07.10.25: Level 3; Artayctēs [1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artayctes

The translations are at the end of the post.

[A] DECEIT AND SACRILEGE (the translations are at the end of the post)

Sēstō ōlim praeerat Artayctēs Persa. Hic Xerxēm Athēnās contendentem dēcēperat, Elaeuntī clam ablātīs Prōtesilāī thēsaurīs. Xerxēm autem dēcēperat hīs verbīs ūsus: "Ō rēx, hīc habitāvit Graecus quīdam. Is ōlim in rēgnum tuum expedītiōnem faciēns interfectus est. Nunc mihi dā, ōrō, huius dīvitiās: ita enim omnēs in tē expedītiōnem facere numquam posteā audēbunt." Itaque Xerxēs dēceptus, Prōtesilāī domum Artayctī trādidit. Hic vērō omnia Elaeuntī ablāta Sēstum sēcum portāvit.

Sēstos, or Sēstus, -ī [2/f]: Sestos, a city in Thrace

Elaeūs, Elaeuntis [3/f]: Elaeus, a city in Thrace

[1] Translate these phrases using the English versions below; each phrase contains two parts

Athēnās ¦ contendentem

ablātīs ¦ thēsaurīs

hīs verbīs ¦ ūsus

in rēgnum tuum ¦ expedītiōnem faciēns

Xerxēs ¦ dēceptus

omnia ¦ Elaeuntī ¦ ablata

against your kingdom

everything taken

from Elaeus

having been deceived

having been carried off

having used

these words

to Athens

while journeying

while making an expedition

with the treasures

Xerxes

Notes:

[1] Hic [i] Xerxēm [ii] Athēnās [i] contendentem dēcēperat

He had deceived [i] Xerxes ¦ [i] who was / while (he was) journeying [ii] to Athens

[2] Hic Xerxēm … dēcēperat, ¦ Elaeuntī clam ablātīs Prōtesilāī thēsaurīs.

He had deceived Xerxes ¦ literally: with the treasures of Protesilaus having been secretly carried off

ablative absolute; the phrase could equally be translated as: “after / once / since the treasures had been secretly carried off”

[3] Xerxēm autem dēcēperat hīs verbīs ūsus │ But he had deceived Xerxes ¦ having used (by using) these words.

ūtor, ūtī, ūsus sum [3/deponent]: use; although a deponent verb is passive in form, it is active in meaning i.e. ūsus = having used; the verb is followed by the ablative case

[4] Xerxēs [i] dēceptus, Prōtesilāī domum Artayctī [ii] trādidit

Either: Xerxes, [i] having been deceived, [ii] gave the house of Protesilaus to Artayctes.

Or: Xerxes [i] was deceived, and [ii] gave the house …

The perfect passive participle indicates that Xerxes was first deceived and then something else happened.

[5] Hic vērō omnia Elaeuntī ablāta Sēstum sēcum portāvit. │ But the latter brought with him to Sestus everything [that had been]  taken from Elaeus.

The perfect passive participle of auferō, auferre, abstulī, ablātus

[B] VENGEANCE OVERTAKES HIM

Posteā vērō Artaycten ex imprōvīsō adortī Athēniēnsēs, Sēstum diū obsēdērunt. Persae tandem intrā moenia ad angustiās redāctī, fūnibus lectulōrum vescī (see note #2) coāctī sunt. Hīs cōnsūmptīs, Artayctēs noctū cum fīliō in fugam sē recēpit. Mox tamen ab Athēniēnsibus captus, in vinculīs Sēstum iterum ductus est.

Find the Latin:

(he) was led in chains

(they) were compelled to eat

after these had been consumed

having been captured by the athenians

the Persians, having been reduced to extremes

the Athenians, having attacked artayctes

Notes

[1] adortī, from adorior, adorīrī, adortus sum [3-iō/deponent]; although a deponent verb is passive in form, it is active in meaning i.e. adortus = having attacked

[2] vescor, vescī, [no perfect tense] [3/deponent]: to feed; to feed upon something is followed by either the accusative or, here, the ablative: fūnibus lectulōrum vescī │ to eat / feed upon the ropes of (their) hammocks

____________________

[A] Artayctes, a Persian, once was in command of Sestos. He had deceived Xerxes when journeying to Athens, after the treasures of Protesilaus had been secretly carried off from Elaeus. Now he had deceived Xerxes having used these words: ‘O king, a certain Greek used to live here. He was slain a long while ago while making an expedition against your kingdom. Give me now, I pray, his riches; for thus all men will never afterwards dare to make an expedition against you.’ Therefore, Xerxes, having been deceived, gave the house of Protesilaus to Artayctes. But the latter brought with him to Sestus everything taken from Elaeus.

[B] But afterwards the Athenians having attacked Artayctes unawares, besieged Sestos for a long time. The Persians having at length been reduced to extremity within the walls, were compelled to eat the ropes of their hammocks. When these had been consumed, Artayctes, with his son, took flight by night. However, having soon been captured by the Athenians, he was brought again to Sestos in chains.