View:
By Section
[1]
There Polymnestus, a notable Theraean, took Phronime and made her his concubine. In time, a son of weak and stammering speech was born to him, to whom he gave the name Battus, 1 as the Theraeans and Cyrenaeans say; but in my opinion the boy was given some other name,
There Polymnestus, a notable Theraean, took Phronime and made her his concubine. In time, a son of weak and stammering speech was born to him, to whom he gave the name Battus, 1 as the Theraeans and Cyrenaeans say; but in my opinion the boy was given some other name,
[2] and changed it to
Battus on his coming to
Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, taking this new name because of the oracle given to him at
Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi and the honorable office which he received. For the
Libyan word for king is “
Battus,” and this (I believe) is why the
Pythian priestess called him so in her prophecy, using a
Libyan name because she knew that he was to be king in
Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya.
[3] For when he grew to adulthood, he went to
Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to inquire about his voice; and the priestess in answer gave him this:
just as if she addressed him using the
Greek word for “king,” “Basileus, you have come for a voice,” et cetera.
“
Battus, you have come for a voice; but
Lord Phoebus Apollo
Sends you to found a city in
Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, nurse of sheep,”
[4] But he answered: “Lord, I came to you to ask about my speech; but you talk of other matters, things impossible to do; you tell me to plant a colony in
Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya; where shall I get the power or strength of hand for it?”
Battus spoke thus, but as the god would not give him another oracle and kept answering as before, he departed while the priestess was still speaking, and went away to
+Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera.
Histories. Herodotus. ed. A.D. Godley. Cambridge. 1920-1925.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.
Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.