The Histories Ancient Greek-English translation by Sophie Dibben

easier road between two evils, he can either die by law or survive by becoming a tyrant. Candaules’ wife, a nameless figure, but immensely bold, demonstrates that women can be agents over men.

translated by Sophie Dibben

Once upon a time, a man named Candaules, the present King of Lydia, fell madly in love with his own wife. And so in love with her was he that he believed her to be by far the most beautiful woman in the world. So maintaining this judgment, he praised her beauty beyond measure to Gyges, son of Dascylus, who was his absolute favourite bodyguard. He confided in Gyges the most significant secrets. Now, after not too much time has passed, Candaules, for he was doomed to debacle, spoke to Gyges with these words: “Gyges, it does not seem sufficient to me that you can only believe the words I state about the beauty of my wife. It is often the case that men place more faith in their eyes, so I can only conclude that you must behold her naked!”

But hearing things of such a kind, Gyges protested loudly, afraid in case some evil should come to him from it. So he replied this, “Master, let’s be honest, that is quite a silly suggestion, that I should see my mistress naked! For at the same time as a robe is removed, a woman removes her chastity. Long ago, noble things have been discovered by virtuous men, rules have been established, which are necessary to learn. This is one you should perhaps re-examine, one should see only what is your own possession. I take your word that your queen is the most beautiful of all women, but please, I ask you not to ask me to do something that is lawless.” Gyges tried to resist this ridiculous request: he was terrified of the impending disaster that would inevitably occur. But Candaules pulled out of the bag some persuasive rhetoric; “Have courage, Gyges, and do not fear me, or that you will have any harm from my wife. I have already contrived a plan, a plan which means she will not learn that she has been a spectacle. I shall arrange it so you stand in the spot where we sleep, and you can creep alongside me and into the bedroom. There lies a special chair at the entrance. From there, she will undress her clothes, and in utter silence, the sight will be granted to you. Wherever she walks, you’ll be behind her. Just really

ὁ δὲ Κανδαύλης, ἐπεὶ ἐδόκεε ὥρη τῆς κοίτης εἶναι, ἤγαγε τὸν Γύγεα ἐς τὸ οἴκημα. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτίκα παρῆν καὶ ἡ γυνή. ἐσελθοῦσαν δὲ καὶ τιθεῖσαν τὰ εἵματα ἐθηεῖτο ὁ Γύγης. τότε μὲν δὴ οὕτω οὐδέν δηλώσασα ἡσυχίην εἶχε. ὡς δὲ κατὰ νώτου ἐγένετο ἰούσης τῆς γυναικός ἐς τὴν κοίτην, ὑπεκδὺς ἐχώρεε ἔξω, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἐπορᾷ μιν ἐξιόντα. μαθοῦσὰ δὲ τὸ ποιηθέν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὔτε ἀνέβωσε αἰσχυνθεῖσα οὔτε ἔδοξε μαθεῖν, ἐν νοῶ ἔχουσα τίσεσθαι τὸν Κανδαύλεα. παρὰ γὰρ τοῖσι Λυδοῖσι, σχεδὸν δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῖσι ἄλλοισι βαρβάροισι καὶ ἄνδρα ὀφθῆναι γυμνόν ἐς αἰσχύνην μεγάλην φέρει. ὡς δὲ ἡμέρη τάχιστα ἐγεγόνεε, τῶν οἰκετέων τοὺς μάλιστα ὥρα πιστοὺς ἐόντας ἑωυτῇ, ἑτοίμους ποιησαμένη ἐκάλεε τὸν Γύγεα.

ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν δοκέων αὐτήν τῶν πρηχθέντων ἐπίστασθαι ἦλθε καλεόμενος: ἐώθεε γὰρ καὶ πρόσθε, ὅκως ἡ βασίλεια καλέοι, φοιτᾶν. ὡς δὲ ὁ Γύγης ἀπίκετο, ἔλεγε ἡ γυνὴ τάδε. ‘νῦν τοί δυῶν ὁδῶν παρεουσέων Γύγη δίδωμί αἵρεσιν, ὁκοτέρην βούλεαι τραπέσθαι. ἢ γὰρ Κανδαύλεα ἀποκτείνας ἐμέ τε καὶ τὴν βασιληίην ἔχε τὴν Λυδῶν, ἢ αὐτόν σε αὐτίκα οὕτω ἀποθνήσκειν δεῖ, ὡς ἂν μὴ πάντα πειθόμενος Κανδαύλῃ τοῦ λοιποῦ ἴδῃς τὰ μὴ σε δεῖ. ’ ἀλλ᾽ ἤτοι κεῖνόν γε τὸν ταῦτα βουλεύσαντα δεῖ ἀπόλλυσθαι, ἢ σε τὸν ἐμὲ γυμνήν θεησάμενον καὶ ποιήσαντα οὐ νομιζόμενα.’ ὁ δὲ Γύγης τέως μὲν ἀπεθώμαζε τὰ λεγόμενα, μετὰ δὲ ἱκέτευε μὴ μιν ἀναγκαίῃ ἐνδέειν διακρῖναι τοιαύτην αἵρεσιν. οὔκων δὴ ἔπειθε, ἀλλ᾽ ὥρα ἀναγκαίην ἀληθέως προκειμένην ἢ τὸν δεσπότεα ἀπολλύναι ἢ αὐτὸν ὑπ᾽ ἄλλων ἀπόλλυσθαι: αἱρέεται αὐτὸς περιεῖναι. ἐπειρώτα δὴ λέγων τάδε. ‘ἐπεί με ἀναγκάζεις δεσπότεα τὸν ἐμὸν κτείνειν οὐκ ἐθέλοντα, φέρε ἀκούσω τέῳ καὶ τρόπῳ ἐπιχειρήσομεν αὐτῷ.’ ἣ δὲ ὑπολαβοῦσα ἔφη ‘ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μὲν χωρίου ἡ ὁρμή ἔσται ὅθεν περ καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἐμέ ἐπεδέξατο γυμνήν, ὑπνωμένῳ δὲ ἡ ἐπιχείρησις ἔσται.’ ὡς δὲ ἤρτυσαν τὴν ἐπιβουλήν, νυκτὸς γενομένης (οὐ γὰρ ἐμετίετο ὁ Γύγης, οὐδέ οἱ ἦν ἀπαλλαγὴ οὐδεμία, ἀλλ᾽ ἔδεε ἤ αὐτὸν ἀπολωλέναι ἢ Κανδαύλεα) εἵπετο ἐς τὸν θάλαμον τῇ γυναικί, καί μιν ἐκείνη, ἐγχειρίδιον δοῦσα, κατακρύπτει ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτὴν θύρην. ANCIENT GREEK

take care that she does not see you and you’ll be okay. And since Gyges could not escape the King’s command, he reluctantly consented.

So when Candaules imagined that it was an appropriate time for bed, he led Gyges into the dwelling. Suddenly the scene was setting in stone: the woman enters and is taking off her clothes, Gyges gets to see her naked. When she turns her back upon him to go to bed, he slips from the room. But she catches sight of him and he escapes undetected in vain! In that instant, she deducted what had occurred between the men, and while shame bestowed upon her, she did not give off the impression that she had sussed the plot. She wanted to really punish Candaules. Since among the Lydians and most of the foreign peoples it was a great shame for even men to be seen naked, even the first class citizens! But as soon as it was day, she prepared those of her household who were most faithful to her, and called Gyges.

Now, naively supposing that our queen knew nothing of the transgression, Gyges answered the summons, of course, he was accustomed to attending his queen. Gyges entered boldly, she addressed head-on with these rightful words: “Now, Gyges, you have two paths ahead of you; you must decide which one you will follow. You must either kill Candaules and marry me taking the throne of Lydia for your own, or be killed yourself now. So that in the future you will not see what is not proper for your eyes, by obeying Candaules. One of you must die: either he, the contriver of this prosperous plot, or you, who have outraged all custom by looking at me naked.” Gyges stood there open-mouthed, undoubtedly he attempted to beg her not to channel these direct roads. Alas, he could not deter her, and saw that dire necessity was truly upon him either to kill his master or himself be killed by others. He chose his own life (quelle surprise) and inquired: “Since you are forcing me against my free will to kill my own master, pray do tell how we will carry out the murder.” She replied, “You shall attack him from the exact spot where he made you view me naked: strike him in his sleep.” The plot was prepared and night had fallen over the palace. Gyges followed the queen into their chamber. Remember, Gyges was not released and there was absolutely no means of escape, either he or Candaules must die. She gave him a dagger and hid him behind the same chair. ENGLISH

Aeneid, Book II, 526-58 LATIN

Virgil

In this passage from Virgil’s Aeneid, Pyrrhus/Neoptolemus, Achilles’s son, kills Priam, Troy’s aging king, under one of the city altars, thus defying both a

54 Ecce autem elapsus Pyrrhi de caede Polites, unus natorum Priami, per tela, per hostis porticibus longis fugit et vacua atria lustrat saucius. illum ardens infesto vulnere Pyrrhus insequitur, iam iamque manu tenet et premit hasta. ut tandem ante oculos evasit et ora parentum, concidit ac multo vitam cum sanguine fudit. hic Priamus, quamquam in media iam morte tenetur, non tamen abstinuit nec voci iraeque pepercit: ‘at tibi pro scelere,’ exclamat, ‘pro talibus ausis di, si qua est caelo pietas quae talia curet, persolvant grates dignas et praemia reddant debita, qui nati coram me cernere letum fecisti et patrios foedasti funere vultus. at non ille, satum quo te mentiris, Achilles talis in hoste fuit Priamo; sed iura fidemque supplicis erubuit corpusque exsangue sepulcro reddidit Hectoreum meque in mea regna remisit.’ sic fatus senior telumque imbelle sine ictu coniecit, rauco quod protinus aere repulsum, et summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit. cui Pyrrhus: ‘referes ergo haec et nuntius ibis Pelidae genitori. illi mea tristia facta degeneremque Neoptolemum narrare memento. nunc morere.’ hoc dicens altaria ad ipsa trementem traxit et in multo lapsantem sanguine nati,