Darius Disturbs Nitocris

Question 1

Νίτωκρις ἡ τῆς Βαβυλῶνος βασίλεια

Answer 1

Nitocris, the queen of Babylon,

Question 2

ἀπάτην τοιάνδε τινὰ ἐμηχανήσατο.

Answer 2

devised a trick as follows.

Question 3

ὑπὲρ τῶν μάλιστα λεωφόρων πυλῶν τοῦ ἄστεως

Answer 3

Above the especially busy gates of the city

Question 4

τάφον ἑαυτῇ κατεσκευάσατο μετέωρον,

Answer 4

she commissioned a tomb for herself high up,

Question 5

ἐπιπολῆς (+ gen.) αὐτῶν τῶν πυλων‧

Answer 5

on top of the gates themselves;

Question 6

ἐνεκόλαψε (she cut in stone) δὲ εἰς τὸν τάφον

Answer 6

and she cut in stone into the tomb

Question 7

γράμματα (letters) λέγοντα τάδε‧

Answer 7

letters which said the following:

Question 8

‘ἤν (εαν) τις τῶν ἐμοῦ ὕστερον γιγνομένων (who come) Βαβυλῶνος βασιλέων

Answer 8

‘If any of the kings of Babylon who come after me

Question 9

σπανίσῃ χρημάτων,

Answer 9

is in need of money,

Question 10

ἀνοίξας (having opened) τὸν τάφον

Answer 10

having opened the tomb

Question 11

λαβέτω (let him take) ὁπόσα βούλεται χρήματα‧

Answer 11

let him take as much money as he wants

Question 12

μὴ μέντοι γε, μὴ σπανίσας (unless in need) γε, ἄλλως ἀνοίξῃ‧

Answer 12

However, do (certainly) not, unless in need, open it for any other reason:

Question 13

οὐ γὰρ ἄμεινον (a good idea).’

Answer 13

For it would not be a good idea.’

Question 14

οὗτος ὁ τάφος ἦν ἀκίνητος (undisturbed)

Answer 14

This tomb was undisturbed

Question 15

μέχρι οὗ εἰς Δαρεῖον περιῆλθεν (it passed to) ἡ βασιλεία.

Answer 15

until the kingdom passed to Darius.

Question 16

Δαρείῳ δὲ καὶ δεινὸν ἐδόκει (it seemed) εἶναι ταῖς πύλαις ταύταις μηδὲν χρῆσθαι (to make no use of + dat.)

Answer 16

It seemed to Darius to be strange to make no use of these gates

Question 17

καί, χρημάτων κειμένων (lying there)

Answer 17

and, with money lying there

Question 18

καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν χρημάτων ἐπικαλουμένων (inviting),

Answer 18

and the money itself inviting (him),

Question 19

μὴ οὐ λαβεῖν αὐτά.

Answer 19

not to take it.

Question 20

(ταῖς δὲ πύλαις ταύταις οὐδὲν ἐχρῆτο (made no use of + dat.) τοῦδε ἕνεκα

Answer 20

(He made no use of these gates on account of this:

Question 21

ὅτι ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐτῷ ἐγίγνετο ἂν ὁ νεκρὸς διεξελαύνοντι (as he went out through))

Answer 21

that the corpse would have been above his head as he went out through.)

Question 22

ἀνοίξας (having opened the tomb) δὲ τὸν τάφον ηὗρε (he found) χρήματα μὲν οὔ, τὸν δὲ νεκρόν

Answer 22

But having opened the tomb, he found not money, but the corpse

Question 23

καὶ γράμματα (letters) λέγοντα τάδε,

Answer 23

and letters saying the following:

Question 24

‘εἰ μὴ ἄπληστός (greedy) τε ἦσθα χρημάτων καὶ αἰσχροκερδής (avaricious),

Answer 24

“If you were not both greedy for money and avaricious,

Question 25

οὐκ ἂν νεκρῶν θήκας ἀνέῳγες (you would not be opening).'

Answer 25

you would not be opening the tombs of corpses."