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Herodotus · Histories §7.229.1-7.229.2

The Divergent Fates of Eurytus and Aristodemus

Passage 1292 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage details how Eurytus and Aristodemus, two Spartan soldiers suffering from an eye disease, took different courses of action; Eurytus returned to the battle and died, while Aristodemus returned home, incurring severe anger from the Spartans.

§7.229.1δύο δὲ τούτων τῶν τριηκοσίων λέγεται Εὔρυτόν τε καὶ Ἀριστόδημον, παρεὸν αὐτοῖσι ἀμφοτέροισι κοινῷ λόγῳ χρησαμένοισι ἢ ἀποσωθῆναι ὁμοῦ ἐς Σπάρτην, ὡς μεμετιμένοι γε ἦσαν ἐκ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ὑπὸ Λεωνίδεω καὶ κατεκέατο ἐν Ἀλπηνοῖσι ὀφθαλμιῶντες ἐς τὸ ἔσχατον, ἢ εἴ γε μὴ ἐβούλοντο νοστῆσαι, ἀποθανεῖν ἅμα τοῖσι ἄλλοισι, παρεόν σφι τούτων τὰ ἕτερα ποιέειν οὐκ ἐθελῆσαι ὁμοφρονέειν, ἀλλὰ γνώμῃ διενειχθέντας Εὔρυτον μέν, πυθόμενον τῶν Περσέων τὴν περίοδον, αἰτήσαντά τε τὰ ὅπλα καὶ ἐνδύντα ἄγειν ἑωυτὸν κελεῦσαι τὸν εἵλωτα ἐς τοὺς μαχομένους, ὅκως δὲ αὐτὸν ἤγαγε, τὸν μὲν ἀγαγόντα οἴχεσθαι φεύγοντα, τὸν δὲ ἐσπεσόντα ἐς τὸν ὅμιλον διαφθαρῆναι, Ἀριστόδημον δὲ λιποψυχέοντα λειφθῆναι.
Regarding two of these three hundred, Eurytus and Aristodemus, the following is said: though it was open to both of them, by mutual agreement, either to return safely together to Sparta—since they had been dismissed from the camp by Leonidas and were lying at Alpenoi, suffering from a severe eye disease—or, if they did not wish to return home, to die along with the others; and though it was possible for them to do either of these, they would not agree. Instead, differing in their resolve, Eurytus, when he learned of the Persians' circuit, demanded his armor, put it on, and ordered his helot to lead him to those who were fighting; but when the helot had led him there, the leader fled and was gone, while Eurytus rushed into the throng and was slain. Aristodemus, however, lost his courage and was left behind.
§7.229.2εἰ μέν νυν ἢ μοῦνον Ἀριστόδημον ἀλγήσαντα ἀπονοστῆσαι ἐς Σπάρτην ἢ καὶ ὁμοῦ σφεων ἀμφοτέρων τὴν κομιδὴν γενέσθαι, δοκέειν ἐμοί, οὐκ ἄν σφι Σπαρτιήτας μῆνιν οὐδεμίαν προσθέσθαι·
Now, if either Aristodemus alone had returned safely to Sparta because of his sickness, or if both of them had made their return journey together, in my opinion, the Spartans would have laid no anger upon them.
νυνὶ δὲ τοῦ μὲν αὐτῶν ἀπολομένου, τοῦ δὲ τῆς μὲν αὐτῆς ἐχομένου προφάσιος οὐκ ἐθελήσαντος δὲ ἀποθνήσκειν, ἀναγκαίως σφι ἔχειν μηνῖσαι μεγάλως Ἀριστοδήμῳ.
But as it was, since one of them had perished, while the other, although having the very same excuse, was unwilling to die, it was necessary for them to be exceedingly angry with Aristodemus.

Notes

  1. 7.229.1παρεὸν — Accusative absolute using the neuter singular accusative of the present participle of the impersonal verb πάρεστι (it is possible/allowed). It takes the following infinitives (ἀποσωθῆναι, ἀποθανεῖν, ποιέειν) to mean 'although it was possible/permitted to...' with a concessive force. It appears twice in this section with the same construction.
  2. 7.229.2οὐκ ἄν σφι Σπαρτιήτας μῆνιν οὐδεμίαν προσθέσθαι — The apodosis of a past unreal conditional sentence in indirect discourse. In direct discourse, this would be οὐκ ἂν προσέθεσαν ('they would not have laid...'), but here it becomes ἄν with the infinitive (προσθέσθαι) depending on the verb δοκέειν.
  3. 7.229.2τῆς μὲν αὐτῆς ἐχομένου προφάσιος — The middle verb ἔχομαι governs the genitive case, meaning 'to cling to,' 'to hold onto,' and by extension, 'to have or share the same excuse/situation.' It forms part of the genitive absolute construction (τοῦ δὲ ... ἐχομένου ... οὐκ ἐθελήσαντος δὲ ...).
  4. 7.229.2ἀναγκαίως σφι ἔχειν — The construction of an adverb with ἔχω (ἀναγκαίως ἔχει, equivalent to ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι, 'it is necessary/unavoidable') converted into the infinitive (ἔχειν) in indirect discourse. The logical subject is the infinitive μηνῖσαι ('to be angry'), while σφι is a dative of reference ('for them').

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.229.1-7.229.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.229.1-7.229.2

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