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Herodotus · Histories §9.76.1-9.76.3

Pausanias Grants Protection to a Woman of Cos

Passage 1531 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

After the defeat of the Persian army at Plataea, a woman from Cos, who was the concubine of a Persian commander, seeks refuge with Pausanias, who protects her upon realizing she is the daughter of his close guest-friend.

§9.76.1ὡς δὲ τοῖσι Ἕλλησι ἐν Πλαταιῇσι κατέστρωντο οἱ βάρβαροι, ἐνθαῦτά σφι ἐπῆλθε γυνὴ αὐτόμολος·
When the barbarians had been overthrown by the Greeks at Plataea, there came to them a woman who was a deserter.
ἣ ἐπειδὴ ἔμαθε ἀπολωλότας τοὺς Πέρσας καὶ νικῶντας τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ἐοῦσα παλλακὴ Φαρανδάτεος τοῦ Τεάσπιος ἀνδρὸς Πέρσεω, κοσμησαμένη χρυσῷ πολλῷ καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ ἀμφίπολοι καὶ ἐσθῆτι τῇ καλλίστῃ τῶν παρεουσέων, καταβᾶσα ἐκ τῆς ἁρμαμάξης ἐχώρεε ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἔτι ἐν τῇσι φονῇσι ἐόντας, ὁρῶσα δὲ πάντα ἐκεῖνα διέποντα Παυσανίην, πρότερόν τε τὸ οὔνομα ἐξεπισταμένη καὶ τὴν πάτρην ὥστε πολλάκις ἀκούσασα, ἔγνω τε τὸν Παυσανίην καὶ λαβομένη τῶν γουνάτων ἔλεγε τάδε. §9.76.2ὦ βασιλεῦ Σπάρτης, ῥῦσαί με τὴν ἱκέτιν αἰχμαλώτου δουλοσύνης.
When she learned that the Persians were destroyed and that the Greeks were victorious, she, who was the concubine of Pharandates the son of Teaspis, a Persian, adorned both herself and her handmaidens with much gold and the most beautiful apparel of those she had at hand, and descending from her carriage, she went toward the Lacedaemonians who were still in the midst of the slaughter. And seeing Pausanias directing all those affairs, and knowing well his name and his country beforehand, having heard of them many times, she recognized Pausanias, and taking hold of his knees, she spoke as follows: "O king of Sparta, deliver me, your suppliant, from the bondage of captivity.
σὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐς τόδε ὤνησας, τούσδε ἀπολέσας τοὺς οὔτε δαιμόνων οὔτε θεῶν ὄπιν ἔχοντας.
For you have benefited me even in this, by destroying these men who have regard neither for the vengeance of daemons nor of gods.
εἰμὶ δὲ γένος μὲν Κῴη, θυγάτηρ δὲ Ἡγητορίδεω τοῦ Ἀνταγόρεω· βίῃ δέ με λαβὼν ἐν Κῷ εἶχε ὁ Πέρσης. ὁ δὲ ἀμείβεται τοῖσιδε. §9.76.3γύναι, θάρσεε καὶ ὡς ἱκέτις καὶ εἰ δὴ πρὸς τούτῳ τυγχάνεις ἀληθέα λέγουσα καὶ εἶς θυγάτηρ Ἡγητορίδεω τοῦ Κῴου, ὃς ἐμοὶ ξεῖνος μάλιστα τυγχάνει ἐὼν τῶν περὶ ἐκείνους τοὺς χώρους οἰκημένων. ταῦτα δὲ εἴπας τότε μὲν ἐπέτρεψε τῶν ἐφόρων τοῖσι παρεοῦσι, ὕστερον δὲ ἀπέπεμψε ἐς Αἴγιναν, ἐς τὴν αὐτὴ ἤθελε ἀπικέσθαι.
By birth I am of Cos, the daughter of Hegetorides the son of Antagoras; but the Persian took me by force in Cos and kept me." And he answered her with these words: "Take courage, woman, both as a suppliant, and especially if, in addition to this, you indeed speak the truth and are the daughter of Hegetorides of Cos, who happens to be the closest guest-friend of mine among all those who dwell in those regions." Having said this, for the time being he entrusted her to those of the ephors who were present, and later he sent her away to Aegina, where she herself wished to go.

Notes

  1. 9.76.1ὡς δὲ τοῖσι Ἕλλησι ἐν Πλαταιῇσι κατέστρωντο οἱ βάρβαροι — The pluperfect passive verb κατέστρωντο (from καταστρώννυμι) is construed with the dative τοῖσι Ἕλλησι acting as the agent (dative of agent) or dative of interest, meaning "when the barbarians had been laid low by (for) the Greeks."
  2. 9.76.1ἐοῦσα παλλακὴ Φαρανδάτεος τοῦ Τεάσπιος ἀνδρὸς Πέρσεω — The participle ἐοῦσα (from εἰμί) expresses concession ("although she was") or simple description ("she, who was the concubine...").
  3. 9.76.1κοσμησαμένη χρυσῷ πολλῷ καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ ἀμφίπολοι — Although the main subject is singular (indicated by the feminine singular nominative participle κοσμησαμένη), the appositive phrase καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ ἀμφίπολοι ("both herself and her handmaidens") expands the semantic agent of the action of adorning.
  4. 9.76.1ὥστε πολλάκις ἀκούσασα — The combination of ὥστε with the participle ἀκούσασα denotes a causal or consequential circumstance ("since she had heard / so that she had heard").
  5. 9.76.2σὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐς τόδε ὤνησας — ὤνησας is the aorist of ὀνίνημι (to benefit, help). The phrase καὶ ἐς τόδε can mean "even up to this point" or "even in this regard."
  6. 9.76.3καὶ εἰ δὴ πρὸς τούτῳ τυγχάνεις ἀληθέα λέγουσα — τυγχάνεις ἀληθέα λέγουσα uses the construction of τυγχάνω with a supplementary participle, meaning "you happen to be speaking the truth." The phrase πρὸς τούτῳ means "in addition to this."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.76.1-9.76.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.76.1-9.76.3

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