Συνθήκη
pact, contract
Translated by David Whitehead6 Nov 2001Vetting: high4 revisions
Translation
[Meaning] agreement.
Xenophon [writes]: "the Greeks with Cyrus went up to meet the Persians and made pacts, after slaughtering a bull and a wolf and a boar and a ram; the Greeks dipped a sword into a shield, and the barbarians a lance, swearing not to betray each other but to be allies. The barbarians promised in addition that they would lead [the Greeks back] without deceit".1
Xenophon [writes]: "the Greeks with Cyrus went up to meet the Persians and made pacts, after slaughtering a bull and a wolf and a boar and a ram; the Greeks dipped a sword into a shield, and the barbarians a lance, swearing not to betray each other but to be allies. The barbarians promised in addition that they would lead [the Greeks back] without deceit".1
Greek original · Adler’s text
Συνθήκη· ὁμολογία. Ξενοφῶν· οἱ δὲ σὺν Κύρῳ ἀναβάντες Ἕλληνες πρὸς Πέρσας συνθήκας ἔθεντο, σφάξαντες ταῦρον καὶ λύκον καὶ κάπρον καὶ κριόν· εἰς ἀσπίδα βάπτοντες οἱ μὲν Ἕλληνες ξίφος, οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι λόγχην, ὀμόσαντες, μὴ προδώσειν ἀλλήλους, σύμμαχοί τε ἔσεσθαι. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι προσώμοσαν καὶ ἡγήσεσθαι ἀδόλως.
Betacode
*sunqh/kh: o(mologi/a. *cenofw=n: oi( de\ su\n *ku/rw| a)naba/ntes *(/ellhnes pro\s *pe/rsas sunqh/kas e)/qento, sfa/cantes tau=ron kai\ lu/kon kai\ ka/pron kai\ krio/n: ei)s a)spi/da ba/ptontes oi( me\n *(/ellhnes ci/fos, oi( de\ ba/rbaroi lo/gxhn, o)mo/santes, mh\ prodw/sein a)llh/lous, su/mmaxoi/ te e)/sesqai. oi( de\ ba/rbaroi prosw/mosan kai\ h(gh/sesqai a)do/lws.
Notes (1)
- cf. generally sigma 1587 and sigma 1589.
- 1An approximation of Xenophon, Anabasis 2.2.8-9 (adding here a particular absurdity: wolves were not sacrificial beasts). See web address 1. The shield held the blood of the victims. ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from3 entries
- σ1586Συνθεσίαcovenant, treaty[Meaning] agreement, security. In the Fables: "with them they pledged a covenant."
- σ1587Συνθῆκαιagreements, pacts, contractsThe pledges which used to be managed by three [means]: [by] words, actions, hands. [Doing so by] words might mean [by] oaths, [by] actions might mean [by] sacrifices on altars, and [it would be done by] hands when the…
- σ1589Συνθήκηcompact, treaty[Meaning] agreement. "[...] so as [either] to confirm [the] peace, [...,] or to prepare the necessities for war by agreement [...]."
Neighbouring entries
Revision history4 revisions · last 3 Jan 2014
- Revised — David Whitehead
- more keywords; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- tweaked translation; modified and expanded note — David Whitehead
- cosmetics, link, status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — David Whitehead