Herodotus, Histories 1.51.3 · 1.51.3
Theodorus's work, and the basins
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φασὶ δέ μιν Δελφοὶ Θεοδώρου τοῦ Σαμίου ἔργον εἶναι, καὶ ἐγὼ δοκέω· οὐ γὰρ τὸ συντυχὸν φαίνεταί μοι ἔργον εἶναι. καὶ πίθους τε ἀργυρέους τέσσερας ἀπέπεμψε, οἳ ἐν τῷ Κορινθίων θησαυρῷ ἑστᾶσι, καὶ περιρραντήρια δύο ἀνέθηκε, χρύσεόν τε καὶ ἀργύρεον, τῶν τῷ χρυσέῳ ἐπιγέγραπται Λακεδαιμονίων φαμένων εἶναι ἀνάθημα, οὐκ ὀρθῶς λέγοντες·
The Delphians say it is the work of Theodorus of Samos, and I think so too, for it does not look like an ordinary piece of work to me. Croesus also sent four silver storage-jars, which stand in the treasury of the Corinthians, and dedicated two basins for holy water, one gold and one silver. On the gold one is an inscription claiming it is a dedication of the Spartans, but they are not right to say so.
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The setting
Herodotus names the maker he believes made the silver bowl, then lists more silver jars and two basins for holy water, one wrongly inscribed as a Spartan gift.
A note on this passage
This is one of the few places Herodotus steps forward in his own voice to judge a work of art: kai egō dokeō, "and I think so too." Theodorus of Samos was already, by Herodotus's day, a name attached to feats of craft and engineering across the Greek world, so giving him credit for the silver bowl is itself a kind of compliment to the piece. The reasoning is plain and a little funny: it does not look syntychon, "ordinary, whatever comes along," so it must be the famous man's work.
The gold basin's inscription sets up the whole next section. Herodotus does not merely report what it says, he adds his own verdict, ouk orthōs legontes, "not speaking rightly." Calling out a false claim carved in gold at the most watched sanctuary in Greece is a bold move for a writer who elsewhere is so careful to attribute disputed stories to "they say." Here he commits himself.
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Herodotus, Histories 1.51.3 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/herodotus/1.51.3/