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Herodotus · Histories §7.19.1-7.19.2

Xerxes' Dream of the Olive Crown and Mobilization

Passage 1082 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Xerxes sees a third dream of an olive crown, which the Magi interpret as a sign of world conquest. Motivated by the promise of rewards, the Persian leaders eagerly return to their lands to mobilize forces across the continent.

§7.19.1ὁρμημένῳ δὲ Ξέρξῃ στρατηλατέειν μετὰ ταῦτα τρίτη ὄψις ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ ἐγένετο, τὴν οἱ Μάγοι ἔκριναν ἀκούσαντες φέρειν τε ἐπὶ πᾶσαν γῆν δουλεύσειν τέ οἱ πάντας ἀνθρώπους.
And as Xerxes was eager to march, a third vision in his sleep came to him after these things, which the Magi, when they heard it, interpreted to mean that it extended over the whole earth and that all men should be his slaves.
ἡ δὲ ὄψις ἦν ἥδε· ἐδόκεε ὁ Ξέρξης ἐστεφανῶσθαι ἐλαίης θαλλῷ, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἐλαίης τοὺς κλάδους γῆν πᾶσαν ἐπισχεῖν, μετὰ δὲ ἀφανισθῆναι περὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ κείμενον τὸν στέφανον.
And the vision was this: it seemed to Xerxes that he was crowned with a wreath of olive, and that the branches of the olive covered the whole earth, but afterwards the crown which lay upon his head vanished.
§7.19.2κρινάντων δὲ ταῦτα τῶν Μάγων, Περσέων τε τῶν συλλεχθέντων αὐτίκα πᾶς ἀνὴρ ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἑωυτοῦ ἀπελάσας εἶχε προθυμίην πᾶσαν ἐπὶ τοῖσι εἰρημένοισι, θέλων αὐτὸς ἕκαστος τὰ προκείμενα δῶρα λαβεῖν, καὶ Ξέρξης τοῦ στρατοῦ οὕτω ἐπάγερσιν ποιέεται, χῶρον πάντα ἐρευνῶν τῆς ἠπείρου.
When the Magi had thus interpreted it, every man of the Persians who had been assembled immediately rode away to his own province and exhibited the utmost zeal for the orders given, each one desiring to receive the promised gifts for himself. And in this manner Xerxes made the mobilization of his army, searching every region of the continent.

Notes

  1. §7.19.1ὁρμημένῳ — Perfect middle participle in the dative case. It acts as a dative of interest modifying `Ξέρξῃ` and depending on `ἐγένετο`, indicating Xerxes' established state of eager desire to march. It is followed by the infinitive `στρατηλατέειν`.
  2. §7.19.1φέρειν — An intransitive use of the verb `φέρω` meaning 'to extend' or 'to tend toward.' Coupled with the prepositional phrase `ἐπὶ πᾶσαν γῆν`, it forms an infinitive clause depending on `ἔκριναν`, indicating that the dream's significance extends over the whole earth.
  3. §7.19.1ἐδόκεε — Introduced as a personal construction ('Xerxes seemed...') with `ὁ Ξέρξης` as the subject of the infinitive `ἐστεφανῶσθαι`. However, the subsequent clauses after `δέ` shift to accusative-and-infinitive constructions, with `τοὺς κλάδους` and `τὸν στέφανον` serving as the subject accusatives for `ἐπισχεῖν` and `ἀφανισθῆναι` respectively.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.19.1-7.19.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.19.1-7.19.2

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