Arion · lines 6–15
At sea the crew plot to kill Arion for his money; given a choice of deaths, he asks to sing one last time · Tales from Herodotus · GCSE Greek · OCR J292/02
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SubjectObjectVerbGenitiveDativePrepositionConjunctionAdverb
Greek
English
6οἱ δὲ
7ἐν τῷ πελάγει ἐπεβούλευον, τὸν Ἀρίονα ἐκβαλόντες,
8ἔχειν τὰ χρήματα.
Out at sea, however, they plotted to throw Arion overboard and keep his money.
8ὁ δέ, συνεὶς τοῦτο, ἐλίσσετο, χρήματα
9μὲν αὐτοῖς προϊείς, ψυχὴν δὲ παραιτούμενος.
When he realised this, he pleaded with them, offering them his money but begging for his life.
9οὔκουν δὴ
10ἔπειθεν, ἀλλ' ἐκέλευον αὐτὸν οἱ πορθμεῖς ἢ διαχρῆσθαι
11ἑαυτόν, ὡς ταφῆς ἐν γῇ τύχοι, ἢ ἐκπηδᾶν εἰς τὴν θάλατταν
12τὴν ταχίστην.
He could not win them over, though: the sailors told him either to kill himself, so that he could be buried on land, or to jump into the sea at once.
12ἀπειληθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἀρίων εἰς ἀπορίαν,
13παρῃτήσατο αὐτοὺς περιιδεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ σκευῇ πάσῃ
14στάντα ἐν τοῖς ἑδωλίοις ᾆσαι·
Driven to desperation, Arion asked them to let him stand on the stern-deck in his full costume and sing;
14ᾄσας δὲ ὑπεδέχετο ἑαυτὸν
15κατεργάσεσθαι.
once he had sung, he promised, he would do away with himself.
Style notes this section · 15Word order · 3Repetition and structure · 4Word choice · 5Imagery and tone · 2Grammar · 1
7
ἐν τῷ πελάγειEmphatic position
out at sea
The setting comes first: the crew wait until they are on the open sea, where Arion has nowhere to escape to. This makes his danger feel inescapable.
7
ἐπεβούλευονCharacterisation
they plotted
The verb shows the crew scheming together in secret. It is the first sign of the treachery the reader was led to expect in lines 5–6.
8
χρήματα … χρήματαRepetition
money … money
Money is named twice in one line, first as what the sailors want and then as what Arion offers them. The repetition shows that wealth drives the whole conflict.
8
συνεὶς τοῦτο, ἐλίσσετοFast pace
realising this, he pleaded
Arion understands and begins to plead in the space of three words. He grasps his danger at once, and the story keeps moving.
8–9
χρήματα μὲν … ψυχὴν δὲContrast (μέν ... δέ)
his money … his life
Money is set against life: Arion will give up the one to keep the other. The balance shows what really matters to him.
9–10
οὔκουν δὴ ἔπειθενEmphatic negative
he could not persuade them
The strong negative, sharpened by δή, shuts down his plea at once. The reader sees there is no hope of mercy.
10–11
ἢ διαχρῆσθαι … ἢ ἐκπηδᾶνPairing
either to kill himself … or to jump
Two harsh options are linked by ἢ … ἢ, but it is a choice with no real choice in it: either way Arion dies.
10–11
διαχρῆσθαι ἑαυτόνCharacterisation
to kill himself
The sailors want Arion to do the killing himself, so that their own hands stay clean. They are cowardly as well as cruel.
11
ὡς ταφῆς ἐν γῇ τύχοιIrony
so that he could be buried on land
A grave on land is offered as if it were a kindness, though it comes with a demand that he die. The reader sees how callous the crew are.
12
τὴν ταχίστηνEmphatic position
as fast as possible
"As fast as possible" comes at the very end of the sentence, so the crew's impatience is the last thing we hear.
12
ἀπειληθεὶς … εἰς ἀπορίανEmphatic position
driven to desperation
The participle opens the sentence, so before we even hear Arion's name we know he has been forced into a corner. ἀπορία means literally "no way through".
13
ἐν τῇ σκευῇ πάσῃCharacterisation
in all his finery
Facing death, Arion asks to perform in his full costume: he still thinks like a professional musician. This makes him dignified and sympathetic.
14
στάντα ἐν τοῖς ἑδωλίοιςVivid detail
standing on the stern-deck
The raised deck at the stern becomes his stage, and the reader can picture the scene of the last performance.
14
ᾆσαι· ᾄσαςPolyptoton
to sing; having sung
The verb "sing" appears twice, in different forms, side by side. The song is placed at the centre of the story.
14–15
ὑπεδέχετο ἑαυτὸν κατεργάσεσθαιPathos
he promised to kill himself
Arion calmly promises to take his own life once he has sung. The reader pities a man who bargains for nothing more than a song.
Notes on the text 2
13
σκευήσκευή
costume
Dress or equipment. Here it is the formal robes a citharode wore to perform at a festival or contest.
14
ἑδώλιαThe stern-deck
seats
The seats on the raised deck at the stern (the back) of the ship, where the helmsman sat to steer.
Questions to think about · 3
- Why do you think the sailors give Arion a choice of deaths rather than simply killing him?
- How does Herodotus make Arion's request seem dignified rather than desperate?
- Which Greek words in these lines best convey the sailors' greed, and which their cruelty?
Vocabulary in this section · 44 wordsVocabulary tester
ὁ, ἡ, τό the; (with δέ) they
δέ and, but
ἐν (+ dat.) in, on, at
πέλαγος, -ους, τό sea, open sea
ἐπιβουλεύω plan, plot
Ἀρίων, -ονος, ὁ Arion
ἐκβάλλω throw out
ἔχω have
χρῆμα, -ατος, τό thing; (pl.) money
συνίημι perceive, understand
οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο this
λίσσομαι beg, beseech
μέν on the one hand
αὐτός, -ή, -ό him, her, it; self
προΐημι give up, hand over
ψυχή, -ῆς, ἡ soul, life
παραιτέομαι beg for, plead for
οὔκουν so … not, not therefore
δή indeed, in truth
πείθω persuade
ἀλλά but
κελεύω order
πορθμεύς, -έως, ὁ sailor, ferryman
ἤ … ἤ either … or
διαχράομαι destroy, kill
ἑαυτόν, -ήν, -ό himself
ὡς so that
ταφή, -ῆς, ἡ burial, tomb
γῆ, γῆς, ἡ land, earth
τυγχάνω (+ gen.) get, obtain
ἐκπηδάω jump out, leap out
εἰς (+ acc.) into, to
θάλαττα, -ης, ἡ sea
ταχύς, -εῖα, -ύ swift, quick
ἀπειλέω threaten; (passive) be forced by threats
ἀπορία, -ας, ἡ difficulty, helplessness
περιοράω allow, let
σκευή, -ῆς, ἡ finery, costume
πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν all, every
ἵστημι stand; (aorist) take one's stand
ἑδώλιον, -ου, τό seat (on the stern deck)
ᾄδω sing
ὑποδέχομαι promise, undertake
κατεργάζομαι destroy, kill