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Herodotus · Histories §9.112.1

Amestris's Brutal Mutilation of the Wife of Masistes

Passage 1567 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

While Xerxes is conversing with Masistes, Queen Amestris summons Xerxes' bodyguards, brutally mutilates the wife of Masistes by cutting off her breasts and parts of her face, and sends her back home.

§9.112.1ἐν δὲ τούτῳ διὰ μέσου χρόνῳ, ἐν τῷ Ξέρξης τῷ ἀδελφεῷ διελέγετο, ἡ Ἄμηστρις μεταπεμψαμένη τοὺς δορυφόρους τοῦ Ξέρξεω διαλυμαίνεται τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Μασίστεω·
In this intervening time, while Xerxes was conversing with his brother, Amestris, having sent for the bodyguards of Xerxes, mutilated the wife of Masistes.
τούς τε μαζοὺς ἀποταμοῦσα κυσὶ προέβαλε καὶ ῥῖνα καὶ ὦτα καὶ χείλεα καὶ γλῶσσαν ἐκταμοῦσα ἐς οἶκόν μιν ἀποπέμπει διαλελυμασμένην.
Having cut off her breasts, she threw them to the dogs, and having cut out her nose, ears, lips, and tongue, she sent her back to her home, utterly mutilated.

Notes

  1. §9.112.1ἐν τῷ — The neuter singular dative of the relative pronoun with the preposition ἐν, referring back to the preceding temporal phrase ἐν δὲ τούτῳ διὰ μέσου χρόνῳ and introducing a relative clause meaning 'during which time'.
  2. §9.112.1διαλελυμασμένην — The perfect middle/passive participle, feminine singular accusative, from the verb διαλυμαίνομαι (to mutilate). It agrees in gender, number, and case not with the subject Amestris (nominative) but with the direct object pronoun μιν (accusative, Ionic for 'her'), functioning predicatively to describe her state upon being sent back.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.112.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.112.1

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