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Herodotus · Histories §7.164.1-7.164.2

Cadmus's Background and Exceptional Honesty

Passage 1227 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The text describes how Cadmus voluntarily abdicated his tyranny in Cos to move to Sicily, and details his extraordinary honesty in returning all the entrusted money after the Greek victory.

§7.164.1ὁ δὲ Κάδυος οὗτος πρότερον τούτων παραδεξάμενος παρὰ πατρὸς τυραννίδα Κῴων εὖ βεβηκυῖαν, ἑκών τε εἶναι καὶ δεινοῦ ἐπιόντος οὐδενὸς ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ δικαιοσύνης ἐς μέσον Κῴοισι καταθεὶς τὴν ἀρχὴν οἴχετο ἐς Σικελίην, ἔνθα παρὰ Σαμίων ἔσχε τε καὶ κατοίκησε πόλιν Ζάγκλην τὴν ἐς Μεσσήνην μεταβαλοῦσαν τὸ οὔνομα.
This Cadmus, having previously inherited from his father the tyranny of the Coans, which was well established, of his own free will, and with no danger threatening him, but out of a sense of justice, laid down his office into the common stock for the Coans and departed for Sicily; there, he took from the Samians and inhabited the city of Zancle, which changed its name to Messene.
§7.164.2τοῦτον δὴ ὁ Γέλων τὸν Κάδμον καὶ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ ἀπικόμενον διὰ δικαιοσύνην, τήν οἱ αὐτὸς ἄλλην συνῄδεε ἐοῦσαν, ἔπεμπε·
It was this Cadmus, who had arrived in such a manner, that Gelon sent because of his justice, of which Gelon himself was aware that Cadmus possessed other instances.
ὃς ἐπὶ τοῖσι ἄλλοισι δικαίοισι τοῖσι ἐξ ἑωυτοῦ ἐργασμένοισι καὶ τόδε οὐκ ἐλάχιστον τούτων ἐλίπετο.
And Cadmus, in addition to the other just deeds performed by himself, left behind this one, by no means the least of them.
κρατήσας γὰρ μεγάλων χρημάτων τῶν οἱ Γέλων ἐπετράπετο, παρεὸν κατασχέσθαι οὐκ ἠθέλησε, ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ οἱ Ἕλληνες ἐπεκράτησαν τῇ ναυμαχίῃ καὶ Ξέρξης οἰχώκεε ἀπελαύνων, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἀπίκετο ἐς τὴν Σικελίην ἀπὸ πάντα τὰ χρήματα ἄγων.
For having got into his hands a large sum of money which Gelon had entrusted to him, although it was possible for him to keep it, he would not do so; but when the Greeks had prevailed in the sea-fight and Xerxes had departed on his retreat, he too returned to Sicily, bringing back all the money.

Notes

  1. §7.164.1ἑκών τε εἶναι — An idiomatic phrase meaning "willingly" or "of one's own free will". The infinitive εἶναι acts as a limiting modifier (lit. "so far as being willing is concerned"), functioning adverbially. Although more commonly found in negative sentences, here it is used in an affirmative context to emphasize voluntary action.
  2. §7.164.2παρεὸν — Accusative absolute of the impersonal verb πάρεστι ("it is possible/allowed"), using the neuter singular present participle. It expresses a concessive meaning, "although it was possible," and takes the infinitive κατασχέσθαι ("to keep/appropriate") as its complement.
  3. §7.164.2τήν οἱ αὐτὸς ἄλλην συνῄδεε ἐοῦσαν — The verb σύνοιδα ("to know [that someone is/does something]") is used here with a dative pronoun (οἱ, referring to Cadmus) and a participle (ἐοῦσαν, "being"). The relative pronoun τήν refers back to δικαιοσύνην, meaning "which (justice) Gelon himself knew to be present in Cadmus besides (ἄλλην)."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.164.1-7.164.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.164.1-7.164.2

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