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This is the Showing forth of the Inquiry of Herodotus
of Halicarnassos, to the end that 1 neither the deeds of men may be forgotten
by lapse of time, nor the works 2 great and marvellous, which have been
produced some by Hellenes and some by Barbarians, may lose their renown; and
especially that the causes may be remembered for which these waged war with one
another.
1. Those of the Persians who have knowledge of history
declare that the Phenicians first began the quarrel. These, they say, came from
that which is called the Erythraian Sea to this of ours; and having settled in
the land where they continue even now to dwell, set themselves forthwith to
make long voyages by sea. And conveying merchandise of Egypt and of Assyria
they arrived at other places and also at Argos; now Argos was at that time in
all points the first of the States within that land which is now called
Hellas;—the Phenicians arrived then at this land of Argos, and began to dispose
of their ship's cargo: and on the fifth or sixth day after they had arrived,
when their goods had been almost all sold, there came down to the sea a great
company of women, and among them the daughter of the king; and her name, as the
Hellenes also agree, was Io the daughter of Inachos. These standing near to the
stern of the ship were buying of the wares such as pleased them most, when of a
sudden the Phenicians, passing the word from one to another, made a rush upon
them; and the greater part of the women escaped by flight, but Io and certain
others were carried off. So they put them on board their ship, and forthwith
departed, sailing away to Egypt.
2. In this manner the Persians report that Io came to
Egypt, not agreeing therein with the Hellenes, 3 and this they say was the
first beginning of wrongs. Then after this, they say, certain Hellenes (but the
name of the people they are not able to report) put in to the city of Tyre in
Phenicia and carried off the king's daughter Europa;—these would doubtless be
Cretans;—and so they were quits for the former injury. After this however the
Hellenes, they say, were the authors of the second wrong; for they sailed in to
Aia of Colchis and to the river Phasis with a ship of war, and from thence,
after they had done the other business for which they came, they carried off
the king's daughter Medea: and the king of Colchis sent a herald to the land of
Hellas and demanded satisfaction for the rape and to have his daughter back;
but they answered that, as the Barbarians had given them no satisfaction for
the rape of Io the Argive, so neither would they give satisfaction to the
Barbarians for this.
3. In the next generation after this, they say,
Alexander the son of Priam, having heard of these things, desired to get a wife
for himself by violence 4 from Hellas, being fully assured that he would not be
compelled to give any satisfaction for this wrong, inasmuch as the Hellenes
gave none for theirs. So he carried off Helen, and the Hellenes resolved to
send messengers first and to demand her back with satisfaction for the rape;
and when they put forth this demand, the others alleged to them the rape of
Medea, saying that the Hellenes were now desiring satisfaction to be given to
them by others, though they had given none themselves nor had surrendered the
person when demand was made.
4. Up to this point, they say, nothing more happened
than the carrying away of women on both sides; but after this the Hellenes were
very greatly to blame; for they set the first example of war, making an
expedition into Asia before the Barbarians made any into Europe. Now they say
that in their judgment, though it is an act of wrong to carry away women by
force, it is a folly to set one's heart on taking vengeance for their rape, and
the wise course is to pay no regard when they have been carried away; for it is
evident that they would never be carried away if they were not themselves
willing to go. And the Persians say that they, namely the people of Asia, when
their women were carried away by force, had made it a matter of no account, but
the Hellenes on account of a woman of Lacedemon gathered together a great
armament, and then came to Asia and destroyed the dominion of Priam; and that
from this time forward they had always considered the Hellenic race to be their
enemy: for Asia and the Barbarian races which dwell there the Persians claim as
belonging to them; but Europe and the Hellenic race they consider to be parted
off from them.
5. The Persians for their part say that things
happened thus; and they conclude that the beginning of their quarrel with the
Hellenes was on account of the taking of Ilion: but as regards Io the
Phenicians do not agree with the Persians in telling the tale thus; for they
deny that they carried her off to Egypt by violent means, and they say on the
other hand that when they were in Argos she was intimate with the master of
their ship, and perceiving that she was with child, she was ashamed to confess
it to her parents, and therefore sailed away with the Phenicians of her own
will, for fear of being found out. These are the tales told by the Persians and
the Phenicians severally: and concerning these things I am not going to say
that they happened thus or thus, 401 but when I have pointed to the man who
first within my own knowledge began to commit wrong against the Hellenes, I
shall go forward further with the story, giving an account of the cities of
men, small as well as great: for those which in old times were great have for
the most part become small, while those that were in my own time great used in
former times to be small: so then, since I know that human prosperity never
continues steadfast, I shall make mention of both indifferently.
6. Croesus was Lydian by race, the son of Alyattes and
ruler of the nations which dwell on this side of the river Halys; which river,
flowing from the South between the Syrians 5 and the Paphlagonians, runs out
towards the North Wind into that Sea which is called the Euxine. This Croesus,
first of all the Barbarians of whom we have knowledge, subdued certain of the
Hellenes and forced them to pay tribute, while others he gained over and made
them his friends. Those whom he subdued were the Ionians, the Aiolians, and the
Dorians who dwell in Asia; and those whom he made his friends were the
Lacedemonians. But before the reign of Croesus all the Hellenes were free; for
the expedition of the Kimmerians, which came upon Ionia before the time of
Croesus, was not a conquest of the cities but a plundering incursion only. 6
7. Now the supremacy which had belonged to the
Heracleidai came to the family of Croesus, called Mermnadai, in the following
manner:—Candaules, whom the Hellenes call Myrsilos, was ruler of Sardis and a
descendant of Alcaios, son of Heracles: for Agron, the son of Ninos, the son of
Belos, the son of Alcaios, was the first of the Heracleidai who became king of
Sardis, and Candaules the son of Myrsos was the last; but those who were kings
over this land before Agrond, were descendants of Lydos the son of Atys, whence
this whole nation was called Lydian, having been before called Meonian. From these
the Heracleidai, descended from Heracles and the slave-girl of Iardanos,
obtained the government, being charged with it by reason of an oracle; and they
reigned for two-and-twenty generations of men, five hundred and five years,
handing on the power from father to son, till the time of Clandaules the son of
Myrsos.
8. This Candaules then of whom I speak had become
passionately in love with his own wife; and having become so, he deemed that
his wife was fairer by far than all other women; and thus deeming, to Gyges the
son of Daskylos (for he of all his spearmen was the most pleasing to him), to
this Gyges, I say, he used to impart as well the more weighty of his affairs as
also the beauty of his wife, praising it above measure: and after no long time,
since it was destined that evil should happen to Candaules, he said to Gyges as
follows: "Gyges, I think that thou dost not believe me when I tell thee of
the beauty of my wife, for it happens that men's ears are less apt of belief
than their eyes: contrive therefore means by which thou mayest look upon her
naked." But he cried aloud and said: "Master, what word of unwisdom
is this which thou dost utter, bidding me look upon my mistress naked? When a
woman puts off her tunic she puts off her modesty also. Moreover of old time
those fair sayings have been found out by men, from which we ought to learn
wisdom; and of these one is this,—that each man should look on his own: but I
believe indeed that she is of all women the fairest and I entreat thee not to ask
of me that which it is not lawful for me to do."
9. With such words as these he resisted, fearing lest
some evil might come to him from this; but the king answered him thus: "Be
of good courage, Gyges, and have no fear, either of me, that I am saying these
words to try thee, or of my wife, lest any harm may happen to thee from her.
For I will contrive it so from the first that she shall not even perceive that
she has been seen by thee. I will place thee in the room where we sleep, behind
the open door; 7 and after I have gone in, my wife also will come to lie down.
Now there is a seat near the entrance of the room, and upon this she will lay
her garments as she takes them off one by one; and so thou wilt be able to gaze
upon her at full leisure. And when she goes from the chair to the bed and thou
shalt be behind her back, then let it be thy part to take care that she sees
thee not as thou goest through the door."
10. He then, since he might not avoid it, gave
consent: and Candaules, when he considered that it was time to rest, led Gyges
to the chamber; and straightway after this the woman also appeared: and Gyges
looked upon her after she came in and as she laid down her garments; and when
she had her back turned towards him, as she went to the bed, then he slipped
away from his hiding-place and was going forth. And as he went out, the woman
caught sight of him, and perceiving that which had been done by her husband she
did not cry out, though struck with shame, 8 but she made as though she had not
perceived the matter, meaning to avenge herself upon Candaules: for among the
Lydians as also among most other Barbarians it is a shame even for a man to be
seen naked.
11. At the time then she kept silence, as I say, and
made no outward sign; but as soon as day had dawned, and she made ready those
of the servants whom she perceived to be the most attached to herself, and
after that she sent to summon Gyges. He then, not supposing that anything of
that which had been done was known to her, came upon her summons; for he had
been accustomed before to go 9 whenever the queen summoned him. And when Gyges
was come, the woman said to him these words: "There are now two ways open
to thee, Gyges, and I give thee the choice which of the two thou wilt prefer to
take. Either thou must slay Candaules and possess both me and the kingdom of
Lydia, or thou must thyself here on the spot be slain, so that thou mayest not
in future, by obeying Candaules in all things, see that which thou shouldest
not. Either he must die who formed this design, or thou who hast looked upon me
naked and done that which is not accounted lawful." For a time then Gyges
was amazed at these words, and afterwards he began to entreat her that she
would not bind him by necessity to make such a choice: then however, as he
could not prevail with her, but saw that necessity was in truth set before him
either to slay his master or to be himself slain by others, he made the choice
to live himself; and he inquired further as follows: "Since thou dost
compel me to take my master's life against my own will, let me hear from thee
also what is the manner in which we shall lay hands upon him." And she
answering said: "From that same place shall the attempt be, where he
displayed me naked; and we will lay hands upon him as he sleeps."
12. So after they had prepared the plot, when night
came on, (for Gyges was not let go nor was there any way of escape for him, but
he must either be slain himself or slay Candaules), he followed the woman to
the bedchamber; and she gave him a dagger and concealed him behind that very
same door. Then afterwards, while Candaules was sleeping, Gyges came privily up
to him 10 and slew him, and he obtained both his wife and his kingdom: of him
moreover Archilochos the Parian, who lived about that time, made mention in a
trimeter iambic verse. 11
13. He obtained the kingdom however and was
strengthened in it by means of the Oracle at Delphi; for when the Lydians were
angry because of the fate of Candaules, and had risen in arms, a treaty was
made between the followers of Gyges and the other Lydians to this effect, that
if the Oracle should give answer that he was to be king of the Lydians, he
should be king, and if not, he should give back the power to the sons of
Heracles. So the Oracle gave answer, and Gyges accordingly became king: yet the
Pythian prophetess said this also, that vengeance for the Heracleidai should
come upon the descendants of Gyges in the fifth generation. Of this oracle the
Lydians and their kings made no account until it was in fact fulfilled.
14. Thus the Mermnadai obtained the government having
driven out from it the Heracleidai: and Gyges when he became ruler sent votive
offerings to Delphi not a few, for of all the silver offerings at Delphi his
are more in number than those of any other man; and besides the silver he
offered a vast quantity of gold, and especially one offering which is more
worthy of mention than the rest, namely six golden mixing-bowls, which are
dedicated there as his gift: of these the weight is thirty talents, and they
stand in the treasury of the Corinthians, (though in truth this treasury does
not belong to the State of the Corinthians, but is that of Kypselos the son of
Aëtion). 12 This Gyges was the first of the Barbarians within our knowledge who
dedicated votive offerings at Delphi, except only Midas the son of Gordias king
of Phrygia, who dedicated for an offering the royal throne on which he sat
before all to decide causes; and this throne, a sight worth seeing, stands in
the same place with the bowls of Gyges. This gold and silver which Gyges
dedicated is called Gygian by the people of Delphi, after the name of him who
offered it.
Now Gyges also, 13 as soon as he became king, led an
army against Miletos and Smyrna, and he took the lower town of Colophon: 14 but
no other great deed did he do in his reign, which lasted eight-and-thirty
years, therefore we will pass him by with no more mention than has already been
made,
15, and I will speak now of Ardys the son of Gyges,
who became king after Gyges. He took Priene and made an invasion against
Miletos; and while he was ruling over Sardis, the Kimmerians driven from their
abodes by the nomad Scythians came to Asia and took Sardis except the citadel.
16. Now when Ardys had been king for nine-and-forty
years, Sadyattes his son succeeded to his kingdom, and reigned twelve years;
and after him Alyattes. This last made war against Kyaxares the descendant of
Deïokes and against the Medes, 15 and he drove the Kimmerians forth out of
Asia, and he took Smyrna which had been founded from Colophon, and made an
invasion against Clazomenai. From this he returned not as he desired, but with
great loss: during his reign however he performed other deeds very worthy of
mention as follows:—
17. He made war with those of Miletos, having received
this war as an inheritance from his father: for he used to invade their land
and besiege Miletos in the following manner:—whenever there were ripe crops
upon the land, then he led an army into their confines, making his march to the
sound of pipes and harps and flutes both of male and female tone: and when he
came to the Milesian land, he neither pulled down the houses that were in the
fields, nor set fire to them nor tore off their doors, but let them stand as
they were; the trees however and the crops that were upon the land he
destroyed, and then departed by the way he came: for the men of Miletos had
command of the sea, so that it was of no use for his army to blockade them: and
he abstained from pulling down the houses to the end that the Milesians might
have places to dwell in while they sowed and tilled the land, and by the means
of their labour he might have somewhat to destroy when he made his invasion.
18. Thus he continued to war with them for eleven
years; and in the course of these years the Milesians suffered two great
defeats, once when they fought a battle in the district of Limenion in their
own land, and again in the plain of Maiander. Now for six of the eleven years
Sadyattes the son of Ardys was still ruler of the Lydians, the same who was
wont to invade the land of Miletos at the times mentioned; 16 for this
Sadyattes was he who first began the war: but for the five years which followed
these first six the war was carried on by Alyattes the son of Sadyattes, who
received it as an inheritance from his father (as I have already said) and
applied himself to it earnestly. And none of the Ionians helped those of
Miletos bear the burden of this war except only the men of Chios. These came to
their aid to pay back like with like, for the Milesians had formerly assisted
the Chians throughout their war with the people of Erythrai.
19. Then in the twelfth year of the war, when standing
corn was being burnt by the army of the Lydians, it happened as follows:—as
soon as the corn was kindled, it was driven by a violent wind and set fire to
the temple of Athene surnamed of Assessos; and the temple being set on fire was
burnt down to the ground. Of this no account was made then; but afterwards when
the army had returned to Sardis, Alyattes fell sick, and as his sickness lasted
long, he sent messengers to inquire of the Oracle at Delphi, either being
advised to do so by some one, or because he himself thought it best to send and
inquire of the god concerning his sickness. But when these arrived at Delphi,
the Pythian prophetess said that she would give them no answer, until they
should have built up again the temple of Athene which they had burnt at
Assessos in the land of Miletos.
20. Thus much I know by the report of the people of
Delphi; but the Milesians add to this that Periander the son of Kypselos, being
a special guest-friend of Thrasybulos the then despot of Miletos, heard of the
oracle which had been given to Alyattes, and sending a messenger told
Thrasybulos, in order that he might have knowledge of it beforehand and take
such counsel as the case required. This is the story told by the Milesians.
20. Thus much I know by the report of the people of
Delphi; but the Milesians add to this that Periander the son of Kypselos, being
a special guest-friend of Thrasybulos the then despot of Miletos, heard of the
oracle which had been given to Alyattes, and sending a messenger told
Thrasybulos, in order that he might have knowledge of it beforehand and take
such counsel as the case required. This is the story told by the Milesians.
21. And Alyattes, when this answer was reported to
him, sent a herald forthwith to Miletos, desiring to make a truce with
Thrasybulos and the Milesians for so long a time as he should be building the
temple. He then was being sent as envoy to Miletos; and Thrasybulos in the
meantime being informed beforehand of the whole matter and knowing what
Alyattes was meaning to do, contrived this device:—he gathered together in the
market-place all the store of provisions which was found in the city, both his
own and that which belonged to private persons; and he proclaimed to the
Milesians that on a signal given by him they should all begin to drink and make
merry with one another.
22. This Thrasybulos did and thus proclaimed to the
end that the herald from Sardis, seeing a vast quantity of provisions
carelessly piled up, and the people feasting, might report this to Alyattes:
and so on fact it happened; for when the herald returned to Sardis after seeing
this and delivering to Thrasybulos the charge which was given to him by the
king of Lydia, the peace which was made, came about, as I am informed, merely
because of this. For Alyattes, who thought that there was a great famine in Miletos
and that the people had been worn down to the extreme of misery, heard from the
herald, when he returned from Miletos, the opposite to that which he himself
supposed. And after this the peace was made between them on condition of being
guest-friends and allies to one another, and Alyattes built two temples to
Athene at Assessos in place of one, and himself recovered from his sickness.
With regard then to the war waged by Alyattes with the Milesians and
Thrasybulos things went thus.
23. As for Periander, the man who gave information
about the oracle to Thrasybulos, he was the son of Kypselos, and despot of
Corinth. In his life, say the Corinthians, (and with them agree the Lesbians),
there happened to him a very great marvel, namely that Arion of Methymna was
carried ashore at Tainaron upon a dolphin's back. This man was a harper second
to none of those who then lived, and the first, so far as we know, who composed
a dithyramb, naming it so and teaching it to a chorus 17 at Corinth.
24. This Arion, they say, who for the most part of his
time stayed with Periander, conceived a desire to sail to Italy 18 and Sicily;
and after he had there acquired large sums of money, he wished to return again
to Corinth. He set forth therefore from Taras, 19 and as he had faith in
Corinthians more than in other men, he hired a ship with a crew of Corinthians.
These, the story says, when out in open sea, formed a plot to cast Arion
overboard and so possess his wealth; and he having obtained knowledge of this
made entreaties to them, offering them his wealth and asking them to grant him
his life. With this however he did not prevail upon them, but the men who were
conveying him bade him either slay himself there, that he might receive burial
on the land, or leap straightway into the sea. So Arion being driven to a
strait entreated them that, since they were so minded, they would allow him to
take his stand in full minstrel's garb upon the deck 20 of the ship and sing;
and he promised to put himself to death after he had sung. They then, well
pleased to think that they should hear the best of all minstrels upon earth,
drew back from the stern towards the middle of the ship; and he put on the full
minstrel's garb and took his lyre, and standing on the deck performed the
Orthian measure. Then as the measure ended, he threw himself into the sea just
as he was, in his full minstrel's garb; and they went on sailing away to
Corinth, but him, they say, a dolphin supported on its back and brought him to
shore at Tainaron: and when he had come to land he proceeded to Corinth with
his minstrel's garb. Thither having arrived he related all that had been done;
and Periander doubting of his story kept Arion in guard and would let him go
nowhere, while he kept careful watch for those who had conveyed him. When these
came, he called them and inquired of them if they had any report to make of
Arion; and when they said that he was safe in Italy and that they had left him
at Taras faring well, Arion suddenly appeared before them in the same guise as
when he made his leap from the ship; and they being struck with amazement were
no longer able to deny when they were questioned. This is the tale told by the
Corinthians and Lesbians alike, and there is at Tainaron a votive offering of
Arion of no great size, 21 namely a bronze figure of a man upon a dolphin's
back.
25. Alyattes the Lydian, when he had thus waged war
against the Milesians, afterwards died, having reigned seven-and-fifty years.
This king, when he recovered from his sickness, dedicated a votive offering at
Delphi (being the second of his house who had so done), namely a great
mixing-bowl of silver with a stand for it of iron welded together, which last
is a sight worth seeing above all the offerings at Delphi and the work of
Glaucos the Chian, who of all men first found out the art of welding iron.
26. After Alyattes was dead Croesus the son of
Alyattes received the kingdom in succession, being five-and-thirty years of
age. He (as I said) fought against the Hellenes and of them he attacked the
Ephesians first. The Ephesians then, being besieged by him, dedicated their
city to Artemis and tied a rope from the temple to the wall of the city: now
the distance between the ancient city, which was then being besieged, and the
temple is seven furlongs. 22 These, I say, where the first upon whom Croesus
laid hands, but afterwards he did the same to the other Ionian and Aiolian
cities one by one, alleging against them various causes of complaint, and
making serious charges against those in whose cases he could find serious
grounds, while against others of them he charged merely trifling offences.
27. Then when the Hellenes in Asia had been conquered
and forced to pay tribute, he designed next to build for himself ships and to
lay hands upon those who dwelt in the islands; and when all was prepared for
his building of ships, they say that Bias of Priene (or, according to another
account, Pittacos of Mytilene) came to Sardis, and being asked by Croesus
whether there was any new thing doing in Hellas, brought to an end his building
of ships by this saying: "O king," said he, "the men of the
islands are hiring a troop of ten thousand horse, and with this they mean to
march to Sardis and fight against thee." And Croesus, supposing that what
he reported was true, said: "May the gods put it into the minds of the
dwellers of the islands to come with horses against the sons of the
Lydians!" And he answered and said: "O king, I perceive that thou
dost earnestly desire to catch the men of the islands on the mainland riding
upon horses; and it is not unreasonable that thou shouldest wish for this: what
else however thinkest thou the men of the islands desire and have been praying
for ever since the time they heard that thou wert about to build ships against
them, than that they might catch the Lydians upon the sea, so as to take
vengeance upon thee for the Hellenes who dwell upon the mainland, whom thou
dost hold enslaved?" Croesus, they say, was greatly pleased with this
conclusion, 23 and obeying his suggestion, for he judged him to speak suitably,
he stopped his building of ships; and upon that he formed a friendship with the
Ionians dwelling in the islands.
28. As time went on, when nearly all those dwelling on
this side the river Halys had been subdued, (for except the Kilikians and
Lykians Croesus subdued and kept under his rule all the nations, that is to say
Lydians, Phrygians, Mysians, Mariandynoi, Chalybians, Paphlagonians, Thracians
both Thynian and Bithynian, Carians, Ionians, Dorians, Aiolians, and Pamphylians),
24
29, when these, I say, had been subdued, and while he
was still adding to his Lydian dominions, there came to Sardis, then at the
height of its wealth, all the wise men 25 of the Hellas who chanced to be alive
at that time, brought thither severally by various occasions; and of them one
was Solon the Athenian, who after he had made laws for the Athenians at their
bidding, left his native country for ten years and sailed away saying that he
desired to visit various lands, in order that he might not be compelled to
repeal any of the laws which he had proposed. 26 For of themselves the
Athenians were not competent to do this, having bound themselves by solemn
oaths to submit for ten years to the laws which Solon should propose for them.
30. So Solon, having left his native country for this
reason and for the sake of seeing various lands, came to Amasis in Egypt, and
also to Croesus at Sardis. Having there arrived he was entertained as a guest
by Croesus in the king's palace; and afterwards, on the third or fourth day, at
the bidding of Croesus his servants led Solon round to see his treasuries; and
they showed him all things, how great and magnificent they were: and after he
had looked upon them all and examined them as he had occasion, Croesus asked
him as follows: "Athenian guest, much report of thee has come to us, both
in regard to thy wisdom and thy wanderings, how that in thy search for wisdom
thou hast traversed many lands to see them; now therefore a desire has come
upon me to ask thee whether thou hast seen any whom thou deemest to be of all
men the most happy." 27 This he asked supposing that he himself was the
happiest of men; but Solon, using no flattery but the truth only, said:
"Yes, O king, Tellos the Athenian." And Croesus, marvelling at that
which he said, asked him earnestly: "In what respect dost thou judge
Tellos to be the most happy?" And he said: "Tellos, in the first
place, living while his native State was prosperous, had sons fair and good and
saw from all of them children begotten and living to grow up; and secondly he
had what with us is accounted wealth, and after his life a most glorious end:
for when a battle was fought by the Athenians at Eleusis against the
neighbouring people, he brought up supports and routed the foe and there died
by a most fair death; and the Athenians buried him publicly where he fell, and
honoured him greatly."
31. So when Solon had moved Croesus to inquire further
by the story of Tellos, recounting how many points of happiness he had, the
king asked again whom he had seen proper to be placed next after this man,
supposing that he himself would certainly obtain at least the second place; but
he replied: "Cleobis and Biton: for these, who were of Argos by race,
possessed a sufficiency of wealth and, in addition to this, strength of body
such as I shall tell. Both equally had won prizes in the games, and moreover
the following tale is told of them:—There was a feast of Hera among the Argives
and it was by all means necessary that their mother should be borne in a car to
the temple. But since their oxen were not brought up in time from the field,
the young men, barred from all else by lack of time, submitted themselves to
the yoke and drew the wain, their mother being borne by them upon it; and so
they brought it on for five-and-forty furlongs, 28 and came to the temple. Then
after they had done this and had been seen by the assembled crowd, there came
to their life a most excellent ending; and in this the deity declared that it
was better for man to die than to continue to live. For the Argive men were
standing round and extolling the strength 29 of the young men, while the Argive
women were extolling the mother to whose lot it had fallen to have such sons;
and the mother being exceedingly rejoiced both by the deed itself and by the
report made of it, took her stand in front of the image of the goddess and
prayed that she would give to Cleobis and Biton her sons, who had honoured her
30 greatly, that gift which is best for man to receive: and after this prayer,
when they had sacrificed and feasted, the young men lay down to sleep within
the temple itself, and never rose again, but were held bound in this last end.
31 And the Argives made statues in the likeness of them and dedicated them as
offerings at Delphi, thinking that they had proved themselves most
excellent."
32. Thus Solon assigned the second place in respect of
happiness to these: and Croesus was moved to anger and said: "Athenian
guest, hast thou then so cast aside our prosperous state as worth nothing, that
thou dost prefer to us even men of private station?" And he said:
"Croesus, thou art inquiring about human fortunes of one who well knows
that the Deity is altogether envious and apt to disturb our lot. For in the
course of long time a man may see many things which he would not desire to see,
and suffer also many things which he would not desire to suffer. The limit of
life for a man I lay down at seventy years: and these seventy years give
twenty-five thousand and two hundred days, not reckoning for any intercalated
month. Then if every other one of these years shall be made longer by one
month, that the seasons may be caused to come round at the due time of the
year, the intercalated months will be in number five-and-thirty besides the
seventy years; and of these months the days will be one thousand and fifty. Of
all these days, being in number twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty,
which go to the seventy years, one day produces nothing at all which resembles
what another brings with it. Thus then, O Croesus, man is altogether a creature
of accident. As for thee, I perceive that thou art both great in wealth and
king of many men, but that of which thou didst ask me I cannot call thee yet,
until I learn that thou hast brought thy life to a fair ending: for the very
rich man is not at all to be accounted more happy than he who has but his
subsistence from day to day, unless also the fortune go with him of ending his
life well in possession of all things fair. For many very wealthy men are not
happy, 32 while many who have but a moderate living are fortunate; 33 and in
truth the very rich man who is not happy has two advantages only as compared
with the poor man who is fortunate, whereas this latter has many as compared
with the rich man who is not happy. The rich man is able better to fulfil his
desire, and also to endure a great calamity if it fall upon him; whereas the
other has advantage over him in these things which follow:—he is not indeed
able equally with the rich man to endure a calamity or to fulfil his desire,
but these his good fortune keeps away from him, while he is sound of limb, 34
free from disease, untouched by suffering, the father of fair children and
himself of comely form; and if in addition to this he shall end his life well,
he is worthy to be called that which thou seekest, namely a happy man; but
before he comes to his end it is well to hold back and not to call him yet
happy but only fortunate. Now to possess all these things together is
impossible for one who is mere man, just as no single land suffices to supply
all things for itself, but one thing it has and another it lacks, and the land
that has the greatest number of things is the best: so also in the case of a
man, no single person is complete in himself, for one thing he has and another
he lacks; but whosoever of men continues to the end in possession of the
greatest number of these things and then has a gracious ending of his life, he
is by me accounted worthy, O king, to receive this name. But we must of every
thing examine the end and how it will turn out at the last, for to many God
shows but a glimpse of happiness and then plucks them up by the roots and
overturns them."
33. Thus saying he refused to gratify Croesus, who
sent him away from his presence holding him in no esteem, and thinking him
utterly senseless in that he passed over present good things and bade men look
to the end of every matter.
34. After Solon had departed, a great retribution from
God came upon Croesus, probably because he judged himself to be the happiest of
all men. First there came and stood by him a dream, which showed to him the
truth of the evils that were about to come to pass in respect of his son. Now
Croesus had two sons, of whom one was deficient, seeing that he was deaf and
dumb, while the other far surpassed his companions of the same age in all
things: and the name of this last was Atys. As regards this Atys then, the
dream signified to Croesus that he should lose him by the blow of an iron
spear-point: 35 and when he rose up from sleep and considered the matter with
himself, he was struck with fear on account of the dream; and first he took for
his son a wife; and whereas his son had been wont to lead the armies of the
Lydians, he now no longer sent him forth anywhere on any such business; and the
javelins and lances and all such things which men use for fighting he conveyed
out of the men's apartments and piled them up in the inner bed-chambers, for
fear lest something hanging up might fall down upon his son.
35. Then while he was engaged about the marriage of
his son, there came to Sardis a man under a misfortune and with hands not
clean, a Phrygian by birth and of the royal house. This man came to the house
of Croesus, and according to the customs which prevail in that land made
request that he might have cleansing; and Croesus gave him cleansing: now the
manner of cleansing among the Lydians is the same almost as that which the
Hellenes use. So when Croesus had done that which was customary, he asked of
him whence he came and who he was, saying as follows: "Man, who art thou,
and from what region of Phrygia didst thou come to sit upon my hearth? And whom
of men or women didst thou slay?" And he replied: "O king, I am the
son of Gordias, the son of Midas, and I am called Adrastos; and I slew my own
brother against my will, and therefore am I here, having been driven forth by
my father and deprived of all that I had." And Croesus answered thus:
"Thou art, as it chances, the offshoot of men who are our friends and thou
hast come to friends, among whom thou shalt want of nothing so long as thou
shalt remain in our land: and thou wilt find it most for thy profit to bear
this misfortune as lightly as may be." So he had his abode with Croesus.
36
36. During this time there was produced in the Mysian
Olympos a boar of monstrous size. This, coming down from the mountain
aforesaid, ravaged the fields of the Mysians, and although the Mysians went out
against it often, yet they could do it no hurt, but rather received hurt themselves
from it; so at length messengers came from the Mysians to Croesus and said:
"O king, there has appeared in our land a boar of monstrous size, which
lays waste our fields; and we, desiring eagerly to take it, are not able: now
therefore we ask of thee to send with us thy son and also a chosen band of
young men with dogs, that we may destroy it out of our land." Thus they
made request, and Croesus calling to mind the words of the dream spoke to them
as follows: "As touching my son, make no further mention of him in this
matter; for I will not send him with you, seeing that he is newly married and
is concerned now with the affairs of his marriage: but I will send with you
chosen men of the Lydians and the whole number of my hunting dogs, and I will
give command to those who go, to be as zealous as may be in helping you to
destroy the wild beast out of your land."
37. Thus he made reply, and while the Mysians were
being contented with this answer, there came in also the son of Croesus, having
heard of the request made by the Mysians: and when Croesus said that he would
not send his son with them, the young man spoke as follows: "My father, in
times past the fairest and most noble part was allotted to us, to go out
continually to wars and to the chase and so have good repute; but now thou hast
debarred me from both of these, although thou hast not observed in me any
cowardly or faint-hearted spirit. And now with what face must I appear when I
go to and from the market-place of the city? What kind of a man shall I be
esteemed by the citizens, and what kind of a man shall I be esteemed by my
newly-married wife? With what kind of a husband will she think that she is
mated? Therefore either let me go to the hunt, or persuade me by reason that
these things are better for me done as now they are."
38. And Croesus made answer thus: "My son, not
because I have observed in thee any spirit of cowardice or any other ungracious
thing, do I act thus; but a vision of a dream came and stood by me in my sleep
and told me that thou shouldest be short-lived, and that thou shouldest perish
by a spear-point of iron. With thought of this vision therefore I both urged on
this marriage for thee, and I refuse now to send thee upon the matter which is
being taken in hand, having a care of thee that I may steal thee from thy fate
at least for the period of my own life, if by any means possible for me to do
so. For thou art, as it chances, my only son: the other I do not reckon as one,
seeing that he is deficient in hearing."
39. The young man made answer thus: "It may well
be forgiven in thee, O my father, that thou shouldest have a care of me after
having seen such a vision; but that which thou dost not understand, and in
which the meaning of the dream has escaped thee, it is right that I should
expound to thee. Thou sayest the dream declared that I should end my life by
means of a spear-point of iron: but what hands has a boar, or what spear-point
of iron, of which thou art afraid? If the dream had told thee that I should end
my life by a tusk, or any other thing which resembles that, it would be right
for thee doubtless to do as thou art doing; but it said 'by a spear-point.'
Since therefore our fight will not be with men, let me now go."
40. Croesus made answer: "My son, thou dost partly
prevail with me by declaring thy judgment about the dream; therefore, having
been prevailed upon by thee, I change my resolution and allow thee to go to the
chase."
Funny. It reads more like an account of the Trojan War (or at least, the things that lead to it), what with Paris and the Myrmidons, than some 19th century erotica.
ReplyDelete''Though the letter said that this was a renaissance in force operation''
ReplyDeletePretty sure it's reconnaissance not renaissance lol.
Another vanishing Louria squadron incoming.
Damn... the auto-correct strikes again...
DeleteArigatooo
DeleteDamn you, autoerotica!
DeleteOh look 20,000 sacrifices are offered without batting an eye!
ReplyDeleteThx for the chapter, i do wonder where you keep on getting material for the button
ReplyDeleteRolfstomp nomnom, TYVM Yukkuri sama! erotica... I suddenly went from sleepy to ping! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks 4 the translation!
ReplyDeleteDead men marching.
"classmate in the Magic Academy……" Makes me wonder if the classmate was a survivor of the battle or a member of their Intelligence department. Magic Signal Intelligence listening in on Qua-Toyne diplomatic traffic, perhaps?
ReplyDeleteγ⌒ヽ T
ReplyDelete＼γ⌒ヽ H
＼γ⌒ヽ A
＼γ⌒ヽ N
＼γ⌒ヽ K
＼γ⌒ヽ S
＼_⊂ﾞ⌒ﾞ∩
＼⊂(｡Д｡) ....Nepu!
＼ ∨∨
＼
＼
you sliding down ? or is that nepu that going to be smashed by a roller coaster ?
DeleteThanks for the chapter Yukkuri Aniki
ReplyDeleteNiceee!!!
ReplyDeleteIs there a reason for the button?
ReplyDeleteMeasure against online webscrapper, also to fool Google bots... lolololololo
Deletewtf Month 7?? from april to july?
ReplyDeleteIt’s difficult to get knowledgeable men and women with this topic, and you appear to be what happens you are dealing with! Thanks Free spirit carp rods
ReplyDelete