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Herodotus · Histories §7.29.1-7.29.3

Xerxes Praises Pythius and Rewards His Generosity

Passage 1092 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Highly pleased with Pythius's offer, Xerxes praises his generosity, promises to complete his four million gold staters by contributing the missing seven thousand himself, and reassures him of his property.

§7.29.1ὃ μὲν ταῦτα ἔλεγε, Ξέρξης δὲ ἡσθεὶς τοῖσι εἰρημένοισι εἶπε ξεῖνε Λυδέ, ἐγὼ ἐπείτε ἐξῆλθον τὴν Περσίδα χώρην, οὐδενὶ ἀνδρὶ συνέμιξα ἐς τόδε ὅστις ἠθέλησε ξείνια προθεῖναι στρατῷ τῷ ἐμῷ, οὐδὲ ὅστις ἐς ὄψιν τὴν ἐμὴν καταστὰς αὐτεπάγγελτος ἐς τὸν πόλεμον ἐμοὶ ἠθέλησε συμβαλέσθαι χρήματα, ἔξω σεῦ.
Thus he spoke, and Xerxes, pleased with what was said, said: "Guest-friend of Lydian, since I marched out from the Persian land, I have met no man up to this day who was willing to offer guest-gifts to my army, nor any who, coming into my presence, volunteered of his own accord to contribute money to me for the war, except you.
σὺ δὲ καὶ ἐξείνισας μεγάλως στρατὸν τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ χρήματα μεγάλα ἐπαγγέλλεαι.
But you have both entertained my army sumptuously and offer great sums of money.
§7.29.2σοὶ ὦν ἐγὼ ἀντὶ αὐτῶν γέρεα τοιάδε δίδωμι· ξεῖνόν τέ σε ποιεῦμαι ἐμὸν καὶ τὰς τετρακοσίας μυριάδας τοι τῶν στατήρων ἀποπλήσω παρʼ ἐμεωυτοῦ δοὺς τὰς ἑπτὰ χιλιάδας, ἵνα μή τοι ἐπιδεέες ἔωσι αἱ τετρακόσιαι μυριάδες ἑπτὰ χιλιάδων, ἀλλὰ ᾖ τοι ἀπαρτιλογίη ὑπʼ ἐμέο πεπληρωμένη.
Therefore, in return for these things, I give you such rewards as these: I make you my guest-friend, and I will complete the four million staters for you by giving the seven thousand from myself, so that your four million may not be lacking seven thousand, but you may have a round sum completed by me.
§7.29.3ἔκτησό τε αὐτὸς τά περ αὐτὸς ἐκτήσαο, ἐπίστασό τε εἶναι αἰεὶ τοιοῦτος· οὐ γάρ τοι ταῦτα ποιεῦντι οὔτε ἐς τὸ παρεὸν οὔτε ἐς χρόνον μεταμελήσει.
Possess yourself what you yourself have acquired, and know how to remain always such as you are; for if you do this, you will have no cause to regret either at present or in time to come."

Notes

  1. §7.29.1ἐξῆλθον τὴν Περσίδα χώρην — The compound intransitive verb ἐξέρχομαι takes a direct accusative of the place of departure (τὴν Περσίδα χώρην). While a preposition like ἐκ is standard, here the prefix ἐξ- exerts its force to govern the accusative directly.
  2. §7.29.2ἐπιδεέες ἔωσι αἱ τετρακόσιαι μυριάδες ἑπτὰ χιλιάδων — ἑπτὰ χιλιάδων is a genitive of deprivation/separation governed by the adjective ἐπιδεέες (lacking, deficient), meaning 'the four million may be lacking seven thousand'.
  3. §7.29.3ταῦτα ποιεῦντι ... μεταμελήσει — The impersonal verb μεταμελήσει (it will repent / cause regret) takes the dative of the person who regrets (here the dative participle ποιεῦντι, Ionic for ποιοῦντι) and the subject of regret in the nominative (ταῦτα). Literally: 'to you doing these things, there will be no regret'.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §7.29.1-7.29.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.29.1-7.29.3

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