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Herodotus, Histories 1.30.1 · 1.30.1

The treasure-houses

Αὐτῶν δὴ ὦν τούτων καὶ τῆς θεωρίης ἐκδημήσας ὁ Σόλων εἵνεκεν ἐς Αἴγυπτον ἀπίκετο παρὰ Ἄμασιν καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐς Σάρδις παρὰ Κροῖσον. ἀπικόμενος δὲ ἐξεινίζετο ἐν τοῖσι βασιληίοισι ὑπὸ τοῦ Κροίσου· μετὰ δὲ ἡμέρῃ τρίτῃ ἢ τετάρτῃ κελεύσαντος Κροίσου τὸν Σόλωνα θεράποντες περιῆγον κατὰ τοὺς θησαυρούς, καὶ ἐπεδείκνυσαν πάντα ἐόντα μεγάλα τε καὶ ὄλβια.

For these reasons, then, and to see the world, Solon went abroad and came to Egypt, to Amasis, and then to Sardis, to Croesus. When he arrived, he was entertained in the palace by Croesus; and on the third or fourth day, at Croesus's order, servants took Solon around the treasuries and showed him how great and splendid everything was.

Word by word

ΑὐτῶνAutônfor theseδὴdḕ—ὦνônthenτούτωνtoútōnreasonsκαὶkaìandτῆςtês—θεωρίηςtheōríēssee the worldἐκδημήσαςekdēmḗsaswent abroadὁho—ΣόλωνSólōnSolonεἵνεκενheínekentoἐςestoΑἴγυπτονAígyptonEgyptἀπίκετοapíketocameπαρὰparàto the court ofἌμασινÁmasinAmasisκαὶkaìandδὴdḕ—καὶkaìthenἐςestoΣάρδιςSárdisSardisπαρὰparàtoΚροῖσονKroîsonCroesus.ἀπικόμενοςapikómenosarrivedδὲdè—ἐξεινίζετοexeinízetowas entertainedἐνeninτοῖσιtoîsitheβασιληίοισιbasilēíoisipalaceὑπὸhypòbyτοῦtoû—ΚροίσουKroísouCroesus·μετὰmetàandδὲdè—ἡμέρῃhēmérēidayτρίτῃtrítēion the thirdἢḕorτετάρτῃtetártēifourthκελεύσαντοςkeleúsantosat the order ofΚροίσουKroísouCroesusτὸνtòn—ΣόλωναSólōnaSolonθεράποντεςtherápontesservantsπεριῆγονperiêgonledκατὰkatàthroughτοὺςtoùstheθησαυρούςthēsauroústreasuries,καὶkaìandἐπεδείκνυσανepedeíknysanshowedπάνταpántaeverythingἐόνταeóntawasμεγάλαmegálagreatτεte—καὶkaìandὄλβιαólbiasplendid.

Solon before Croesus — Herodotus, Histories — Solon before Croesus · Gerard van Honthorst, 1624 · Hamburger Kunsthalle · public domain

The setting

Solon travels to Egypt and then to Sardis. Croesus makes sure he sees everything.

A note on this passage

Croesus does not show Solon the treasure himself. He waits a few days, then has servants walk the guest through the treasure-houses, and they epedeiknysan, "showed off," everything. It is the verb the queen used of Candaules, who "displayed" her to Gyges (1.11.5), and a relative of the apodexis, the "showing forth," in the book's first sentence. Herodotus's kings like to exhibit what they own, and they tend to regret it.

The sentence ends on the word that will carry the whole conversation: olbia, the treasures are "splendid," rich, blessed. Croesus has chosen his ground. When he asks his question in the next section, he will use the same word, olbiōtatos, "most blessed," and he will mean what the servants just showed.

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Herodotus, Histories 1.30.1 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/herodotus/1.30.1/