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Herodotus · Histories §9.79.1-9.79.2

Pausanias Rejects Defiling the Body of Mardonius

Passage 1534 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Pausanias sternly rejects Lampon's proposal to abuse Mardonius' body, declaring it a practice fit only for barbarians. He asserts that Leonidas and the fallen at Thermopylae have already been greatly avenged by the countless fallen enemies, and warns Lampon never to make such an impious suggestion again.

§9.79.1ὃ μὲν δοκέων χαρίζεσθαι ἔλεγε τάδε, ὃ δʼ ἀνταμείβετο τοῖσιδε. ὦ ξεῖνε Αἰγινῆτα, τὸ μὲν εὐνοέειν τε καὶ προορᾶν ἄγαμαί σευ, γνώμης μέντοι ἡμάρτηκας χρηστῆς·
\nThe one spoke thus, thinking to please him, but the other replied with these words:\n"O Aeginetan guest, I admire your goodwill and foresight, yet you have missed the right judgment.
ἐξαείρας γάρ με ὑψοῦ καὶ τὴν πάτρην καὶ τὸ ἔργον, ἐς τὸ μηδὲν κατέβαλες παραινέων νεκρῷ λυμαίνεσθαι, καὶ ἢν ταῦτα ποιέω, φὰς ἄμεινόν με ἀκούσεσθαι·
For after raising me, my country, and my deed to a high state, you have cast me down to nothing by advising me to abuse a dead body, and by saying that if I do this, I shall have a better reputation.
τὰ πρέπει μᾶλλον βαρβάροισι ποιέειν ἤ περ Ἕλλησι· §9.79.2καὶ ἐκείνοισι δὲ ἐπιφθονέομεν.
Such actions are more fitting for barbarians to perform than for Greeks;\n\nand even in them we find it hateful.
ἐγὼ δʼ ὦν τούτου εἵνεκα μήτε Αἰγινήτῃσι ἅδοιμι μήτε τοῖσι ταῦτα ἀρέσκεται, ἀποχρᾷ δέ μοι Σπαρτιήτῃσι ἀρεσκόμενον ὅσια μὲν ποιέειν, ὅσια δὲ καὶ λέγειν.
Therefore, for this reason, may I please neither the Aeginetans nor those who approve of such things; it is enough for me to please the Spartans by doing what is holy and speaking what is holy.
Λεωνίδῃ δέ, τῷ με κελεύεις τιμωρῆσαι, φημὶ μεγάλως τετιμωρῆσθαι, ψυχῇσί τε τῇσι τῶνδε ἀναριθμήτοισι τετίμηται αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι οἱ ἐν Θερμοπύλῃσι τελευτήσαντες.
As for Leonidas, whom you urge me to avenge, I declare that he has been greatly avenged, and that both he himself and the others who died at Thermopylae have been honored with the countless souls of these men.
σὺ μέντοι ἔτι ἔχων λόγον τοιόνδε μήτε προσέλθῃς ἔμοιγε μήτε συμβουλεύσῃς, χάριν τε ἴσθι ἐὼν ἀπαθής.
Do you, however, never approach me again with such a proposal nor give me such advice, and be grateful that you escape unpunished."

Notes

  1. §9.79.1ἄμεινόν με ἀκούσεσθαι — An accusative with infinitive construction in indirect speech. The verb ἀκούω is used here in its passive sense of "to be spoken of" or "to have a reputation" (corresponding to the Latin *bene/male audire*), with the adverbial comparative neuter ἄμεινον meaning "to have a better reputation."
  2. §9.79.2ἀρεσκόμενον — While the impersonal verb ἀποχρᾷ ("it is enough") governs the dative μοι, the modifying participle ἀρεσκόμενον is in the accusative. This occurs because the participle agrees with the implied subject of the following infinitives (ποιέειν and λέγειν), which would naturally be in the accusative.
  3. §9.79.2χάριν τε ἴσθι ἐὼν ἀπαθής — An idiom of χάριν εἰδέναι ("to be grateful"), where ἴσθι is the second-person singular imperative of οἶδα. The participle ἐών with the adjective ἀπαθής ("unharmed") acts as a supplementary participle modifying the subject of ἴσθι, meaning "be grateful that you are unharmed."

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §9.79.1-9.79.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.79.1-9.79.2

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