Respect for suppliants · lines 93–100
At Branchidae Aristodicus puts the Cymaeans' dilemma to the god himself · Tales from Herodotus · GCSE Greek · OCR J292/02
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativePrepositionConjunctionAdverbVocative
Greek
English
93ἀφικομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐς Βραγχίδας, ἐχρηστηριάζετο
94ἐκ πάντων Ἀριστόδικος ἐπερωτῶν τάδε.
When they reached Branchidae, Aristodicus put the question to the oracle on behalf of them all, in these words:
94“ὦναξ, ἦλθε
95παρ’ ἡμᾶς ἱκέτης Πακτύης ὁ Λυδός, φεύγων θάνατον
96βίαιον πρὸς Περσῶν·
“Lord, the Lydian Pactyes has come to us as a suppliant, in flight from a violent death at Persian hands.
96οἱ δέ μιν ἐξαιτοῦνται προεῖναι
97Κυμαίους κελεύοντες.
They are demanding him, and order the Cymaeans to give him up.
97ἡμεῖς δέ, δειμαίνοντες τὴν Περσῶν
98δύναμιν, τὸν ἱκέτην ἐς τόδε οὐ τετολμήκαμεν ἐκδιδόναι
99πρὶν ἂν τὸ ἀπὸ σοῦ ἡμῖν δηλωθῇ ἀκριβῶς ὁπότερα
100ποιῶμεν.”
But we, although we fear the might of Persia, have not yet dared to surrender the suppliant, until you make plain to us exactly which of the two we should do.”
Style notes this section · 16Word order · 5Repetition and structure · 3Word choice · 4Imagery and tone · 1Grammar · 3
93
ἀφικομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐς ΒραγχίδαςFast pace
when they had arrived at Branchidae
A genitive absolute covers the whole journey in four words, so the story moves straight to the question.
93–94
ἐχρηστηριάζετο ... ἈριστόδικοςDelay
Aristodicus consulted the oracle
The singular verb comes first and his name is held back, so the reader sees one man taking over the whole embassy.
94
ἐκ πάντων ἈριστόδικοςJuxtaposition
on behalf of all, Aristodicus
"All" is placed right next to the one man, which shows him speaking for the whole city.
94
ὦναξDirect speech
O lord
Herodotus switches to direct speech with a respectful address, so the reader hears Aristodicus face to face with the god.
95
ἱκέτηςEmphatic position
as a suppliant
Pactyes' status as a suppliant comes before his name, which puts his religious claim to protection first.
95, 98
ἱκέτης ... τὸν ἱκέτηνRepetition
suppliant ... the suppliant
The key word is repeated, which keeps the god's duty to suppliants in front of him throughout the speech.
95–96
θάνατον βίαιονVivid detail
a violent death
The adjective spells out what surrender would mean, which makes the god's answer seem all the harsher.
96
πρὸς ΠερσῶνEmphatic position
at Persian hands
The Persians come last, at the climax of the sentence, so the reader feels the threat hanging over Pactyes.
96–97
οἱ δέ ... ἡμεῖς δέContrast
they ... but we
The Persians are set against the Cymaeans, which presents Cyme as caught in the middle.
96–97
ἐξαιτοῦνται ... κελεύοντεςPairing
they demand ... ordering
Two verbs of command frame the demand, which stresses the pressure the Persians are putting on Cyme.
97–98
δειμαίνοντες τὴν Περσῶν δύναμινCharacterisation
fearing the power of the Persians
Aristodicus admits their fear openly, which makes the Cymaeans' dilemma seem honest and sympathetic.
98
ἐς τόδε οὐ τετολμήκαμενIrony
up to now we have not dared
The reader knows the Cymaeans were about to hand Pactyes over (line 87), so this claim of careful restraint is ironic.
98
οὐ τετολμήκαμενEmphatic negative
we have not dared
The negative stresses their restraint, which presents the Cymaeans as cautious and pious.
99
σοῦ ἡμῖνJuxtaposition
from you to us
God and men are placed side by side, which shows that Aristodicus wants an answer straight from the god.
99
δηλωθῇ ἀκριβῶςEmphasis
made clear exactly
Asking for the answer "exactly" implies the first one was unclear, so the request is really a polite challenge to the god.
99–100
ὁπότερα ποιῶμενDeliberative subjunctive
which of the two we are to do
The speech ends on a question of what to do, which presents the problem as a simple choice between two options.
Questions to think about · 3
- Compare Aristodicus' question with the first one in lines 83–84. What has he added, and why?
- Is Aristodicus' speech respectful to the god? Find evidence for and against.
- What does the word ἀκριβῶς (line 99) suggest Aristodicus thinks about the first answer?
The oracle at Branchidae background
Didyma lay on the coast of Asia Minor about 15 kilometres south of Miletus, linked to the city by a sacred road. Its oracle of Apollo was run by the Branchidae, a priestly family who traced their descent from Branchus, a young man loved by the god, and the sanctuary was often called by their name.
It was one of the most respected oracles in the Greek world: Herodotus tells us that Croesus of Lydia sent it rich offerings. When the Ionian cities rebelled against Persia, the Persians took their revenge by plundering and burning the sanctuary (494 BC). The enormous temple whose ruins visitors see today was begun around 300 BC, long after the events of this story.
Vocabulary in this section · 43 wordsVocabulary tester
ἀφικνέομαι arrive
δέ and, but
αὐτός, -ή, -ό him, her, it; (pl.) them
ἐς (+ acc.) into, to
Βραγχίδαι, -ῶν, οἱ Branchidae
χρηστηριάζομαι consult an oracle
ἐκ (+ gen.) out of, from; (here) on behalf of
πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν all, every
Ἀριστόδικος, -ου, ὁ Aristodicus
ἐπερωτάω ask, enquire
ὅδε, ἥδε, τόδε this; (pl.) the following
ἄναξ, ἄνακτος, ὁ lord
ἔρχομαι come, go
παρά (+ acc.) to, beside
ἡμεῖς we
ἱκέτης, -ου, ὁ suppliant
Πακτύης, -ου, ὁ Pactyes
ὁ, ἡ, τό the
Λυδός, -οῦ, ὁ a Lydian
φεύγω flee, escape
θάνατος, -ου, ὁ death
βίαιος, -α, -ον violent
πρός (+ gen.) at the hands of
Πέρσης, -ου, ὁ a Persian
μιν him
ἐξαιτέω demand (middle: demand the surrender of)
προΐημι give up, hand over
Κυμαῖοι, -ων, οἱ the Cymaeans, the people of Cyme
κελεύω order
δειμαίνω fear
δύναμις, -εως, ἡ power
ἐς τόδε up to this point
οὐ, οὐκ, οὐχ not
τολμάω dare
ἐκδίδωμι hand over, surrender
πρίν before, until
ἄν (not translated)
ἀπό (+ gen.) from, away from
σύ you (sg.)
δηλόω make clear, show
ἀκριβῶς exactly, precisely
ὁπότερος, -α, -ον which of two
ποιέω do, make