meaning "to depart" or "to go away".
  2. §6.81.1ξείνῳ — Dative of interest acting as the logical subject of the impersonal expression οὐκ ὅσιον εἶναι ("it is not lawful"). It reflects the historical context that Cleomenes, as a Spartan (Dorian), was regarded as a "stranger" or "foreigner" at the Argive temple of Hera.
  3. §6.81.1τοὺς εἵλωτας ἀπάγοντας μαστιγῶσαι — The subject of the infinitive μαστιγῶσαι ("to scourge") is the accusative noun with participle τοὺς εἵλωτας ("the Helots"), while the direct object of both the participle ἀπάγοντας ("dragging away") and the infinitive is τὸν ἱρέα ("the priest"). Thus, it is construed as "he ordered the Helots to drag (the priest) away and scourge him."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §6.81.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.81.1

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