Greek Text: τόνδε τὸν πάλον λαχοίην

English Text:

Greek Text: γὰρ ἴσον λάχον μέρος οἵ τ’ ἀγαθοὶ|ὅστις τε κακός

English Text:

Greek Text: τολμᾶν χρὴ τὰ διδοῦσι θεοὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν, ῥηϊδίως δὲ φέρειν ἀμφοτέρων τὸ λάχος.

English Text:

Greek Text: κάδεα δὲ στοναχάς τ᾽ Ἀίδας ἔλαχε.

English Text:

Greek Text: καὶ δῶρον ὅ οἱ κειμήλιον εἴη| εἴτε καὶ ἵπποισιν· ταῦτά κε πάντα λάχοι

English Text:

Greek Text: τίμιον ἀνδρὶ λαχεῖν|τοῦ κλέος Ἑλλάδα πᾶσαν ἀφίξεται

English Text:

Greek Text: τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς μὲν ἀτιμοτέρους, κακίους δὲ λαχόντας τιμῆς;

English Text: the good the unhonoured and the bad accorded honour?

Greek Text: Ὤνθρωπ᾽, εἰ γνώμης ἔλαχες μέρος ὥσπερ ἀνοιης

English Text: If thou hadst thy portion of judgment, man

Greek Text: τολμᾶν χρὴ τὰ διδοῦσι θεοὶ θνητοῖσι βροτοῖσιν, ῥηϊδίως δὲ φέρειν ἀμφοτέρων τὸ λάχος.

English Text:

Greek Text: καὶ σώφρων ἥμαρτε καὶ ἄφρονι πολλάκι δόξα ἕσπετο, καὶ τιμῆς καὶ κακὸς ὢν ἔλαχεν.

English Text: a poor man may very quickly become rich, and he that hath very great possessions lose them all suddenly in one night; the wise may err, and fame often cometh to the fool and honour to the bad

Greek Text: φροντίδες ἀνθρώπων ἔλαχον πτέρα ποικίλ᾽ ἔχουσαι, μυρόμεναι ψυχῆς εἵνεκα καὶ βιότου.

English Text: Cares of motley plumage have their portion in mankind

Greek Text: παύροις ἀνθρώπων ἀρετὴ καὶ κάλλος ὀπηδεῖ: ὄλβιος, ὃς τούτων ἀμφοτέρων ἔλαχεν.

English Text: Virtue230 and beauty fall to but few; happy he that hath share of both

Greek Text: Μαλὶς κονισκε, καί με δεσπότεω βεβροῦ λαχόντα λίσσομαί σε μὴ ῥαπίζεσθαι.

English Text:

Greek Text: <Μ>έμψις παντὶ λαχόντι ἀρχικὸν θρόνον

English Text:

Greek Text: τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐν τοῖς ἐκ πάντων λαχοῦσιν

English Text:

Greek Text: Τρυφῶν ἄπειρος, ἣν λάχῃ τρυφήν ποτε,

English Text:

Greek Text: μόροι γὰρ μέζονες μέζονας μοίρας λαγχάνουσι.

English Text:

Greek Text: λαχεῖν γάμου ἱμερόεντος

English Text:

Greek Text: ταύτην δ᾽ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τιμὴν ἔχει ἠδὲ λέλογχε μοῖραν ἐν ἀνθρώποισι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι,

English Text: This honor she has from the beginning, and this is the portion allotted to her amongst men and undying gods,

Greek Text: ὅσσ᾽ ἔλαχεν Τιτῆσι μετὰ προτέροισι θεοῖσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔχει, ὡς τὸ πρῶτον ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ἔπλετο δασμός

English Text: all that was her portion among the former Titan gods but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning

Greek Text: [τέ]μενος λαχοισ[α |…|Ἀφρόδιτα

English Text:

Greek Text: ὄφρ᾽ ἄλλων ὠνῇ κλῆρον, μὴ τὸν τεὸν ἄλλος.

English Text: and so you may buy another's holding and not another yours.

Greek Text: ἤδη μὲν γὰρ κλῆρον ἐδασσάμεθ᾽, ἀλλὰ τὰ πολλὰ ἁρπάζων ἐφόρεις

English Text: For we had already divided our inheritance, but you seized the greater share and carried it off,

Greek Text: πρὸς Θύμβρης δ᾽ ἔλαχον Λύκιοι Μυσοί τ᾽ ἀγέρωχοι

English Text: And towards Thymbre fell the lot of the Lycians and the lordly Mysians

Greek Text: ἤτοι ἐγὼν ἔλαχον πολιὴν ἅλα ναιέμεν αἰεὶ παλλομένων,

English Text: I verily, when the lots were shaken, won for my portion the grey sea to be my habitation for ever

Greek Text: Ζεὺς δ᾽ ἔλαχ᾽ οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσι:

English Text: while Zeus won the broad heaven amid the air and the clouds

Greek Text: οἳ δὲ καὶ εἰς Ἄργος Προῖ̣[το]ν̣ πά̣[ρα δῖον ἵκοντο, ἔνθά σφιν μετέδ̣ωκ̣[ε ἴ̣φ̣θ̣[ι]μ̣ος Προῖτο̣ς̣ κλῆρ̣ον.

English Text:

Greek Text: γνωτοί τε γνωταί τε πυρὸς λελάχωσι θανόντα

English Text: kinsmen and kinswomen give him his due meed of fire in death

Greek Text: δαινύμενος ὥσπερ Λαμψακηνὸς εὐνοῦχος κατέφαγε δὴ τὸν κλῆρον

English Text:

Greek Text: καὶ οἶκος καὶ κλῆρος ἀκήρατος,

English Text: and his house and his portion of land are unharmed,

Greek Text: Ἴλιον ἐκπέρσαντα, λαχόντα τε ληΐδος αἶσαν.

English Text: when I had sacked Ilios … with the share of the spoil that should fall to his lot

Greek Text: πυρός με Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα.

English Text: the Trojans and the Trojans' wives may give me my due meed of fire in my death

Greek Text: ἂν δ᾽ ἔβαν ἐς δίφρους, ἐν δὲ κλήρους ἐβάλοντο:

English Text: Then they mounted their cars, and cast in the lots;

Greek Text: πάλλ᾽ Ἀχιλεύς, ἐκ δὲ κλῆρος θόρε Νεστορίδαο Ἀντιλόχου

English Text: and Achilles shook them, and forth leapt the lot of Nestor's son, Antilochus

Greek Text: μετὰ τὸν δ᾽ ἔλαχε κρείων Εὔμηλος:

English Text: after him had the lord Eumelus a place

Greek Text: τῷ δ᾽ ἐπὶ Μηριόνης λάχ᾽ ἐλαυνέμεν

English Text: and next to him Meriones drew his place

Greek Text: ὕστατος αὖτε Τυδεΐδης ὄχ᾽ ἄριστος ἐὼν λάχ᾽ ἐλαυνέμεν ἵππους.

English Text: and last of all the son of Tydeus, albeit far the best, drew a place for his chariot

Greek Text: ἔτ᾽ αὖτις νίσομαι ἐξ Ἀΐδαο, ἐπήν με πυρὸς λελάχητε.

English Text: never more again shall I come back from out of Hades, when once ye have given me my due of fire.

Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ ἐμὲ μὲν κὴρ ἀμφέχανε στυγερή, ἥ περ λάχε γιγνόμενόν περ:

English Text: but for me hath loathly fate opened its maw, the fate that was appointed me even from my birth

Greek Text: κλήρους δ᾽ ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες, Τεῦκρος δὲ πρῶτος κλήρῳ λάχεν

English Text: Then took they the lots and shook them in a helmet of bronze, and Teucer drew by lot the first place

Greek Text: ἓξ δέ οἱ υἷες ἔασιν, ἐγὼ δέ οἱ ἕβδομός εἰμι: τῶν μέτα παλλόμενος κλήρῳ λάχον ἐνθάδ᾽ ἕπεσθαι.

English Text: six sons hath he, and myself the seventh. From these by the casting of lots was I chosen to fare hitherward.

Greek Text: οὔ τι φίλων ἡμάρτανε δώρων. οὐ γάρ μοί ποτε βωμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης λοιβῆς τε κνίσης τε:τὸ γὰρ λάχομεν γέρας ἡμεῖς.

English Text: nowise failed he of acceptable gifts. For never was my altar in lack of the equal feast, the drink-offiering and the savour of burnt-offering, even the worship that is our due.

Greek Text: ὥς κεν Ἀχιλλεὺς δώρων ἐκ Πριάμοιο λάχῃ ἀπό θ᾽ Ἕκτορα λύσῃ.

English Text: that Achilles may accept gifts from Priam, and give Hector back.

Greek Text: κλήρους ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλον ἑλόντες, ὁππότερος δὴ πρόσθεν ἀφείη χάλκεον ἔγχος

English Text: and thereafter took the lots and shook them in the bronze-wrought helmet, to know which of the twain should first let fly his spear of bronze.

Greek Text: Πάριος δὲ θοῶς ἐκ κλῆρος ὄρουσεν.

English Text: and straightway the lot of Paris leapt forth

Greek Text: οὐ γάρ μοί ποτε βωμὸς ἐδεύετο δαιτὸς ἐΐσης λοιβῆς τε κνίσης τε: τὸ γὰρ λάχομεν γέρας ἡμεῖς.

English Text: For never at any time was mine altar in lack of the equal feast, the drink-offering, and the savour of burnt-offering, even the worship that is our due.

Greek Text: κλήρῳ νῦν πεπάλασθε διαμπερὲς ὅς κε λάχῃσιν:

English Text: Cast ye the lot now from the first unto the last for him whoso shall be chosen

Greek Text: οἳ δὲ κλῆρον ἐσημήναντο ἕκαστος, ἐν δ᾽ ἔβαλον κυνέῃ Ἀγαμέμνονος Ἀτρεΐδαο

English Text: and they marked each man his lot and cast them in the helmet of Agamemnon, son of Atreus;

Greek Text: Ζεῦ πάτερ ἢ Αἴαντα λαχεῖν, ἢ Τυδέος υἱόν

English Text: Father Zeus, grant that the lot fall of Aias or the son of Tydeus

Greek Text: κλαροπαληδὸν ὅς ἄν πρᾶτος λάχηι ἕκατι μοιρᾶν

English Text:

Greek Text: πάλλεν δὲ Γερήνιος ἱππότα Νέστωρ, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος κυνέης ὃν ἄρ᾽ ἤθελον αὐτοὶ Αἴαντος

English Text: Nestor of Gerenia, shook the helmet, and forth therefrom leapt the lot that themselves desired, even the lot of Aias

Greek Text: τὸ γὰρ θέων ἰότατι ὔμμε λαχόντων †αφυτον θήσει γέρας

English Text:

Greek Text: ἤτοι ὑπέσχεθε χεῖρ᾽, ὃ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμβαλεν ἄγχι παραστάς, γνῶ δὲ κλήρου σῆμα ἰδών, γήθησε δὲ θυμῷ.

English Text: Aias held forth his hand, and the herald drew near and laid the lot therein; and Aias knew at a glance the token on the lot, and waxed glad at heart

Greek Text: τὸν μὲν πὰρ πόδ᾽ ἑὸν χαμάδις βάλε φώνησέν τε: ὦ φίλοι ἤτοι κλῆρος ἐμός

English Text: The lot then he cast upon the ground beside his foot, and spake:“My friends, of a surety the lot is mine

Greek Text: πυρός με Τρῶες καὶ Τρώων ἄλοχοι λελάχωσι θανόντα.

English Text: the Trojans and the Trojan wives may give me my due meed of fire in my death

Greek Text: ἄλλον δ᾽ ἐνθένδε χρυσὸν καὶ χαλκὸν ἐρυθρὸν ἠδὲ γυναῖκας ἐϋζώνους πολιόν τε σίδηρον ἄξομαι, ἅσσ᾽ ἔλαχόν γε

English Text: more shall I bring from hence, gold and ruddy bronze, and fair-girdled women and grey iron—all that fell to me by lot

Greek Text: †οἵεθεν† πάλως ἔπαλε δαίμονάς τ’ ἐδάσσατο·

English Text:

Greek Text: κλήρους δ᾽ ἐν κυνέῃ χαλκήρεϊ πάλλομεν ὦκα:

English Text: Quickly then we shook lots in a brazen helmet

Greek Text: ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος μεγαλήτορος Εὐρυλόχοιο.

English Text: and out leapt the lot of great-hearted Eurylochus

Greek Text: τιμὴν δὲ λελόγχασιν ἶσα θεοῖσι.

English Text: and they have won honor like unto that of the gods

Greek Text: βουλοίμην κ᾽ ἐπάρουρος ἐὼν θητευέμεν ἄλλῳ, ἀνδρὶ παρ᾽ ἀκλήρῳ, ᾧ μὴ βίοτος πολὺς εἴη,

English Text: I should choose to serve as the hireling of another, of some portionless man whose livelihood was but small

Greek Text: Ἠέλιος μὲν γὰρ ἔλαχεν πόνον ἤματα πάντα

English Text:

Greek Text: εἴ περ ἀπήμων ἦλθε, λαχὼν ἀπὸ ληΐδος αἶσαν.

English Text: if he had returned unscathed with his due share of the spoil.

Greek Text: τοὶ δὲ ζωὴν ἐδύσαντο παῖδες ὑπέρθυμοι καὶ ἐπὶ κλήρους ἐβάλοντο, αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ μάλα παῦρα δόσαν καὶ οἰκί᾽ ἔνειμαν.

English Text: his proud sons divided among them his substance, and cast lots therefor. To me they gave a very small portion, and allotted a dwelling

Greek Text: τῶν ἐξαιρεύμην μενοεικέα, πολλὰ δ᾽ ὀπίσσω λάγχανον:

English Text: Of this I would choose what pleased my mind, and much I afterwards obtained by lot.

Greek Text: ὅς κεν ἔμ᾽ ἐνδυκέως ἐφίλει καὶ κτῆσιν ὄπασσεν, οἶκόν τε κλῆρόν

English Text: would have given me possessions of my own, a house and a bit of land

Greek Text: μοίρας δασσάμενοι δαίνυντ᾽ ἐρικυδέα δαῖτα: πὰρ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ὀδυσσῆϊ μοῖραν θέσαν οἳ πονέοντοἴσην, ὡς αὐτοί περ ἐλάγχανον

English Text: they divided the portions and feasted a glorious feast. And by Odysseus those who served set a portion equal to that which they received themselves

Greek Text: τῷ κ᾽ ἔλαχον κτερέων,

English Text: Then should I have got funeral rites

Greek Text: εἴ περ ἀπήμων ἦλθε, λαχὼν ἀπὸ ληίδος αἶσαν.

English Text: if he had returned unscathed with his due share of the spoil

Greek Text: νῆες μέν μοι ἕποντο δυώδεκα, ἐς δὲ ἑκάστην ἐννέα λάγχανον αἶγες: ἐμοὶ δὲ δέκ᾽ ἔξελον οἴῳ.

English Text: The ships that followed me were twelve, and to each nine goats fell by lot, but for me alone they chose out ten.

Greek Text: κλῆ̣ρος καὶ ταφ[

English Text:

Greek Text: αὐτὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους κλήρῳ πεπαλάσθαι ἄνωγον, ὅς τις τολμήσειεν ἐμοὶ σὺν μοχλὸν ἀείρας τρῖψαι ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ, ὅτε τὸν γλυκὺς ὕπνος ἱκάνοι.

English Text: And I bade my comrades cast lots among them, which of them should have the hardihood with me to lift the stake and grind it into his eye when sweet sleep should come upon him

Greek Text: οἱ δ᾽ ἔλαχον τοὺς ἄν κε καὶ ἤθελον αὐτὸς ἑλέσθαι

English Text: And the lot fell upon those whom I myself would fain have chosen

Greek Text: Ἀφθονίαν χρημάτων ἄνθρωπος λαχὼν

English Text:

Greek Text: Εὐγένειαν ὁ λαχὼν τὴν τῆς φύσεως

English Text:

Greek Text: Πλουσίῳ παντὶ δυστυχίαν λαχόντι Ἐπιτίθενται πένητες χαιρέκακοι.

English Text:

Greek Text: εὐδαίμονες οἱ τότε γέννας|ἀφθίτου λαχόντες

English Text:

Greek Text: πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐν μέρει τεκμήριον ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἕκαστος ἔσπασεν τύχης πάλον.

English Text: not faring according to rank, but as each man has drawn his lot by chance.

Greek Text: εὖ πραπίδων λαχόντα.

English Text: a sensible man

Greek Text: †οὐ λαχόντες† ἤματος μέρος;

English Text: at getting for our portion

Greek Text: μόριμον λάχος πιπλάντων

English Text: of those who have the power to assign the portion of death

Greek Text: λέξαι τε λάχη

English Text: to declare our allotted office

Greek Text: ἴτων πάλῳ λαχόντες, ὡς νομίζεται.

English Text: let them enter, in turn, by lot, as is the custom

Greek Text: τοῦτο γὰρ λάχος διανταία Μοῖρ᾽ ἐπέκλωσεν ἐμπέδως ἔχειν

English Text: For this is the office that relentless Fate spun for us to hold securely

Greek Text: γιγνομέναισι λάχη τάδ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἁμὶν ἐκράνθη

English Text: This office was ordained for us at birth

Greek Text: παλλεύκων δὲ πέπλων ἀπόμοιρος ἄκληρος ἐτύχθην

English Text: and I have neither lot nor portion of pure white ceremonial robes

Greek Text: διόμεναι λάχη

English Text: pursuing our allotted office

Greek Text: τῶν αἰχμαλώτων χρημάτων λάχος μέγα

English Text: a great portion of the spoil their spears had won

Greek Text: ἐν δὲ τῷ τρίτῳ λάχει, θελούσης, οὐδὲ πρὸς βίαν τινός

English Text: And in the third allotment, with Themis' consent and not by force

Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ αἱματηρὰ πράγματ᾽ οὐ λαχὼν σέβεις, μαντεῖα δ᾽ οὐκέθ᾽ ἁγνὰ μαντεύσῃ νέμων.

English Text: Although it is not your office, you have respect for deeds of bloodshed. You will prophesy, dispensing prophecies that are no longer pure.

Greek Text: πάντα γὰρ αὗται τὰ κατ᾽ ἀνθρώπους ἔλαχον διέπειν.

English Text: For they have been appointed to arrange everything among mortals.

Greek Text: πάτραν δ᾽ ἔναιον ἡ μὲν Ἑλλάδα κλήρῳ λαχοῦσα γαῖαν, ἡ δὲ βάρβαρον.

English Text: to one had been assigned by lot the land of Hellas, to the other that of the barbarians

Greek Text: κἀγὼ πάλου τ᾽ ἔκυρσα τοῦπερ ἤθελον κἀπεστράτευσα πολλὰ σὺν πολλῷ στρατῷ:

English Text: And I in turn attained the lot I desired, and many a campaign I made with a valiant force

Greek Text: ἔμπας τις αὐτὴν ἄλλος ὤφελεν λαχεῖν.

English Text: Nevertheless, i wish it had fallen to another's lot!

Greek Text: προσίστανται πάλῳ λαχόντες.

English Text: take their stand each according to his lot.

Greek Text: ὥς τ᾽ ἐν πύλαις ἕκαστος εἴληχεν πάλον

English Text: how each man according to lot has been posted at the gates.

Greek Text: Καπανεὺς δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ Ἠλέκτραισιν εἴληχεν πύλαις,

English Text: Capaneus is stationed at the Electran gates

Greek Text: λέγ᾽ ἄλλον ἄλλαις ἐν πύλαις εἰληχότα.

English Text: Now tell me about another one allotted to other gates!

Greek Text: καὶ μὴν τὸν ἐντεῦθεν λαχόντα πρὸς πύλαις λέξω: τρίτῳ γὰρ Ἐτεόκλῳ τρίτος πάλος ἐξ ὑπτίου 'πήδησεν εὐχάλκου κράνους

English Text: Now I will tell you about the man who next drew station at the gates. The third lot leaped out of the upturned bronze helmet for Eteoclus

Greek Text: κληρουμένους δ᾽ ἔλειπον, ὡς πάλῳ λαχὼν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν πρὸς πύλας ἄγοι λόχον.

English Text: for I left them casting lots to decide how each commander, his post assigned by chance, would lead his regiment against the gates. 

Greek Text: ἴτω κατ᾽ οὖρον κῦμα Κωκυτοῦ λαχὸν Φοίβῳ στυγηθὲν πᾶν τὸ Λαΐου γένος.

English Text: let the whole race of Laius, hated by Phoebus, be swept on the wind to Cocytus' destined flood!

Greek Text: ξένος δὲ κλήρους ἐπινωμᾷ,

English Text: A stranger distributes their inheritance

Greek Text: καί σφε σιδαρονόμῳ διὰ χερί ποτε λαχεῖν κτήματα:

English Text: that wielding iron in their hands they would one day divide his property. So now I tremble in fear that the swift-running E

Greek Text: οἱ δ᾽ ἐπιστάται, δισσὼ στρατηγώ, διέλαχον σφυρηλάτῳ Σκύθῃ σιδήρῳ κτημάτων παμπησίαν.

English Text:  have divided the whole of their property with hammered Scythian steel

Greek Text: ἐμοιράσαντο δ᾽ ὀξυκάρδιοι κτήμαθ᾽, ὥστ᾽ ἴσον λαχεῖν.

English Text: In their haste to anger they apportioned their property so that each has an equal share

Greek Text: ἔχουσι μοῖραν λαχόντες οἱ μέλεοι διοδότων ἀχθέων:

English Text: They hold in misery their allotted portion of god-given sorrows. 

Greek Text: τὸ πᾶν τ᾽ ἐκ δαιμόνων λάχοιεν.

English Text: and may they obtain all things from the heavenly powers.

Greek Text: ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῃ διεκλήρωσεν Δαναὸς θεραποντίδα φερνήν.

English Text: as Danaus has allotted her duty of attendance unto each.

Greek Text: ἐπειδὴ χορηγὸς κατεστάθην εἰς Θαργήλια καὶ ἔλαχον1 Παντακλέα διδάσκαλον καὶ Κεκροπίδα φυλὴν πρὸς τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ

English Text: When I was appointed Choregus for the Thargelia,1 Pantacles2 falling to me as poet and the Cecropid as the tribe that went with mine

Greek Text: εὖ δὲ λαχὼν Χαρίτων

English Text: With a good share of the Graces

Greek Text: εἰ δ᾽ ὑγιείας θνατὸς ἐὼν ἔλαχεν

English Text: If a mortal has been granted health

Greek Text: ὅσσον ἂν ζώῃ λάχε τόνδε χρόνον τιμάν:

English Text: has honor only as long as he lives

Greek Text: ἢ γὰρ σοφὸς ἢ Χαρίτων τιμᾶν λελογχὼς

English Text: a man is skillful if he has a share of honor from the Graces

Greek Text: γᾶν πολύκριθον λαχόντας|Τίρυνθα τὸν ὁπλότερον|κτίζειν

English Text: since they had as their share a land rich in barley, the younger one should be the founder of Tiryns

Greek Text: Εὐνομία τε σαόφρων ἃ θαλίας τε λέλογχεν

English Text: Eunomia, to whom festivities belong

Greek Text: παρὰ Καλλιόπας λα|χοῖσαν ἔξοχον γέρας

English Text: since you have received an outstanding honor from Calliope

Greek Text: ὃς ἂν παρὰ Πιερίδων λάχῃσι δῶρα Μουσᾶν

English Text: one who has received gifts from the Pierian Muses

Greek Text: ὃ παρὰ Ζηνὸς λαχὼν|πλείσταρχον Ἑλλάνων γέρας

English Text: Zeus has granted him the honor of ruling most widely over the Greeks

Greek Text: inheritance

English Text: inheritance

Greek Text: λαγχάνειν ἄπο μοῖρα[ν ἐσ]θλῶν

English Text: and to be granted a share of every kind of noble deed

Greek Text: καὶ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ διαλαγχάνουσι οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν μαντίων:

English Text: and his goods are divided among the first diviners;

Greek Text: ἀκέρδεια λέλογχεν θαμινὰ κακαγόρους.

English Text: Often the lot of evil-speakers is profitlessness

Greek Text: Λάχων Διὸς μεγίστου|λάχε φέρτατον

English Text: Lachon has won from greatest Zeus the best glory

Greek Text: τῶν δὲ διαφθαρεισέων νεῶν τοὺς ἄνδρας οἱ τε Καρχηδόνιοι καὶ οἱ Τυρσηνοὶ διέλαχον, τῶν δὲ Τυρσηνῶν οἱ Ἀγυλλαῖοι ἔλαχόν τε αὐτῶν πολλῷ πλείστους καὶ τούτους ἐξαγαγόντες κατέλευσαν.

English Text: As for the crews of the disabled ships, the Carthaginians and Tyrrhenians drew lots for them, and of the Tyrrhenians the Agyllaioi1 were allotted by far the majority and these they led out and stoned to death.

Greek Text: τίς δὴ ποταίνιον|ἔλαχε στέφανον|χείρεσσι ποσίν τε καὶ ἅρματι

English Text: Who won the first garland, with the skill of his hands or feet or chariot

Greek Text: ἐνθαῦτα ἐστρατοπεδεύετο φθείρων τῶν Συρίων τοὺς κλήρους:

English Text: where he encamped and devastated the farms of the Syrians

Greek Text: ἐπεὶ πλοῦτος ὁ λαχὼν ποιμένα|ἐπακτὸν ἀλλότριον,

English Text: since his wealth falling into the hands of a stranger who is master of another home

Greek Text: τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῶν δύο μοίρας διελόντα Λυδῶν πάντων κληρῶσαι τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ μόνῃ τὴν δὲ ἐπὶ ἐξόδῳ ἐκ τῆς χώρης, καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ μένειν αὐτοῦ λαγχανούσῃ τῶν μοιρέων ἑωυτὸν τὸν βασιλέα προστάσσειν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἀπαλλασσομένῃ τὸν ἑωυτοῦ παῖδα, τῷ οὔνομα εἶναι Τυρσηνόν.

English Text: their king divided the people into two groups, and made them draw lots, so that the one group should remain and the other leave the country; he himself was to be the head of those who drew the lot to remain there, and his son, whose name was Tyrrhenus, of those who departed.

Greek Text: λάχε τ᾽ Ἀλφεὸν οἰκεῖν

English Text: had his allotted home on the Alpheus

Greek Text: λαχόντας δὲ αὐτῶν τοὺς ἑτέρους ἐξιέναι ἐκ τῆς χώρης

English Text: Then the one group, having drawn the lot, left the country

Greek Text: ἃν Θέμις θυγάτηρ τέ οἱ σώτειρα λέλογχεν|μεγαλόδοξος Εὐνομία

English Text: whom Themis and her glorious daughter, the savior Eunomia

Greek Text: κατανεῖμαι δὲ τὴν χώρην Αἰγυπτίοισι ἅπασι τοῦτον ἔλεγον τὸν βασιλέα, κλῆρον ἴσον ἑκάστῳ τετράγωνον διδόντα,

English Text: This king also (they said) divided the country among all the Egyptians by giving each an equal parcel of land

Greek Text: οὐ γὰρ φύσιν Ὠαριωνείαν ἔλαχεν:

English Text: For Melissus was not allotted the nature of Orion

Greek Text: εἰ δὲ τινὸς τοῦ κλήρου ὁ ποταμός τι παρέλοιτο, ἐλθὼν ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐσήμαινε τὸ γεγενημένον: ὁ δὲ ἔπεμπε τοὺς ἐπισκεψομένους καὶ ἀναμετρήσοντας ὅσῳ ἐλάσσων ὁ χῶρος γέγονε, ὅκως τοῦ λοιποῦ κατὰ λόγον τῆς τεταγμένης ἀποφορῆς τελέοι.

English Text: And any man who was robbed by the river of part of his land could come to Sesostris and declare what had happened; then the king would send men to look into it and calculate the part by which the land was diminished, so that thereafter it should pay in proportion to the tax originally imposed.

Greek Text: ὃς Ἴσθμιον ἂν νάπος Δωρίων ἔλαχεν σελίνων

English Text: who won the garland of wild Dorian celery in the Isthmian valley

Greek Text: ἀποκληρῶσαι πέντε ἑωυτῶν ὀψομένους τὰ ἔρημα τῆς Λιβύης, καὶ εἴ τι πλέον ἴδοιεν τῶν τὰ μακρότατα ἰδομένων.

English Text: had chosen by lot five of their company to visit the deserts of Libya and see whether they could see any farther than those who had seen the farthest

Greek Text: λέλογχε δὲ μεμφομένοις ἐσλοὺς ὕδωρ καπνῷ φέρειν ἀντίον.

English Text: It is his lot to have noble friends to bring against his slanderers

Greek Text: Θησεὺς ὁ Αἰγέως|λαχὼν μετὰ τῶν ἠϊθέων εἰς Κρήτην πλεῖ

English Text:

Greek Text: ὅτευ δὲ εἵνεκα φῶς ἔλαχε καὶ τιμὴν ἡ νὺξ αὕτη, ἔστι ἱρὸς περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγος λεγόμενος.

English Text: A sacred tale is told showing why this night is lit up thus and honored.

Greek Text: αὐτὸν μὰν ἐν εἰράνᾳ...ἁσυχίαν τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ποινὰν λαχόντ᾽ ἐξαίρετον

English Text: But he himself will have allotted to him in peace...continuous peace for all time

Greek Text: αἱ δ᾽ ἐσχατιαί κως τῆς οἰκεομένης τὰ κάλλιστα ἔλαχον, κατά περ ἡ Ἑλλὰς τὰς ὥρας πολλόν τι κάλλιστα κεκρημένας ἔλαχε.

English Text: The most outlying nations of the world have somehow drawn the finest things as their lot, exactly as Greece has drawn the possession of far the best seasons.

Greek Text: τρὶς μὲν ἐν πόντοιο πύλαισι λαχών, τρὶς δὲ καὶ σεμνοῖς δαπέδοις

English Text: since he won three times at the gates of the sea, and three times on the sacred ground

Greek Text: Δαρεῖος μὲν ταῦτα ἐπειρώτα, τῷ δὲ ἄνδρες τριήκοντα ὑπέστησαν, αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἐθέλων ποιέειν ταῦτα. ἐρίζοντας δὲ Δαρεῖος κατελάμβανε κελεύων πάλλεσθαι: παλλομένων δὲ λαγχάνει ἐκ πάντων Βαγαῖος ὁ Ἀρτόντεω:

English Text: Darius asked this and thirty men promised, each wanting to do it himself. Darius told them not argue but draw lots; they did, and the lot fell to Bagaeus, son of Artontes.

Greek Text: εἰ μὲν θάνατόν τε φυγὼν καὶ γῆρας ἀπεχθόμενον...ἔστι τοι τούτων λάχος

English Text: If you wish to escape death and hated old age...you can have this lot

Greek Text: λαχὼν δὲ ὁ Βαγαῖος ποιέει τάδε:

English Text: Bagaeus, having drawn the lot, did as follows

Greek Text: παῖ Ῥέας, ἅ τε πρυτανεῖα λέλογχας, Ἑστία,

English Text: Daughter of Rhea, you who have received the town hall under your protection, Hestia

Greek Text: Ἑλληνικοῖσι ἰήμασι χρεώμενος καὶ ἤπια μετὰ τὰ ἰσχυρὰ προσάγων ὕπνου τέ μιν λαγχάνειν ἐποίεε καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ ὑγιέα μιν ἀπέδεξε

English Text: Democedes applied Greek remedies and used gentleness instead of the Egyptians' violence, he enabled him to sleep and in a short time had him well,

Greek Text: σέ τ᾽ ἐνόσφισε καὶ Πουλυτιμίδαν κλᾶρος προπετὴς ἄνθε᾽ Ὀλυμπιάδος.

English Text: you and Polytimidas were deprived of two Olympic garlands by a sudden drawing of lots

Greek Text: ἐκ δεκάδος γὰρ ἕνα σφέων αὐτῶν ἀποκληρώσαντες κατέφαγον.

English Text: taking by lot one man out of ten and eating him.

Greek Text: ἄνευ σέθεν οὐ φάος, οὐ μέλαιναν δρακέντες εὐφρόναν τεὰν ἀδελφεὰν ἐλάχομεν ἀγλαόγυιον Ἥβαν.

English Text: Without you we see neither the light nor the dark night before it is our lot to go to your sister, Hebe

Greek Text: πάλῳ μὲν ἀρχὰς ἄρχει, ὑπεύθυνον δὲ ἀρχὴν ἔχει

English Text: It (isonomia) determines offices by lot, and holds power accountable

Greek Text: φυᾷ δ᾽ ἕκαστος διαφέρομεν βιοτὰν λαχόντες, ὁ μὲν τά, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλοι

English Text: Each of us differs in nature, for we were each allotted a different life

Greek Text: δεῖ ἕνα γε τινὰ ἡμέων βασιλέα γενέσθαι, ἤτοι κλήρῳ γε λαχόντα, ἢ ἐπιτρεψάντων τῷ Περσέων πλήθεϊ τὸν ἂν ἐκεῖνο ἕληται,

English Text: one of us must be made king (whether by lot, or entrusted with the office by the choice of the Persians

Greek Text: ἴστω λαχὼν πρὸς δαιμόνων θαυμαστὸν ὄλβον.

English Text: Let him know that he has received marvellous prosperity from the gods

Greek Text: ἐλθόντες παρὰ τοὺς τοκέας ἀπολάχετε τῶν κτημάτων τὸ μέρος

English Text: go to your parents and let them give you the allotted share of their possessions

Greek Text: Καφισίων ὑδάτων λαχοῖσαι

English Text: You who have your home by the waters of Cephisus

Greek Text: ἐπείτε δὲ ἀπολαχόντες τῶν κτημάτων τὸ ἐπιβάλλον

English Text: So when they had been given the allotted share of possessions that fell to them

Greek Text: ἀπεόντος δ᾽ οὔτις ἔνδειξεν λάχος Ἀελίου

English Text: Helios was absent, and no one marked out a share for him

Greek Text: δέεσθαι δὲ οἰκέειν ἅμα τούτοισι μοῖράν τε τιμέων μετέχοντες καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπολαχόντες.

English Text: and their wish was to live with their fathers' people, sharing in their rights and receiving allotted pieces of land.

Greek Text: καί ῥά μιν χώρας ἀκλάρωτον λίπον

English Text: in fact they left him without any allotment of land

Greek Text: Θηραίοισι δὲ ἕαδε ἀδελφεόν τε ἀπ᾽ ἀδελφεοῦ πέμπειν πάλῳ λαγχάνοντα καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν χώρων ἁπάντων ἑπτὰ ἐόντων ἄνδρας

English Text: The Theraeans determined to send out men from their seven regions, taking by lot one of every pair of brothers

Greek Text: ὔμμε δ᾽ ἐκλάρωσεν πότμος Ζηνὶ γενεθλίῳ

English Text: fortune has allotted you and your brother to the care of your ancestor Zeus

Greek Text: ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μὲν πρώτη τῶν λαξίων Σαυροματέων ἐστί

English Text: the first of the districts belongs to the Sauromatae

Greek Text: τῶν δ᾽ ἐν Ἑλλάδι τερπνῶν λαχόντες οὐκ ὀλίγαν δόσιν

English Text: having received no small share of the delights of Greece

Greek Text: ὑπεροικέουσι δὲ τούτων δευτέρην λάξιν ἔχοντες Βουδῖνοι

English Text: Above these in the second district, the Budini inhabit a country

Greek Text: Ἥρας ὅτ᾽ ἐράσσατο, τὰν Διὸς εὐναὶ λάχον πολυγαθέες

English Text: he desired Hera, who was allotted to the joyful bed of Zeus.

Greek Text: διὰ πεντετηρίδος τε τὸν πάλῳ λαχόντα αἰεὶ σφέων αὐτῶν ἀποπέμπουσι ἄγγελον παρὰ τὸν Σάλμοξιν

English Text: Once every five years they choose one of their people by lot and send him as a messenger to Salmoxis

Greek Text: φρενῶν ἔλαχε καρπὸν ἀμώμητον,

English Text: his allotted portion was the blameless fruit of intelligence

Greek Text: τῶν σὺν Κάδμῳ ἀπικομένων Φοινίκων ἐς γῆν τὴν νῦν Βοιωτίην καλεομένην, οἴκεον δὲ τῆς χώρης ταύτης ἀπολαχόντες τὴν Ταναγρικὴν μοῖραν.

English Text: the Phoenicians who came with Cadmus to the country now called Boeotia. In that country the lands of Tanagra were allotted to them, and this is where they settled.

Greek Text: καί ῥά οἱ μάντις ὀρνίχεσσι καὶ κλάροισι θεοπροπέων ἱεροῖς Μόψος ἄμβασε στρατὸν πρόφρων

English Text: And then the prophet Mopsus, divining by birds and sacred sortilege

Greek Text: ἦν γὰρ ἑνδέκατος ψηφιδοφόρος ὁ τῷ κυάμῳ λαχὼν Ἀθηναίων πολεμαρχέειν

English Text: An eleventh man had a vote, chosen by lot to be polemarch of Athens

Greek Text: πόνων δ᾽ οὔ τις ἀπόκλαρός ἐστιν οὔτ᾽ ἔσεται

English Text: But no man is without a share of toils, or ever will be.

Greek Text: πάντων τῶν ἐπίπλων καὶ ἀνδραπόδων τὰ ἡμίσεα μεταλαβεῖν τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλι, τὰ δ᾽ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν πάντα Ἱπποκράτεα λαγχάνειν

English Text: Hippocrates should take for his share half of the movable goods and slaves in the city, and all that was in the country

Greek Text: ἄτερθε δὲ πρὸ δωμάτων ἕτεροι λαχόντες Ἀΐδαν βασιλέες ἱεροὶ ἐντί

English Text: and thereafter a hero worshipped by the people

Greek Text: οἱ δὲ Φοίνικες σοφίην ἔν τε τοῖσι ἄλλοισι ἔργοισι ἀποδείκνυνται καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῳ. ἀπολαχόντες γὰρ μόριον ὅσον αὐτοῖσι ἐπέβαλλε, ὤρυσσον

English Text: But the Phoenicians showed the same skill in this as in all else they do; taking in hand the portion that fell to them, they dug

Greek Text: ὁ δὲ καλόν τι νέον λαχὼν ἁβρότατος

English Text: But he who has gained some fine new thing in his great opulence

Greek Text: νῦν δὲ διαβαίνωμεν ἐπευξάμενοι τοῖσι θεοῖσι οἳ Πέρσας λελόγχασι

English Text: Let us now cross over, after praying to the gods who hold Persia for their allotted realm

Greek Text: ἐνθαῦτα δὲ κατεχόμενοι σιτία τε πλέω ἢ κατ᾽ ὁδὸν ἐλάγχανον,

English Text: Then by reason of their immoderate gorging and the change of the water which they drank

Greek Text: τῇ πολλοὶ πεσέονται ὑπὲρ λάχεσίν τε μόρον τε τοξοφόρων Μήδων

English Text: Many a Median archer, by death untimely overtaken will fall

Greek Text: κυαμόβολον δικαστήν

English Text:

Greek Text: κόμης δὲ πένθος λαγχάνω πώλου δίκην

English Text:

Greek Text: τῆς δὲ γῆς…|...εἴληχε Πάλλας

English Text:

Greek Text: ὁ τῶν ὀνείρων ὑποκριτὴς ταύτης παρὰ τοῦ Ὕπνου λαχὼν τῆς τιμῆς

English Text:

Greek Text: εὐθύπορον λά[χος ὄλβου.

English Text:

Greek Text: τεκμηρίῳ χρήσεσθαι τούτου τῷ μεγέθει τῶν δικῶν ἃς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔλαχον

English Text: they will advance as a proof of this the large sum asked as damages in their original suit

Greek Text: Ἑρμῆς χαρμόφρων εἰρύσατο πίονα ἔργα λείῳ ἐπὶ πλαταμῶνι καὶ ἔσχισε δώδεκα μοίρας κληροπαλεῖς: τέλεον δὲ γέρας προσέθηκεν ἑκάστῃ.

English Text: glad-hearted Hermes dragged the rich meats he had prepared and put them on a smooth, flat stone, and divided them into twelve portions distributed by lot, making each portion wholly honorable

Greek Text: κληροῦν οὕτω τῇ θείᾳ τύχῃ ἀποδιδόντα, δοκιμάζειν δὲ τὸν ἀεὶ λαγχάνοντα πρῶτον μὲν ὁλόκληρον καὶ γνήσιον

English Text: we shall entrust it to the god himself to ensure his own good pleasure, by committing their appointment to the divine chance of the lot

Greek Text: ὄντες γὰρ δύο τέτταρας εἰλήχασι δίκας ἡμῖν

English Text: For there are two of them, and they have entered four suits against us

Greek Text: ὡς τὰ πρῶτα γένοντο καὶ ὡς λάχε μοῖραν ἕκαστος.

English Text: how at the first they came to be, and how each one received his portion.

Greek Text: δώδεκα μὲν ἡμῖν ἡ χώρα πᾶσα εἰς δύναμιν ἴσα μόρια νενέμηται, φυλὴ δὲ μία τῷ μορίῳ ἑκάστῳ ἐπικληρωθεῖσα

English Text: we have marked out the whole country as nearly as possible into twelve equal portions: to each portion one tribe shall be assigned by lot

Greek Text: Περίθους ὀνόματι καὶ τύχας εἴληχ’ ἴσας.

English Text:

Greek Text: ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ μὲν τῶν δικῶν μέγεθος τῶν τότε ληχθεισῶν μεῖζον ἡγοῦμαι τεκμήριον ἡμῖν εἶναι ὡς ἐσυκοφαντεῖθ᾽ ὁ πατήρ

English Text: For my own part, I think that the large sum asked as damages in the suits then brought is a stronger proof for us, that our father was the victim of a malicious action

Greek Text: Μνημοσύνην μὲν πρῶτα θεῶν ἐγέραιρεν ἀοιδῇ, μητέρα Μουσάων: ἣ γὰρ λάχε Μαιάδος υἱόν:

English Text: First among the gods he honored Mnemosyne, mother of the Muses, in his song; for the son of Maia was of her following.

Greek Text: τούτοις δὲ διακληρωθήτω τὰ μόρια τῆς χώρας κατὰ μῆνα ἕκαστα ἑκάστοις

English Text: To these groups of twelve the twelve portions of the country shall be assigned, one to each in rotation for a month at a time

Greek Text: ψυχῆς φύσιν γὰρ ὧδε γενναίαν λαχὼν

English Text:

Greek Text: ἢ ὡς εἰκοστῷ λαγχάνειν ἔτει δίκαιόν ἐστι

English Text: or that it is legal to bring an action after the lapse of twenty years

Greek Text: αἰδοίην, χρυσοστέφανον, καλὴν Ἀφροδίτην ᾁσομαι, ἣ πάσης Κύπρου κρήδεμνα λέλογχεν εἰναλίης

English Text: I will sing of stately Aphrodite, gold-crowned and beautiful, whose dominion is the walled cities of all sea-set Cyprus.

Greek Text: τούτων πέρι λαγχάνειν μὲν ἐν ταῖς κοιναῖς δίκαις τὸν ἀδικούμενον

English Text: in such cases the injured party must institute proceedings at the public courts

Greek Text: ὁ τῆς τύχης παῖς κλῆρος

English Text:

Greek Text: ὅτι μὲν τοίνυν, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, καὶ δίκας ἔλαχον τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς

English Text: That they entered suit, men of the jury, regarding the guardianship