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[i.e. than] the son of Melanthos the Messenian, father of Medon and Neleus. As the Dorians were making war on the Athenians, when [the Athenians] received the refugees from the Peloponnese, among whom was Melanthos, an oracle was given to [the Dorians], [saying] that they would take the city if they abstained from their enemies' king. When [Kodros] learned of the oracle, he put on the clothes of a wood-cutter and happening on the guards of the Dorians he killed one of them. The rest being angered captured him and killed him, according to Eudemos.[1]
But those [who write] about Kodros say that when he was king of the Athenians, and the Lacedaemonians' crops failed throughout their territory, they decided to march against Athens. When the god replied to them that they would not take the city, if they killed Kodros the king of the Athenians, they marched against Athens. But [they say that] Kleomantis, one of the Delphians, learned of the oracle and sent [a message] to the Athenians. When Kodros learned this, going out in front of the city he began to gather firewood. Two men came to him and asked who he was. Kodros struck him with his sickle and killed him, and the other slew Kodros. But the orators used Kodros as [an example of] an honorable man, as Eudemos says in [his book] on rhetorical expressions.[2]

*eu)gene/steros *ko/drou: tou= ui(ou= *mela/nqou tou= *messhni/ou, patro\s de\ *me/dontos kai\ *nhle/ws. ou(=tos o( *ko/dros *dwrie/wn e)pistrateusa/ntwn *)aqhnai/ois, e)pei\ tou\s e)k *peloponnh/sou fuga/das prosede/canto, e)n oi(=s kai\ *me/lanqon, xrhsmou= de\ au)toi=s doqe/ntos, ai(rh/sein th\n po/lin, e)a\n a)po/sxwntai tou= tw=n polemi/wn basile/ws, noh/sas to\n xrhsmo/n, a)nalabw\n u(loto/mou e)sqh=ta kai\ e)ntuxw\n toi=s fu/laci tw=n *dwrie/wn e(/na e)c au)tw=n a)nei=le. diorgisqe/ntes de\ oi( loipoi/, sullabo/ntes au)to\n a)nei=lon, w(s *eu)/dhmos. oi( de\ peri\ *ko/drou fasi/n, o(/ti basileu/ontos au)tou= *)aqhnai/wn, toi=s *lakedaimoni/ois genome/nhs a)fori/as kata\ th\n xw/ran pa=san, e)/doce strateu/ein e)pi\ ta\s *)aqh/nas, o(/pws e)canasth/santes th=s *)attikh=s tou\s e)noikou=ntas au)toi\ katanei/mwntai th\n xw/ran: kai\ punqa/nontai th=s *puqi/as, ei) lh/yontai ta\s *)aqh/nas. a)nelo/ntos de\ au)toi=s tou= qeou=, dio/ti th\n po/lin ou)x ai(rh/sousin, e)a\n to\n basile/a tw=n *)aqhnai/wn *ko/dron a)poktei/nwsi: kai\ e)stra/teusan e)pi\ ta\s *)aqh/nas. *kleo/mantis de\ tw=n *delfw=n tis puqe/sqai to\n xrhsmo\n kai\ a)postei=lai *)aqhnai/ois. tou=to maqw\n *ko/dros, pro\ th=s po/lews e)celqw\n fru/gana sune/lege. du/o de/ tinwn e)lqo/ntwn pro\s au)to\n punqa/nesqai ti/s ei)/h: o( de\ *ko/dros tw=| drepa/nw| plh/cas a)pe/kteinen au)to/n, o( de\ e(/teros a)nei=le to\n *ko/dron. oi( de\ r(h/tores to\ *ko/dros e)pi\ tou= e)nti/mou e)xrh/santo, w(/s fhsin *eu)/dhmos e)n tw=| peri\ le/cewn r(htorikw=n.

David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics) on 5 December 2006@03:08:29.
Catharine Roth (tweaked translation) on 5 December 2006@10:58:28.
David Whitehead (augmented n.1) on 23 January 2008@09:13:35.
David Whitehead on 23 January 2008@09:14:35.
David Whitehead (more keywords) on 5 November 2012@08:00:52.
David Whitehead (updated a ref) on 3 August 2014@08:41:45.

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