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Chapter 7.3: Pantheia commits suicide at the burial of Abradatas.

1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 1 1. Cyrus has the spoils given to the gods and divided among the men according to their merits…
καὶ τότε μὲν οὕτως ἐκοιμήθησαν. τῇ δ᾽ ὑστεραίᾳ καλέσας ὁ Κῦρος τοὺς φίλους καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τοῦ στρατεύματος, τοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν ἔταξε τοὺς θησαυροὺς παραλαμβάνειν, τοὺς δ᾽ ἐκέλευσεν ὁπόσα παραδοίη Κροῖσος χρήματα, πρῶτον μὲν τοῖς θεοῖς ἐξελεῖν ὁποῖ᾽ ἂν οἱ μάγοι ἐξηγῶνται, ἔπειτα τἆλλα χρήματα παραδεχομένους ἐν ζυγάστροις στήσαντας ἐφ᾽ ἁμαξῶν ἐπισκευάσαι καὶ διαλαχόντας τὰς ἁμάξας κομίζειν ὅποιπερ ἂν αὐτοὶ πορεύωνται, ἵνα ὅπου καιρὸς εἴη διαλαμβάνοιεν ἕκαστοι τὰ ἄξια.

2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 2. He enquires after Abradatas…
οἱ μὲν δὴ ταῦτ᾽ ἐποίουν. ὁ δὲ Κῦρος καλέσας τινὰς τῶν παρόντων ὑπηρετῶν, εἴπατέ μοι, ἔφη, ἑώρακέ τις ὑμῶν Ἀβραδάταν; θαυμάζω γάρ, ἔφη, ὅτι πρόσθεν θαμίζων ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς νῦν οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται.

3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 3. An aide explain that he died by rushing into the Egyptian phalanx…
τῶν οὖν ὑπηρετῶν τις ἀπεκρίνατο ὅτι ὦ δέσποτα, οὐ ζῇ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ἀπέθανεν ἐμβαλὼν τὸ ἅρμα εἰς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους: οἱ δ᾽ ἄλλοι πλὴν τῶν ἑταίρων αὐτοῦ ἐξέκλιναν, ὥς φασιν, ἐπεὶ τὸ στῖφος εἶδον τὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων.

4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 4. Pantheia has taken the body for burial by the river Pactolus…
καὶ νῦν γε, ἔφη, λέγεται αὐτοῦ ἡ γυνὴ ἀνελομένη τὸν νεκρὸν καὶ ἐνθεμένη εἰς τὴν ἁρμάμαξαν, ἐν ᾗπερ αὐτὴ ὠχεῖτο, προσκεκομικέναι αὐτὸν ἐνθάδε ποι πρὸς τὸν Πακτωλὸν ποταμόν.

5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 5. She holds his head in her lap while the servants and eunuchs dig a grave for his body…
καὶ τοὺς μὲν εὐνούχους καὶ τοὺς θεράποντας αὐτοῦ ὀρύττειν φασὶν ἐπὶ λόφου τινὸς θήκην τῷ τελευτήσαντι: τὴν δὲ γυναῖκα λέγουσιν ὡς κάθηται χαμαὶ κεκοσμηκυῖα οἷς εἶχε τὸν ἄνδρα, τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἔχουσα ἐπὶ τοῖς γόνασι.

6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 1 6. As soon as he hears this Cyrus strikes his thigh and rushes to the scene…
ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Κῦρος ἐπαίσατο ἄρα τὸν μηρὸν καὶ εὐθὺς ἀναπηδήσας ἐπὶ τὸν ἵππον λαβὼν χιλίους ἱππέας ἤλαυνεν ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος.

7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 7. He instructs Gadatas and Gobryas to bring as many fine things as they can…
Γαδάταν δὲ καὶ Γωβρύαν ἐκέλευσεν ὅ τι δύναιντο λαβόντας καλὸν κόσμημα ἀνδρὶ φίλῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ τετελευτηκότι μεταδιώκειν: καὶ ὅστις εἶχε τὰς ἑπομένας ἀγέλας, καὶ βοῦς καὶ ἵππους εἶπε τούτῳ καὶ ἅμα πρόβατα πολλὰ ἐλαύνειν ὅποι ἂν αὐτὸν πυνθάνηται ὄντα, ὡς ἐπισφαγείη τῷ Ἀβραδάτᾳ.

8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 8. When he sees Pantheia in mourning, he weeps and laments the loss of Abradatas…
ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶδε τὴν γυναῖκα χαμαὶ καθημένην καὶ τὸν νεκρὸν κείμενον, ἐδάκρυσέ τε ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει καὶ εἶπε: φεῦ, ὦ ἀγαθὴ καὶ πιστὴ ψυχή, οἴχῃ δὴ ἀπολιπὼν ἡμᾶς; καὶ ἅμα ἐδεξιοῦτο αὐτὸν καὶ ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ νεκροῦ ἐπηκολούθησεν: ἀπεκέκοπτο γὰρ κοπίδι ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων.

9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 1 9. Cyrus is even more deeply moved by the severed hand…
ὁ δὲ ἰδὼν πολὺ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἤλγησε: καὶ ἡ γυνὴ δὲ ἀνωδύρατο καὶ δεξαμένη δὴ παρὰ τοῦ Κύρου ἐφίλησέ τε τὴν χεῖρα καὶ πάλιν ὡς οἷόν τ᾽ ἦν προσήρμοσε, καὶ εἶπε:

10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 1 10. She explains that the rest of his limbs have been hacked as well…
καὶ τἆλλά τοι, ὦ Κῦρε, οὕτως ἔχει: ἀλλὰ τί δεῖ σε ὁρᾶν; καὶ ταῦτα, ἔφη, οἶδ᾽ ὅτι δι᾽ ἐμὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἔπαθεν, ἴσως δὲ καὶ διὰ σέ, ὦ Κῦρε, οὐδὲν ἧττον. ἐγώ τε γὰρ ἡ μώρα πολλὰ διεκελευόμην αὐτῷ οὕτω ποιεῖν, ὅπως σοι φίλος ἄξιος γενήσοιτο: αὐτός τε οἶδ᾽ ὅτι οὗτος οὐ τοῦτο ἐνενόει ὅ τι πείσοιτο, ἀλλὰ τί ἄν σοι ποιήσας χαρίσαιτο. καὶ γὰρ οὖν, ἔφη, αὐτὸς μὲν ἀμέμπτως τετελεύτηκεν, ἐγὼ δ᾽ ἡ παρακελευομένη ζῶσα παρακάθημαι.

11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 3 11. Cyrus gives many ornaments to Pantheia and assures her that Abradatas will not want for honors…
καὶ ὁ Κῦρος χρόνον μέν τινα σιωπῇ κατεδάκρυσεν, ἔπειτα δὲ ἐφθέγξατο: ἀλλ᾽ οὗτος μὲν δή, ὦ γύναι, ἔχει τὸ κάλλιστον τέλος: νικῶν γὰρ τετελεύτηκε: σὺ δὲ λαβοῦσα τοῖσδε ἐπικόσμει αὐτὸν τοῖς παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ: παρῆν δὲ ὁ Γωβρύας καὶ ὁ Γαδάτας πολὺν καὶ καλὸν κόσμον φέροντες: ἔπειτα δ᾽, ἔφη, ἴσθι ὅτι οὐδὲ τὰ ἄλλα ἄτιμος ἔσται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μνῆμα πολλοὶ χώσουσιν ἀξίως ἡμῶν καὶ ἐπισφαγήσεται αὐτῷ ὅσα εἰκὸς ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθῷ.

12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 1 12. He promises to bestow honors on Pantheia and let her go wherever she wants…
καὶ σὺ δ᾽, ἔφη, οὐκ ἔρημος ἔσῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγώ σε καὶ σωφροσύνης ἕνεκα καὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς καὶ τἆλλα τιμήσω καὶ συστήσω ὅστις ἀποκομιεῖ σε ὅποι ἂν αὐτὴ ἐθέλῃς: μόνον, ἔφη, δήλωσον πρὸς ἐμὲ πρὸς ὅντινα χρῄζεις κομισθῆναι.

13 Leave a comment on paragraph 13 0 13. She admits that she will never be able to hide from Cyrus where she wants to go…
καὶ ἡ Πάνθεια εἶπεν: ἀλλὰ θάρρει, ἔφη, ὦ Κῦρε, οὐ μή σε κρύψω πρὸς ὅντινα βούλομαι ἀφικέσθαι.

14 Leave a comment on paragraph 14 6 14. Cyrus departs feeling pity for her; she stabs herself in the heart…
ὁ μὲν δὴ ταῦτ᾽ εἰπὼν ἀπῄει, κατοικτίρων τήν τε γυναῖκα οἵου ἀνδρὸς στέροιτο καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα οἵαν γυναῖκα καταλιπὼν οὐκέτ᾽ ὄψοιτο. ἡ δὲ γυνὴ τοὺς μὲν εὐνούχους ἐκέλευσεν ἀποστῆναι, ἕως ἄν, ἔφη, τόνδ᾽ ἐγὼ ὀδύρωμαι ὡς βούλομαι: τῇ δὲ τροφῷ εἶπε παραμένειν, καὶ ἐπέταξεν αὐτῇ, ἐπειδὰν ἀποθάνῃ, περικαλύψαι αὐτήν τε καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ἑνὶ ἱματίῳ. ἡ δὲ τροφὸς πολλὰ ἱκετεύουσα μὴ ποιεῖν τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν ἥνυτε καὶ χαλεπαίνουσαν ἑώρα, ἐκάθητο κλαίουσα. ἡ δὲ ἀκινάκην πάλαι παρεσκευασμένον σπασαμένη σφάττει ἑαυτὴν καὶ ἐπιθεῖσα ἐπὶ τὰ στέρνα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῆς κεφαλὴν ἀπέθνῃσκεν. ἡ δὲ τροφὸς ἀνωλοφύρατό τε καὶ περιεκάλυπτεν ἄμφω ὥσπερ ἡ Πάνθεια ἐπέστειλεν. How does Chaucer's reference to Pantheia's suicide in the "Franklin's Tale" affect our interpretation of this scene?How does Chaucer’s reference to Pantheia’s suicide in the “Franklin’s Tale” affect our interpretation of this scene?

15 Leave a comment on paragraph 15 9 15. Cyrus rushes to the scene to help, and three other eunuchs kill themselves…
ὁ δὲ Κῦρος ὡς ᾔσθετο τὸ ἔργον τῆς γυναικός, ἐκπλαγεὶς ἵεται, εἴ τι δύναιτο βοηθῆσαι. οἱ δὲ εὐνοῦχοι ἰδόντες τὸ γεγενημένον, τρεῖς ὄντες σπασάμενοι κἀκεῖνοι τοὺς ἀκινάκας ἀποσφάττονται οὗπερ ἔταξεν αὐτοὺς ἑστηκότες. καὶ νῦν τὸ μνῆμα μέχρι τοῦ νῦν τῶν εὐνούχων κεχῶσθαι λέγεται: καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ ἄνω στήλῃ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπιγεγράφθαι φασὶ τὰ ὀνόματα, Σύρια γράμματα, κάτω δὲ εἶναι τρεῖς λέγουσι στήλας καὶ ἐπιγεγράφθαι “σκηπτούχων.”

16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 How is the Pantheia and Abradatas story reflected in later works?

17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 16. Cyrus laments Pantheia and has a great monument erected to both of them…
ὁ δὲ Κῦρος ὡς ἐπλησίασε τῷ πάθει ἀγασθείς τε τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ κατολοφυράμενος ἀπῄει: καὶ τούτων μὲν ᾗ εἰκὸς ἐπεμελήθη ὡς τύχοιεν πάντων τῶν καλῶν, καὶ τὸ μνῆμα ὑπερμέγεθες ἐχώσθη, ὥς φασιν.

18 Leave a comment on paragraph 18 0 “Abradates and Panthea” by John Bowdler the Younger (1783-1815)

19 Leave a comment on paragraph 19 0 Abradates and Panthea: A Tale Extracted from Xenophon by William Wither Beach (1765)

20 Leave a comment on paragraph 20 0 “The Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las

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Source: http://cyropaedia.online/book-7/chapter-7-3-pantheia-commits-suicide-at-the-burial-of-abradatas/