Ἱστορίαι Ἡροδότου — ια’

Τότε μὲν δὴ οὕτω οὐδέν δηλώσασα ἡσυχίην εἶχε. 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.

ἀλλʼ 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, ἀλλʼ ὥρα ἀναγκαίην ἀληθέως προκειμένην ἢ τὸν δεσπότεα ἀπολλύναι ἢ αὐτὸν ὑπʼ 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.”

Tote men dē houtō ouden dēlōsasa hēsychiēn eiche. hōs de hēmerē tachista egegonee, tōn oiketeōn tous malista hōra pistous eontas heōutē, hetoimous poiēsamenē ekalee ton Gygea. ho de ouden dokeōn autēn tōn prēchthentōn epistasthai ēlthe kaleomenos; eōthee gar kai prosthe, hokōs hē basileia kaleoi, phoitan.

hōs de ho Gygēs apiketo, elege hē gynē tade. “nyn toi dyōn hodōn pareouseōn Gygē didōmi hairesin, hokoterēn bouleai trapesthai. ē gar Kandaulea apokteinas eme te kai tēn basilēiēn eche tēn Lydōn, ē auton se autika houtō apothnēskein dei, hōs an mē panta peithomenos Kandaulē tou loipou idēs ta mē se dei.

allʼ ētoi keinon ge ton tauta bouleusanta dei apollysthai, ē se ton eme gymnēn theēsamenon kai poiēsanta ou nomizomena.” ho de Gygēs teōs men apethōmaze ta legomena, meta de hiketeue mē min anankaiē endeein diakrinai toiautēn hairesin.

oukōn dē epeithe, allʼ hōra anankaiēn alētheōs prokeimenēn ē ton despotea apollynai ē auton hypʼ allōn apollysthai; haireetai autos perieinai. epeirōta dē legōn tade. “epei me anankazeis despotea ton emon kteinein ouk ethelonta, phere akousō teō kai tropō epicheirēsomen autō.” hē de hypolabousa ephē “ek tou autou men chōriou hē hormē estai hothen per kai ekeinos eme epedexato gymnēn, hypnōmenō de hē epicheirēsis estai.”

She, therefore, said nothing of this and held her silence. As it swiftly turned day, she selected of the servants those she trusted the most and had them taken to her; Gyges was then called. As he thought that she was unaware of what had been done, he came as ordered; for he was accustomed to coming to the mistress whenever he was summoned by her.

Once Gyges had arrived, she said the following: I am now giving you the choice between two paths; tell me which one it will be. Either you kill Candaules and, in turn, get me and the Lydian kingdom; or you yourself will have to die immediately, so that you will not be exposed to further improper acts by obeying Candaules.

But it is inevitable that either the contriver of this plot must be killed, or you, who has done an improper act by seeing me naked. So far, Gyges had been marvelling at what she was saying, but once she was finished, he begged her not to make him decide between such things.

He was unable to deter her and saw that, truly, he must decide between the killing of his master or being, himself, killed by others; he decided to keep his life. He, then, asked her the following: As you are forcing me — against my will — to kill my master, just go ahead and tell me in what manner you want us to attack him. She replied, The attack will take place in the same room in which he put the naked me up for display — the attack will occur whilst he sleeps.