Herodotus, Histories 1.91.3 · 1.91.3
What little the Fates allowed
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ὅσον δὲ ἐνέδωκαν αὗται, ἤνυσέ τε καὶ ἐχαρίσατό οἱ· τρία γὰρ ἔτεα ἐπανεβάλετο τὴν Σαρδίων ἅλωσιν, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιστάσθω Κροῖσος ὡς ὕστερον τοῖσι ἔτεσι τούτοισι ἁλοὺς τῆς πεπρωμένης. δεύτερα δὲ τούτων καιομένῳ αὐτῷ ἐπήρκεσε.
But as much as the Fates yielded, he achieved and did Croesus a favor: he put off the fall of Sardis three years, and let Croesus know this, that he was captured three years later than was fated. Second, he helped him when he was burning on the pyre.
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What the Fates did yield, Apollo spent on Croesus's behalf.
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What the Fates gave, Apollo spent entirely on Croesus. Hoson de enedōkan hautai, ēnyse te kai echarisato hoi, "as much as they yielded, he achieved and did him a favor": three years, bought and delivered, tria gar etea epanebaleto tēn Sardiōn halōsin, "he put off the capture of Sardis three years." The god even has the Pythia tell Croesus to know this, so the king will understand exactly what he got and from whom.
The second favor is mentioned almost in passing: kaiomenōi autōi epērkese, "he helped him while he was burning." This is the pyre: earlier in the book Cyrus set Croesus alight, and Apollo sent the rain that put it out. Herodotus lists it here as the second of two things the god did for Croesus, a receipt for a scene the reader has already watched.
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