politburo diktat 2.0

This section continues the laudatory biography of Cyrus (killed last chapter at the Battle of Cunaxa).

There Cyrus appeared to be the most respectful of his peers, and to be obedient to his elders (even more than his inferiors), the most fond of horses and best able to handle them. And, in the arts of war: archery and javelin-throwing, they considered him the most eager to learn and to practice. When it was fitting for his age, he was also the most dedicated to hunting, especially the most dangerous animals. On one occasion, when attacked by a bear, he didn’t run away, but grappling with it, was pulled down off his horse, and was injured. But even with his wounds, he finally killed it. And he handsomely rewarded the man who first came to rescue him.

When sent down by his father to be satrap of Lydia, Greater Phrygia, and Cappadocia, and was appointed general of all those whose duty it is to muster on the plain of Castrus, he first displayed what was important to him: if he made a treaty, or came to an agreement, or gave a promise, he was never false to it. Because of this, the cities trusted him, placing themselves under his protection, and so did individuals. And if someone who had been an enemy came to an agreement with Cyrus, he could trust him never to break the treaty.

There are some notable words here.

First κατεπέμφθη, (katepempfthe), literally means “sent down.” In this case, by his father, the King, to be governor (satrap) of three provinces. “Down” in this usage means anywhere outside the capital, the “down” is very conceptual. In Greek, “kata” means “down,” and “ana” means “up.” Thus the title, “Anabasis,” is literally a “Going Up.” And the concept of “up” and “down” is extended to mean any journey inland from the coast is “up,” which, strictly in terms of elevation, it is. Likewise, any journey from inland to the coast, is “down,” a “Katabasis.” All of those meanings are geographical. But here, when his father sent him “down,” it is much softer, much more conceptual. In English, we might say “out.” In reference to our capital, we might say “Bush’s loyalists were sent out from Washington DC.” We also might say “up” when referring to a capital, as in “The mayor went up to the state capital to complain about the budget.”

A few more words here were rather fun:

αἰδημονέστατος - aidemon-estatos - most respectful
φιλιππότατος - phil-ipp-otatos - most fond of horses
φιλομαθέστατον - philo-math-estatov - most fond of learning
μελετηρότατον - meleter-otatov - most skillful
φιλοθηρότατος - philo-ther-otatos - most fond of hunting
φιλοκινδυνότατος - philo-kindyn-otatos - most fond of danger

These all come in one short paragraph; they are all superlatives; they all describe Cyrus. The rhetorical effect is clear. “Cyrus was the bestest with the mostest and the greatest and the overall most-good-est.”

Picking these apart a little bit, the endings (-estatos, -otatos, -otatov) are all superlatives, identical to the English suffix “-est.” Four of the words begin with “philo-” meaning “lover of, fond of,” as in philosopher, or bibliophile, or Anglophile, or even (a new one to me) “philomath,” which still means “fond of learning.” The roots don’t have as many cognates. The “-ipp-” is from “hippos” or horse, from which we famously get hippopotamus, and the name “Philipp,” or “lover of horses.” The root “-math-” means to learn, and is the root of “mathematics.” The other roots I don’t recognize.

Needless to say, all these characteristics, an appreciation and skill at horses, hunting, warfare, and learning were considered by the ancients to be the mark of nobility and superiority. (It’s hard for us sometimes to keep in mind the non-egalitarian mindset of the ancients. All these characteristics, and “handsome” as well, were considered to be possessed by the nobles, by the aristocrats, as inherited traits, and that those who possessed them were fit to rule over lesser folk.)