Herdsman
historical figure · 3 works · 3 mentions · 4 anchored passages
herdsman · a cowherd · cattle owner · cowherd · the herdsman
in the texts
Iphigenia in Tauris
Unnamed Taurian cattle-herder who witnessed and helped capture Orestes and Pylades, and reports the event to Iphigenia.
Look, here comes a herdsman, who has left the shores of the sea to bring you some new message.
You have prayed for such sacrificial victims as these strangers, lady;
for we thought cowherds would make a poor fight of it against well-grown and young foreigners.
Bṛhaspati Smṛti
A servant employed to tend cattle, with specific rules on fault, wages, and protective duties.
In case of loss due to the herdsman's fault, a punishment is prescribed for the herdsman:
In a case caused by an act of god or the king, and likewise in a confusion of the country, whatever is lost or taken away, the herdsman is not at fault there.
Not exerting himself, not shouting, and not informing the owner, the herdsman is liable for that loss, and also for a fine to the king.
Nāradasmṛti
The keeper of cattle whose negligence or diligence determines legal liability for crop damage caused by grazing animals.
Where damage to crops is caused by cattle or other animals crossing a fence, the herdsman shall be punished there, if he did not try to stop them to the best of his ability.
For damage to a field on the outskirts of a village, near a pasture, or on a highway, if it is unfenced, the herdsman is not at fault.
The herdsman is absolved by the death penalty, and the fine falls upon the owner of the cattle.