XXII. Κέραμβος
[Ἱστορεῖ Νίκανδρος ἐν α΄ ἑτεροιουμένων.]
Κέραμβος ⟨ὁ⟩ Εὐσείρου τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Εἰδοθέας νύμφης †Ὀθρηΐδος† ᾤκει ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ Μηλιέων παρὰ τὴν ὑπώρειαν τῆς Ὄθρυος. ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῷ θρέμματα πλεῖστα καὶ αὐτὰ ἐποίμαινεν αὐτός.
22. Cerambus
[Nicander tells this story in Book 1 of the Heteroeumena.]
Cerambus, the son of Euseirus son of Poseidon and of the nymph Eidothea †Othreis†, lived in the land of the Malians at the foot of Mount Othrys. He had a great many flocks and tended them himself.
νύμφαι δὲ συνελάμβανον αὐτῷ, διότι αὐτὰς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ᾄδων ἔτερπεν· λέγεται γὰρ μουσικώτατος τῶν τότε γενέσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ βουκολικοῖς ᾄσμασι διαβοηθῆναι καὶ σύριγγα ποιμενικὴν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι συνθεῖναι καὶ λύρᾳ πρῶτος ἀνθρώπων κεχρῆσθαι πλεῖστά τε καὶ κάλλιστα μέλη ποιῆσαι.
The nymphs helped him, because he delighted them with his singing in the mountains; for he is said to have been the most musical man of his time, to have become famous for his pastoral songs, to have put together the shepherd's pipe in the mountains, to have been the first man to use the lyre, and to have composed a great many very beautiful songs.
τούτων οὖν χάριν λέγουσιν ὀφθῆναι αὐτῷ ποτε νύμφας καὶ χορεῦσαι πρὸς τὰ κρούματα τοῦ Κεράμβου, Πᾶνα δὲ τοῦτο κατ’ εὐμένειαν αὐτῷ παραγγεῖλαι καταλιπόντι τὴν Ὄθρυν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τὰ πρόβατα ποιμαίνειν· ἐξαίσιον γάρ τι καὶ ἄπιστον χρῆμα χειμῶνος ἐπεῖναι [μέλλειν].
For these reasons, they say, nymphs once appeared to him and danced to Cerambus' playing, and Pan, out of goodwill, advised him to leave Othrys and graze his sheep on the plain, for an extraordinary and incredible storm of winter [was about] to come.
ὁ δὲ Κέραμβος ὑπὸ μεγαλαυχίας ἐκ νεότητος οἷα θεοβλαβὴς ἀπελαύνειν μὲν ἐκ τῆς Ὄθρυος εἰς τὸ πεδίον οὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν, ἀπέρριψε δὲ λόγον ἄχαριν τε καὶ ἀνόητον εἰς τὰς νύμφας. ὅτι γένος μέν εἰσιν οὐκ ἀπὸ Διός, ἀλλ’ ἔτεκεν αὐτὰς ἡ Δεινὼ τῷ Σπερχειῷ, Ποσειδῶν δὲ πόθῳ μιᾶς αὐτῶν Διοπάτρης τὰς ἀδελφὰς ἐρρίζωσε καὶ ἐποίησεν αἰγείρους, ἄχρις αὐτὸς κορεσθεὶς τῆς εὐνῆς ἀνέλυσε καὶ πάλιν αὐταῖς ἀπέδωκε τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς φύσιν.
But Cerambus, out of the boastfulness he had had since his youth, as if a god had deranged him, did not think of driving his flocks from Othrys to the plain, and he let fall a graceless and senseless speech against the nymphs: that they were not of the race of Zeus, but Deino had borne them to Spercheus; and that Poseidon, out of desire for one of them, Diopatre, had rooted her sisters to the ground and made them poplars, until, sated with his love-making, he released them and gave them back their original nature.
τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ Κέραμβος ἐκερτόμησεν εἰς τὰς νύμφας. μετὰ δὲ χρόνον ὀλίγον ἐξαίφνης ἐγένετο κρυμὸς καὶ ἐπάγησαν αἱ χαράδραι καὶ πολλὴ κατέπεσε χιὼν καὶ τὰ ποίμνια τοῦ Κεράμβου [σὺν] αὐταῖς ἀτραποῖς καὶ δένδρεσιν ἠφανίσθη. νύμφαι δὲ μετέβαλον κατ’ ὀργὴν τὸν Κέραμβον, ὅτι αὐταῖς ἐλοιδόρησε, καὶ ἐγένετο ὑλοφάγος κεράμβυξ·
Such were the taunts that Cerambus hurled at the nymphs. A little while later a frost suddenly came, the ravines froze over, much snow fell, and Cerambus' flocks vanished [together with] the very paths and trees. The nymphs in their anger changed Cerambus, because he had insulted them, and he became a wood-eating kerambyx (horned beetle) [?].
φαίνεται δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων καὶ ἔστιν ἀγκύλος ἐκ τῶν ὀδόντων καὶ συνεχῶς τὰ γένεια κινεῖ, μέλας, παραμήκης. πτέρυγας στερεὰς ἔχων, ἐοικὼς τοῖς μεγάλοις κανθάροις. οὗτος ξυλοφάγος βοῦς καλεῖται. παρὰ δὲ Θετταλοῖς κεράμβυξ. τοῦτον οἱ παῖδες παίγνιον ἔχουσι καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτέμνοντες φέρουσιν. ἡ δὲ ἔοικε σὺν τοῖς κέρασι λύρᾳ τῇ ἐκ τῆς χελώνης.
It is seen on wood, has hooked teeth and continually moves its jaws; it is black, elongated, with hard wings, and resembles the large dung-beetles. It is called the wood-eating ox (xylophagos bous), and among the Thessalians kerambyx. Children have it as a toy, and they cut off its head and wear it; the head, with its horns, looks like a lyre made from a tortoise shell.
XXIII. Βάττος
[Ἱστορεῖ Νίκανδρος ἑτεροιουμένων α΄ καὶ Ἡσίοδος ἐν μεγάλαις Ἠοίαις καὶ Διδύμαρχος μεταμορφώσεων γ΄ καὶ Ἀντίγονος ἐν ταῖς ἀλλοιώσεσι καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Ῥόδιος ἐν ἐπιγράμμασιν, ὥς φησι Πάμφιλος ἐν α΄.]
Ἄργου τοῦ Φρίξου καὶ Περιμήλης τῆς Ἀδμήτου θυγατρὸς ἐγένετο Μάγνης. οὗτος ᾤκησεν ἐγγὺς Θεσσαλίας καὶ τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ Μαγνησίαν προσηγόρευσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι. ἐγένετο δ’ αὐτῷ παῖς περίβλεπτος τὴν ὄψιν Ὑμέναιος.
23. Battus
[Nicander tells this story in Book 1 of the Heteroeumena, Hesiod in the Great Eoiai, Didymarchus in Book 3 [?] of the Metamorphoses, Antigonus in the Alloioseis (Transformations), and Apollonius of Rhodes in his Epigrams, as Pamphilus says in Book 1.]
Argus, the son of Phrixus, and Perimele, the daughter of Admetus, had a son, Magnes. He settled near Thessaly, and after him people called this land Magnesia. He had a son of conspicuous beauty, Hymenaeus.
ἐπεὶ δὲ Ἀπόλλωνα ἰδόντα ἔρως ἔλαβε τοῦ παιδὸς καὶ οὐκ ἐξέλιμπανε τὰ οἰκία τοῦ Μάγνητος, Ἑρμῆς ἐπιβουλεύει τῇ ἀγέλῃ τῶν βοῶν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος. αἱ δὲ ἐνέμοντο ἵναπερ ἦσαν αἱ Ἀδμήτου βόες. καὶ πρῶτα μὲν ἐμβάλλει ταῖς κυσίν, αἳ ἐφύλαττον αὐτάς, λήθαργον καὶ κυνάγχην. αἱ δὲ ἐξελάθοντο τῶν βοῶν καὶ τὴν ὑλακὴν ἀπώλεσαν.
When Apollo saw the boy, he was seized with love for him and would not leave the house of Magnes, and Hermes plotted against Apollo's herd of cattle. They were grazing where the cattle of Admetus also were. First he cast lethargy and a throat-sickness (kynanche) upon the dogs that guarded them; and the dogs forgot the cattle and lost their bark.
εἶτα δ’ ἀπελαύνει πόρτιας δώδεκα καὶ ἑκατὸν βοῦς ἄζυγας καὶ ταῦρον, ὃς ταῖς βουσὶν ἐπέβαινεν. ἐξῆπτε δὲ ἐκ τῆς οὐρᾶς πρὸς ἕκαστον ὕλην, ὡς ἂν τὰ ἴχνη τῶν βοῶν ἀφανίσῃ, καὶ ἦγεν αὐτὰς ἐλαύνων διά τε Πελασγῶν καὶ δι’ Ἀχαΐας τῆς Φθιώτιδος καὶ διὰ Λοκρίδος καὶ Βοιωτίας καὶ Μεγαρίδος καὶ ἐντεῦθεν εἰς Πελοπόννησον διὰ Κορίνθου καὶ Λαρίσσης ἄχρι Τεγέας καὶ ἐντεῦθεν παρὰ τὸ Λύκαιον ὄρος ἐπορεύετο καὶ παρὰ τὸ Μαινάλιον καὶ τὰς λεγομένας Βάττου σκοπιάς.
Then he drove off twelve heifers, a hundred cows that had never borne the yoke, and the bull that mounted the cows. He tied brushwood to the tail of each, to wipe out the tracks of the cattle, and drove them along through the land of the Pelasgians, through Achaea Phthiotis, through Locris, Boeotia and Megaris, and from there into the Peloponnese through Corinth and Larissa as far as Tegea; and from there he went past Mount Lycaeus and past Maenalus and the place called the Lookout of Battus.
ᾤκει δὲ ὁ Βάττος οὗτος ἐπ’ ἄκρῳ τῷ σκοπέλῳ· καὶ ἐπεὶ τῆς φωνῆς ἤκουσε παρελαυνομένων τῶν μόσχων, προελθὼν ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων ἔγνω περὶ τῶν βοῶν, ὅτι κλοπιμαίας ἄγει, καὶ μισθὸν ᾔτησεν, ἵνα πρὸς μηδένα φράσῃ περὶ αὐτῶν. Ἑρμῆς δὲ δώσειν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὑπέσχετο καὶ ὁ Βάττος ὤμοσε περὶ τῶν βοῶν πρὸς μηδένα κατερεῖν.
This Battus lived on the top of the crag; and when he heard the lowing of the calves as they were driven past, he came out of his house and realised that the cattle were stolen, and he asked for a reward for telling no one about them. Hermes promised to give it on these terms, and Battus swore to tell no one about the cattle.
ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὰς Ἑρμῆς ἔκρυψεν ἐν τῷ πρηῶνι παρὰ τὸ Κορυφάσιον εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον εἰσελάσας ἄντικρυς Ἰταλίας καὶ Σικελίας, αὖθις ἀφίκετο πρὸς τὸν Βάττον ἀλλάξας ἑαυτὸν καὶ πειρώμενος, εἰ αὐτῷ συμμένειν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁρκίοις ἐθέλει· διδοὺς δὲ μισθὸν χλαῖναν ἐπυνθάνετο παρ’ αὐτοῦ, μὴ κλοπιμαίας βοῦς ἔγνω παρελαθείσας.
When Hermes had hidden them in the headland by Coryphasium, driving them into the cave that faces Italy and Sicily, he came back to Battus, having changed his appearance, to test whether he would keep to his oath; and offering him a cloak as a reward, he asked him whether he knew of stolen cattle that had been driven past.
ὁ δὲ Βάττος ἔλαβε τὴν χλαμύδα καὶ ἐμήνυσε περὶ τῶν βοῶν. Ἑρμῆς δὲ χαλεπήνας, ὅτι διχόμυθος ἦν, ἐρράπισεν αὐτὸν τῇ ῥάβδῳ καὶ μετέβαλεν εἰς πέτρον. καὶ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐκλείπει κρύος οὐδὲ καῦμα. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὁ τόπος ⟨ὑπὸ τῶν⟩ παροδευόντων ἄχρι νῦν σκοπιαὶ Βάττου.
Battus took the cloak and gave information about the cattle. Hermes, angry because he was double-tongued, struck him with his staff and changed him into a rock. Neither cold nor heat ever leaves him. And to this day the place is called the Lookout of Battus ⟨by⟩ passers-by.
XXIV. Ἀσκάλαβος
[Ἱστορεῖ Νίκανδρος ἑτεροιουμένων δ΄.]
Δημήτηρ ὅτε πλανῆτις ἐπῄει ⟨τὴν γῆν ἅπασαν⟩ κατὰ ζήτησιν τῆς θυγατρὸς ἀνεπαύσατο ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ, καὶ αὔην ὑπὸ πολλοῦ καύματος ὑποδέχεται Μίσμη καὶ διδοῖ ποτὸν ὕδωρ ἐμβαλοῦσα γλήχωνα καὶ ἄλφιτον εἰς αὐτό.
24. Ascalabus
[Nicander tells this story in Book 4 of the Heteroeumena.]
When Demeter was wandering ⟨over the whole earth⟩ in search of her daughter, she rested in Attica, and, parched by the great heat, she was received by Misme, who gave her water to drink, putting pennyroyal and barley-meal into it.
καὶ ἡ Δημήτηρ ἐξέπιε κατὰ τὸ δίψος τὸ ποτὸν ἀθρόως. ὁ δὲ παῖς ὁ τῆς Μίσμης Ἀσκάλαβος ἰδὼν ἐποιήσατο γέλωτα καὶ αὖτις ἐκέλευεν ὀρέγειν αὐτῇ λέβητα βαθὺν ἢ πιθάκνην.
Because of her thirst Demeter drank the drink down in one draught. Misme's son, Ascalabus, seeing this, burst out laughing and told them to hand her, next time, a deep cauldron or a wine-jar.
Δημήτηρ δὲ κατ’ ὀργὴν ὡς εἶχε τὸ ποτὸν αὐτῷ τὸ καταλειπόμενον προσέχεεν. ὁ δὲ μεταβαλὼν ἐγένετο ποικίλος ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἀσκάλαβος καὶ ὑπὸ θεῶν καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων μεμίσηται. καὶ ἔστιν αὐτῷ δίαιτα παρ’ ὀχετόν. ὁ δὲ ἀποκτείνας κεχαρισμένος γίνεται Δήμητρι.
Demeter in anger, just as she was, poured what was left of the drink over him. He was changed and became an ascalabus (spotted gecko), with a speckled body, and he is hated by gods and men. He lives by the gutter; and whoever kills him wins the favour of Demeter.
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