Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §7.15.1-7.15.3

Xerxes' Proposal to Artabanus to Test the Dream

Passage 1075 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Xerxes wakes up terrified by the dream, summons Artabanus to admit his own fault, and proposes that Artabanus dress in the royal robes, sit on the throne, and sleep in his bed to test the divine will of the dream.

§7.15.1Ξέρξης μὲν περιδεὴς γενόμενος τῇ ὄψι ἀνά τε ἔδραμε ἐκ τῆς κοίτης καὶ πέμπει ἄγγελον ἐπὶ Ἀρτάβανον καλέοντα·
Xerxes, becoming terrified by the vision, leapt up from his bed and sent a messenger to summon Artabanus.
ἀπικομένῳ δέ οἱ ἔλεγε Ξέρξης τάδε. Ἀρτάβανε, ἐγὼ τὸ παραυτίκα μὲν οὐκ ἐσωφρόνεον εἴπας ἐς σὲ μάταια ἔπεα χρηστῆς εἵνεκα συμβουλίης·
When he arrived, Xerxes spoke to him as follows: "Artabanus, at the moment I was not acting wisely, speaking foolish words to you in return for your good counsel.
§7.15.2μετὰ μέντοι οὐ πολλὸν χρόνον μετέγνων, ἔγνων δὲ ταῦτα μοι ποιητέα ἐόντα τὰ σὺ ὑπεθήκαο.
However, after not much time I changed my mind, and I realized that those things which you suggested must be done by me.
οὔκων δυνατός τοι εἰμὶ ταῦτα βουλόμενος ποιέειν· τετραμμένῳ γὰρ δὴ καὶ μετεγνωκότι ἐπιφοιτέον ὄνειρον φαντάζεταί μοι οὐδαμῶς συνεπαινέον ποιέειν με ταῦτα·
Yet, although I wish to, I am not able to do this; for to me, who have turned and changed my mind, a repeatedly visiting dream appears, by no means consenting that I do this.
νῦν δὲ καὶ διαπειλῆσαν οἴχεται.
And now it has even departed after uttering threats.
§7.15.3εἰ ὦν θεός ἐστι ὁ ἐπιπέμπων καί οἱ πάντως ἐν ἡδονῇ ἐστι γενέσθαι στρατηλασίην ἐπὶ Ἑλλάδα, ἐπιπτήσεται καὶ σοὶ τὠυτὸ τοῦτο ὄνειρον, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐμοὶ ἐντελλόμενον.
If, therefore, it is a god who sends it, and it is entirely pleasing to him that an expedition against Greece take place, this same dream will fly to you too, enjoining upon you the same things as upon me.
εὑρίσκω δὲ ὧδʼ ἂν γινόμενα ταῦτα, εἰ λάβοις τὴν ἐμὴν σκευὴν πᾶσαν καὶ ἐνδὺς μετὰ τοῦτο ἵζοιο ἐς τὸν ἐμὸν θρόνον, καὶ ἔπειτα ἐν κοίτῃ τῇ ἐμῇ κατυπνώσειας.
And I find that these things would happen in this way, if you should take all my apparel and, having put it on, then sit upon my throne, and after that sleep in my bed."

Notes

  1. 7.15.1ἀνά τε ἔδραμε — An example of tmesis, where the enclitic particle τε is inserted between the prefix ἀνά and the verb ἔδραμε (aorist of ἀνατρέχω). Together they mean "leapt up".
  2. 7.15.2ποιητέα ἐόντα — The neuter plural of the verbal adjective ποιητέος (to be done), ποιητέα, is used with the participle of the verb "to be" (ἐόντα) to form an accusative participial construction serving as the direct object of ἔγνων (I realized). The agent of the action is expressed by the dative pronoun μοι.
  3. 7.15.2τετραμμένῳ... καὶ μετεγνωκότι — Both are perfect active/middle-passive participles in the dative masculine singular, agreeing with the dative pronoun μοι (to me) in the subsequent clause φαντάζεταί μοι. They modify the state of the speaker: "to me, who have turned and changed my mind."
  4. 7.15.3ὧδʼ ἂν γινόμενα ταῦτα — The combination of the particle ἂν with the present participle γινόμενα represents a potential optative (ἂν γίνοιτο, "these things would happen in this way") in indirect discourse, functioning as the object participle of the main verb εὑρίσκω (I find/reckon).

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.15.1-7.15.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.15.1-7.15.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.