Heroditus translations

Question 1

Οἱ δέ Αἰγύπτιοι, πρὶν μὲν ἢ Ψαμμήτιχον σφων βασιλεῦσαι, ἐνόμιζον ἑαυτοὺς πρώτους γενέσθαι πάντων ἀνθρώπων·

Answer 1

Now before [Psammetichus] became their king,​the Egyptians thought that they themselves had been the first to exist of all humans.

Question 2

ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ψαμμήτιχος βασιλεύσας ἠθέλησε εἰδέναι οἵτινες γενοίατο πρῶτοι, ἀπὸ τούτου νομίζουσι Φρύγας προτέρους γενέσθαι ἑαυτῶν, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἑαυτούς.​

Answer 2

but when Psammetichus, after becoming king, wished to know who had been the first to exist, since this time they think that the Phrygians came into existence earlier than them, and that they themselves existed earlier than the rest​

Question 3

Ψαμμήτιχος δὲ ὡς οὐκ ἐδύνατο πυνθανόμενος πόρον οὐδένα τούτου ἀνευρεῖν, οἳ γενοίατο πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων, ἐπιτεχνᾶται τοιόνδε.

Answer 3

Psammetichus, since he was not able by making inquiries to discover any solution to this question, namely who had been the first of humans to exist, devised the following.

Question 4

παιδία δύο νεογνὰ ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐπιτυχόντων δίδωσι ποιμένι τρέφειν ἐντειλάμενος μηδένα ἀντίον αὐτῶν μηδεμίαν φωνὴν ἱέναι, ἐν στέγῃ δὲ ἐρήμῃ ἐπ’ ἑαυτῶν κέεσθαι αὐτά,

Answer 4

He gave two newborn babies of random people to a shepherd to raise, giving instructions that nobody should let out any utterance in front of them, but that they should lie on their own in a deserted room,

Question 5

ταῦτα δὲ ἐποίεί τε καὶ ἐνετέλλετο Ψαμμήτιχος ἐθέλων ἀκούσαι ἥντινα φωνὴν ῥήξουσι πρώτην οἱ παιδες, ἀπαλλαχθέντων τῶν ἀσήμων κνυζημάτων ·

Answer 5

Psammetichus was doing these things and giving these instructions, because he wanted to hear what word the children would utter first, once their meaningless burblings had left off.

Question 6

ἅπερ οῦν καὶ ἐγένετο. ὡς γὰρ διέτης χρόνος ἐγεγόνει τῷ ποιμένι ἀνοίγοντι τὴν θύρην καὶ ἐἰςιόντι τὰ παιδία ἀμφότερα προσπίπτοντα ‘βεκὸς’ ἐφώνουν, ὀρέγοντα τὰς χεῖρας.​

Answer 6

This is therefore what actually happened: for, when a period of two years had passed, both little children, running up to the shepherd as he opened the door and entered, began uttering ‘Bekos!’, stretching out their hands.​

Question 7

τὰ μὲν δὴ πρῶτα ἀκούσας ἥσυχος ἦν ὁ ποιμήν· ὡς δὲ πολλάκις φοιτέοντι καὶ ἐπιμελομένῳ πολλὸν ἦν τοῦτο τὸ ἔπος, οὕτω δὴ σημήνας τῷ δεσπότῃ ἤγαγε τὰ παιδία ἐς ὄψιν τὴν ἐκείνου.

Answer 7

Indeed, having heard it for the first time, the shepherd kept quiet; but when, as he often came and went and took care of them, this word was much spoken to him, having indeed indicated this [literally: ‘thus’] to his master he took the little children into his [Psammetichus’] sight.

Question 8

ἀκούσας δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ψαμμήτιχος ἐπυνθάνετο οἵτινες ἀνθρώπων βεκός τι καλέουσι, πυνθανόμενος δὲ εὕρισκε Φρύγας καλέοντας τὸν ἄρτον.

Answer 8

And having heard also for himself, Psammetichus began inquiring [imperfect] who of mankind called something ‘bekos’; and by inquiring he discovered that the Phrygians used the word to mean bread.

Question 9

οὕτω συνεχώρησαν Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ τοιούτῳ σταθμησάμενοι πρήγματι τοὺς Φρύγας πρεσβυτέρους εἶναι ἑαυτῶν.​

Answer 9

In this way the Egyptians agreed, having made an assessment by such a procedure, that the Phrygians were older than them.​

Question 10

τοῖς μεν δὴ τῶν Αἰγυπτιων ἱεροι εἰσιν οἱ κροκοδειλοι, τοῖς δ’οὗ ἀλλ’ ἅτε πολεμιους περιεπουσι. οἱ δε περι τε Θηβας και την Μοιρεως λιμνην οἰκοῦντες και καρτα ἡγοῦνται αὐτους εἶναι ἱερους. ​

Answer 10

For some of the Egyptians indeed, crocodiles are sacred, for others they are not, as they rather treat them like enemies. But those who live around Thebes and Lake Moeris most definitely consider that they are sacred.

Question 11

ἕνα δε ἑκατεροι τρεφουσι κροκοδειλον, δεδιδαγμενον εἶναι χειροηθη. ἀρτηματα δε εἰς τα ὧτα ἐνθεντες και ἀμφιδεας περι τους προσθιους ποδας, και σιτια ἀποτακτα διδοντες και ἱερεῖα,

Answer 11

The people from both places look after one crocodile, which has been trained to be used to being handled; and, after putting ear-rings in their ears and anklets around their front feet, and giving them special food and holy offerings,

Question 12

οἱ δε περι Ἐλεπηαντινην πολιν οἰκοῦντες και ἐσθιουσιν αὐτους, οὐχ ἡγοῦμενοι ἱερους εἶναι. ἄγραι δε αὐτων πολλαι καθεστηκασι και παντοῖαι. ἥ δ’ ἐμοιγε δοκεῖ ἀξιωτατη ἀφηγησεως εἶναι ταὐτην γραφω. ​

Answer 12

But those who dwell around the city of Elephantine actually eat them, not considering that they are sacred. Their methods of hunting them are [lit: ‘are established’] many and of all kinds; I am writing down this one, which seems to me, at any rate, most worthy of narration [not ‘explanation’ as A&L]. ​

Question 13

ἐπειδαν νῶτον ὑος δελεασῃ τις περι ἄγκιστρον, μεθιησι εἰς μεσον τον ποταμον. αὐτος δε ἐπι τοῦ χειλους τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἔχων δελφακα ζωην, ταυτην τυπτει.

Answer 13

Whenever somebody uses the back of a pig around a hook as bait, he drops it into the middle of the river; and he himself holding a live piglet on the bank of the river, beats it.

Question 14

ἐπακουσας δε της φωνης ὁ κροκοδειλος ἵεται κατα την φωνην. ἐντχων δε τῳ νωτῳ καταπινει, οἵδε ἔλκουσι.​

Answer 14

On hearing the squeal, the crocodile rushes off in the direction of the sound; and having come upon the back (of the pig), it gulps it down, and they pull. ​

Question 15

ἐπειδαν δε ἐξελκυσθῃ εἰς γῆν, πρῶτον ἁπαντων ὁ θηρευτης πηλῳ κατεπλασεν αὐτου τους ὀφθαλμοῦς· τουτο δε ποιησας καρτα εὐπετῶς τα λοιπα χειροῦται. μη ποιησας δε συν πονῳ. ​

Answer 15

And whenever it has been pulled out onto land, first of all the hunter plasters its eyes with mud; and if he does this, he handles the rest very easily; but if he doesn’t do this, he handles the rest with effort.​

Question 16

Μυκερινῳ τα μεν τοῦ πατρος ἔργα ἀφηνδανε. ὁ δε τα τε ἱερα ἀνεῳξε, και τον λεων, τετρυμεμον εἰς το ἔσχατον κακοῦ, ἀνῆκε προς ἔργα τε και θυσιας. δικας δε αὐτοις παντων βασιλεων δικαιοτατας ἔκρινεν.

Answer 16

The deeds of his father were displeasing to Mycerinus. He both opened up the temples, and released the people, when they had been ground down to the limit of misery, to their usual tasks and sacrifices; and, of all the kings, he used to make the most just legal judgements for them.

Question 17

ὄντι δε ἡπιῳ τῳ Μυκερινῳ κατα τους πολιτας και ταῦτα ἐπιτηδευοντι πρῶτον κακῶν ἧρξεν ἡ θυγατηρ ἀποθανοῦσα, ἤ μονον αυτῳ ἦν ἐν τοῖς οἰκιοις τεκνον. ​

Answer 17

But, although Mycerinus was kind towards his citizens and attending to these matters, the death of his daughter, who was his only child in the household, marked [lit: ‘his daughter dying began’] the first of his troubles. ​

Question 18

μετα δε το της θυγατρος παθος δευτερα τουτῳ τῳ βασιλεῖ ταδε ἐγενετο. ἦλθεν αυτῳ μαντεῖον ἐκ βουτοῦς πολεως , ὡς μελλοι ἕξ ἔτη μονον βιους τῳ ἐβδομῳ τελευτησειν

Answer 18

And after his daughter’s calamity [πάθος], the following happened as the second to this king. There came to him from the city Buto a prophecy that, after living for only six years, he was going to die in the seventh. ​

Question 19

ὁ δε δεινον ποιησαμενος ἔπεμψεν εἰς το μαντεῖον τῳ θεῷ ὀνειδισμα, ἀντιμεμφομενος ταδε, ‘ὁ μεν πατηρ ἐμου και πατρως, ἀπολεισαντες τα ἱερα, και θεῶν οὐ μεμημενοι ἀλλα και τους ἀνθρωπους φθειροντες, ἐβιωσαν ἐπι πολυν χρονον. ἐγω δ᾿ εὐσεβης ὤν μελλω ταχεως οὕτω τελευτησειν.’ ​

Answer 19

Considering this terrible thing, he sent to the oracle a complaint against the god, blaming him in turn as follows: ‘My father and uncle, although they closed down the temples, and were not mindful of the gods, but instead actually destroyed the people, lived for a long time; but I, although I am pious, am going to die so quickly.’​

Question 20

ἐκ δε τοῦ χρηστηριου τοὑτου αὐτῳ δευτερον ἦλθε λεγον, ‘τουτων ἕνεκα και συνταχυνει σοι ὁ βιος. οὐ γαρ πεποιηκας ὅ χρεων ἦν ποιειν.

Answer 20

And from this oracle came to him a second message, saying, ‘It is actually because of this that your life is over quickly: for you have not done what it was required to do.

Question 21

δεῖ γαρ Αἴγυπτον κακοῦσθαι ἐπ’ ἔτη πεντηκοντα τε και ἑκατον. και οἱ μεν δυο βασιλεῖς οἱ προ σοῦ γενομενοι ἔμαθον τοῦτο, συ δε οὔ.’ ​

Answer 21

For it is necessary for Egypt to be ill treated for one hundred and fifty years; and the two kings who came before you learned this, but you did not.’​

Question 22

ταυτα ἀκουσας, ὁ Μυκερινος, ὡς κατακεκριμενων ἤδη οἱ τοὑτων, λυχνα ποιησαμενος πολλα, ἀναψας αὑτα ὅπως γιγνοιτο νυξ,

Answer 22

On hearing this, Mycerinus, since this sentence had already been passed on him, after having many lamps made, and having lit them up whenever night came,

Question 23

ταῦτα δὲ ἐμηχανᾶτο θέλων τὸ μαντήιον ψευδόμενον ἀποδέξαι, ἵνα οἱ δυώδεκα ἔτεα ἀντὶ ἓξ ἐτέων γένηται, αἱ νύκτες ἡμέραι ποιεύμεναι. ​

Answer 23

And he contrived this as he wanted to show that the oracle was lying, so that there might be twelve years for him instead of six years, since the nights were being made days.​

Question 24

μέχρι μέν νυν τεσσέρων μηνῶν πλόου καὶ ὁδοῦ γινώσκεται ὁ Νεῖλος πάρεξ τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ῥεύματος· ῥέει δὲ ἀπὸ ἑσπέρης τε καὶ ἡλίου δυσμέων.

Answer 24

The Nile is known as far as four months’ voyage and travel (75) beyond (the part of) the river in Egypt. It flows from the west and the setting of the sun.

Question 25

τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦδε οὐδεὶς ἔχει σαφέως φράσαι· ἔρημος γὰρ ἐστὶ ἡ χώρη αὕτη ὑπὸ καύματος.​

Answer 25

As for the part after this, nobody is able to say clearly: for this country is a desert because of the heat. ​

Question 26

ἀλλὰ τάδε μὲν ἤκουσα ἀνδρῶν Κυρηναίων φαμένων ἐλθεῖν τε ἐπὶ τὸ Ἄμμωνος χρηστήριον καὶ ἀπικέσθαι ἐς λόγους Ἐτεάρχῳ τῷ Ἀμμωνίων βασιλέι, καί πως ἐκ λόγων ἄλλων ἀπικέσθαι ἐς λέσχην περὶ τοῦ Νείλου, ὡς οὐδεὶς αὐτοῦ οἶδε τὰς πηγάς, ​

Answer 26

But this is what I heard from some Cyrenaean men who said that they had gone to the oracle of Ammon and got into conversation with Etearchus, (80) the king of the Ammonians; and somehow, following on from other talk, they arrived at a discussion about the Nile, namely that nobody knew its source.​

Question 27

καὶ Ἐτέαρχος φάναι ἐλθεῖν ποτε παρ᾽ ἔαὐτὸν Νασαμῶνας ἄνδρας οἱ ερωτωμένοι εἴ τι ἔχουσι πλέον λέγειν περὶ τῶν ἐρήμων τῆς Λιβύης,

Answer 27

But Etearchus said that some Nasamonian men had once come into his presence who, when asked if they were able to say anything more about the deserts of Libya,

Question 28

τῆς γὰρ Λιβύης τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὴν βορηίην θάλασσαν ἀπ᾽ Αἰγύπτου ἀρξάμενοι μέχρι Σολόεντος ἄκράς, ἣ τελευτᾷ τῆς Λιβύης, οἰκουσι Λίβυες καὶ Λιβύων ἔθνη πολλά, πλὴν ὅσον Ἕλληνες καὶ Φοίνικες ἔχουσι·

Answer 28

For Libyans and many tribes of Libyans inhabit the region of Libya along the northern coast, beginning from Egypt and as far as Cape Soloeis, which marks the end of Libya, except for whatever Greeks and Phoenicians occupy;

Question 29

οἱ οῦν νεανιαι, ὡς ἔφασαν οἱ Νασαμῶνεω ἀποπεμπομενοι ὐπο τῶν ἡλικων, ὕδατι τε και σιτιοις εὖ ἐξηρτυμενοι, ᾖσαν πρῶτον μεν δια της οἰκουμενης.

Answer 29

Therefore the young men, as the Nasamones said, being sent away (95) by their peers, well equipped with water and food, were going first through inhabited land; ​

Question 30

ὁ μὲν δὴ τοῦ Ἀμμωνίου Ἐτεάρχου λόγος ἐς τοῦτό μοι δεδηλώσθω, πλὴν ὅτι ἀπονοστῆσαί τε ἔφη τοὺς Νασαμῶνας,

Answer 30

Indeed, let the account of the Ammonian Etearchus be related by me up to this point [a more literal version than A&L], (110) except that he said both that the Nasamones had got back home,

Question 31

ιελθόντες δὲ χῶρον πολὺν ψαμμώδὴ καὶ ἐν πολλαις ἡμεραις εἶδον δή ποτε δένδρα ἐν πεδίῳ πεφυκότα, καί προσελθόντες ἥπτοντο τοῦ ἐποντος ἐπὶ τῶν δενδρων καρποῦ,

Answer 31

And after passing through much sandy country over [lit.: ‘and in’] many (100) days, they saw indeed at some point trees growing on a plain, and approaching them, they began grabbing the fruit that was on the trees;

Question 32

καὶ τὴν ὥρην ἐπαγινέειν σφι αἶγας, πλήσαντα δὲ γάλακτος τἄλλα διαπρήσσεσθαι·​

Answer 32

and that from time to time the shepherd should bring in goats to them, and after filling them up with milk should carry out the rest.​

Question 33

περιεπουσιν ὡς καλλιστα ζῶντας. ἀποθανοντας δε ταριχευοντες θαπτουσιν ἐν ἵεραις θηκαις.​

Answer 33

they treat them as finely as possible while they are alive; and, after they have died, they mummify them and bury them in sacred coffins.​

Question 34

ἐπινε τε και ηὐπαθει οὔθ' ἡμερης οὔτε νυκτος ἁνεις, εἵς τε τα ἕλη και τα ἄλση πλανωμενος και ἵνα γῆς πυνθανοιτο εἶναι ἐνηβητηρια ἐπιτηδειοτατα. ​

Answer 34

began [imperfect] both to drink and to have a good time, letting up neither during the day nor during the night, wandering both into the marshes and the groves and anywhere in the country where he found out that there were the most suitable places of amusement.

Question 35

ἐφασαν παρ’ ἑαυτοις γενέσθαι ἀνδρῶν δυναστέων παῖδας ὑβριστάς, οἱ ἄλλα τε μηχανῷντο ἀνδρωθέντας περισσὰ καὶ δὴ καὶ ἀποληρωσειαν πέντε ἑαυτῶν ὀψομένους τὰ ἔρημα τῆς Λιβύης, ​

Answer 35

said that there were among them some arrogant sons of aristocratic men, (85) who, on being initiated into manhood, devised other excessive things, but in particular selected five of their number by lot [a more literal version than A&L] to explore the deserts of Libya.​

Question 36

τὰ δὲ κατύπερθε τουτων θηριώδης ἐστὶv ἡ Λιβύη· τὰ δὲ κατύπερθε τῆς θηριώδοuς ψάμμος τε ἐστὶ καὶ ἄνυδρος δεινῶς καὶ ἔρημος πάντων. ​

Answer 36

and with respect to the region below this, Libya is infested with wild beasts; and the region below the land infested with wild beasts is sand and terribly dry and empty of everything.​

Question 37

ταύτην δὲ διελθόντες ἐις τὴν θηριώδη ἀφικοντο, ἐκ δὲ ταύτης τὴν ἔρημον διεξᾐσαν, τὴν ὁδὸν ποιευμένοι πρὸς ζέφυρον ἄνεμον

Answer 37

but having passed through this, they arrived at the land infested with wild beasts, and from this they began passing through the desert, making their journey towards the west wind.​

Question 38

ὡς οἱ Κυρηναῖοι ἔλεγον, καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς οὕς οὕτοι ἀπίκοντο, γόητας εἶναι ἅπαντας. τὸν δὲ δὴ ποταμὸν τοῦτον Ἐτέαρχος συνεβάλλετο εἶναι τον Νεῖλον​

Answer 38

so the Cyreneans said, and that the people whom these men had reached were all sorcerers. And Etearchus was conjecturing that this river was indeed the Nile.​

Question 39

ἁπτομένοισ δέ ἁπτομενοις δε αὐτοις ἐπῆλθον ἄνδρες μικροι, μετρίων ἐλάσσονας ἀνδρῶν, λαβόντες δὲ ἤγον αὐτους δι᾽ ἑλέων μεγίστων, καὶ διεξελθόντες ταῦτα ἀφικοντο ἐς πόλιν ἐν τῇ πάντες ἦσαν ἵσοι τοις ἄγουσι τὸ μέγαθος χρῶμα δὲ μέλανες.

Answer 39

and, as they grabbed it, some small men came up to [or ‘attacked’] them smaller than men of normal size and after seizing them led them through very large marshes and, having passed through these, arrived at a city (105) in which everybody was equal in size to the men who were leading them, and black in colour.

Question 40

παρα δε την πολιν ἕρρει ποταμος μεγας, ἕρρει δ' ἀφ' ἑσπερας προς ἥλιον ἀνατελλοντα, ἐφαινοντο δε ἐν αὐτῳ κροκοδελοι ​

Answer 40

And alongside the city was flowing a great river, and it was flowing from the west towards the rising sun, and in it crocodiles could be seen.​