The History of Herodotus, volume 1 | Page 7

of old time those fair sayings have been found
out by men, from which we ought to learn wisdom; and of these one is this,--that each
man should look on his own: but I believe indeed that she is of all women the fairest and
I entreat thee not to ask of me that which it is not lawful for me to do." 9. With such
words as these he resisted, fearing lest some evil might come to him from this; but the
king answered him thus: "Be of good courage, Gyges, and have no fear, either of me, that
I am saying these words to try thee, or of my wife, lest any harm may happen to thee
from her. For I will contrive it so from the first that she shall not even perceive that she
has been seen by thee. I will place thee in the room where we sleep, behind the open
door;[7] and after I have gone in, my wife also will come to lie down. Now there is a seat
near the entrance of the room, and upon this she will lay her garments as she takes them
off one by one; and so thou wilt be able to gaze upon her at full leisure. And when she
goes from the chair to the bed and thou shalt be behind her back, then let it be thy part to
take care that she sees thee not as thou goest through the door." 10. He then, since he
might not avoid it, gave consent: and Candaules, when he considered that it was time to
rest, led Gyges to the chamber; and straightway after this the woman also appeared: and
Gyges looked upon her after she came in and as she laid down her garments; and when
she had her back turned towards him, as she went to the bed, then he slipped away from
his hiding-place and was going forth. And as he went out, the woman caught sight of him,
and perceiving that which had been done by her husband she did not cry out, though

struck with shame,[8] but she made as though she had not perceived the matter, meaning
to avenge herself upon Candaules: for among the Lydians as also among most other
Barbarians it is a shame even for a man to be seen naked. 11. At the time then she kept
silence, as I say, and made no outward sign; but as soon as day had dawned, and she
made ready those of the servants whom she perceived to be the most attached to herself,
and after that she sent to summon Gyges. He then, not supposing that anything of that
which had been done was known to her, came upon her summons; for he had been
accustomed before to go[9] whenever the queen summoned him. And when Gyges was
come, the woman said to him these words: "There are now two ways open to thee, Gyges,
and I give thee the choice which of the two thou wilt prefer to take. Either thou must slay
Candaules and possess both me and the kingdom of Lydia, or thou must thyself here on
the spot be slain, so that thou mayest not in future, by obeying Candaules in all things,
see that which thou shouldest not. Either he must die who formed this design, or thou
who hast looked upon me naked and done that which is not accounted lawful." For a time
then Gyges was amazed at these words, and afterwards he began to entreat her that she
would not bind him by necessity to make such a choice: then however, as he could not
prevail with her, but saw that necessity was in truth set before him either to slay his
master or to be himself slain by others, he made the choice to live himself; and he
inquired further as follows: "Since thou dost compel me to take my master's life against
my own will, let me hear from thee also what is the manner in which we shall lay hands
upon him." And she answering said: "From that same place shall the attempt be, where he
displayed me naked; and we will lay hands upon him as he sleeps." 12. So after they had
prepared the plot, when night came on, (for Gyges was not let go nor was there any way
of escape for him, but he must either be slain himself or slay Candaules), he followed the
woman to the bedchamber; and she gave him a dagger and concealed him behind that
very same door. Then afterwards, while Candaules was sleeping, Gyges came privily up
to him[10] and slew him, and he obtained both his wife and his kingdom: of him
moreover Archilochos the Parian, who