IV. Κραγαλεύς
[Ἱστορεῖ Νίκανδρος ἑτεροιουμένων α΄ καὶ Ἀθανάδας Ἀμβρακικοῖς.]
Κραγαλεὺς ὁ Δρύοπος ᾤκει γῆς τῆς Δρυοπίδος παρὰ τὰ λουτρὰ τὰ Ἡρακλέους, ἃ μυθολογοῦσιν Ἡρακλέα πλήξαντα τῇ κορύνῃ τὰς πλάκας τοῦ ὄρους ἀναβαλεῖν.
4. Cragaleus
[Nicander tells this story in Book 1 of the Heteroeumena, and Athanadas in the Ambraciaca.]
Cragaleus, the son of Dryops, lived in the land of Dryopis beside the Baths of Heracles, which, according to the story, Heracles made gush forth by striking the rock-slabs of the mountain with his club.
ὁ δὲ Κραγαλεὺς οὗτος ἐγεγόνει γηραιὸς ἤδη καὶ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις ἐνομίζετο δίκαιος εἶναι καὶ φρόνιμος. καὶ αὐτῷ νέμοντι βοῦς προσάγουσιν Ἀπόλλων καὶ Ἄρτεμις καὶ Ἡρακλῆς κριθησόμενοι περὶ Ἀμβρακίας τῆς ἐν Ἠπείρῳ.
This Cragaleus was by now an old man, and the people of the country thought him just and wise. While he was herding his cattle, Apollo, Artemis and Heracles came to him to have him judge their dispute over Ambracia in Epirus.
καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἀπόλλων ἑαυτῷ προσήκειν ἔλεγε τὴν πόλιν, ὅτι Μελανεὺς υἱὸς ἦν αὐτοῦ ⟨ὁ⟩ βασιλεύσας μὲν Δρυόπων καὶ πολέμῳ λαβὼν τὴν πᾶσαν Ἤπειρον, γεννήσας δὲ παῖδας Εὔρυτον καὶ Ἀμβρακίαν, ἀφ’ ἧς ἡ πόλις Ἀμβρακία καλεῖται· καὶ αὐτὸς μέγιστα χαρίσασθαι ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει.
Apollo said that the city belonged to him, because Melaneus was his son — Melaneus who had been king of the Dryopes, conquered all Epirus in war and fathered the children Eurytus and Ambracia, after whom the city is called Ambracia; and he said that he himself had bestowed the greatest favours on this city.
Σισυφίδας μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ προστάξαντος ἀφικομένους κατορθῶσαι τὸν πόλεμον Ἀμβρακιώταις τὸν γενόμενον αὐτοῖς πρὸς Ἠπειρώτας, Γόργον δὲ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Κυψέλου κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοῦ χρησμοὺς λαὸν ἔποικον ἀγαγεῖν εἰς Ἀμβρακίαν ἐκ Κορίνθου, Φαλαίκῳ δὲ τυραννοῦντι τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ κατὰ μαντείαν Ἀμβρακιώτας ἐπαναστῆσαι καὶ παρὰ τοῦτο ⟨τοὺς⟩ πολλοὺς ἀπολέσαι τὸν Φάλαικον, τὸ δὲ ὅλον αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ πόλει παῦσαι πλειστάκις ἐμφύλιον πόλεμον καὶ ἔριδας καὶ στάσιν, ἐμποιῆσαι [ἀντὶ τούτων] δ’ εὐνομίαν καὶ θέμιν καὶ δίκην, ὅθεν [αὐτὸν] ἔτι νῦν παρὰ τοῖς Ἀμβρακιώταις σωτῆρα Πύθιον ἐν ἑορταῖς καὶ εἰλαπίναις ᾄδεσθαι.
For, he said, it was at his command that the Sisyphids came and brought to a successful end the war the Ambraciots were waging against the Epirotes; it was by his oracles that Gorgus, the brother of Cypselus, led settlers from Corinth to Ambracia; it was by his prophecy that he roused the Ambraciots against Phalaecus when he was tyrant of his city, and for this reason the populace destroyed Phalaecus [?]; and in short he himself had many times put an end in the city to civil war, strife and faction and had instilled [in their place] good order, right and justice; for which reason [he] is still sung by the Ambraciots at their festivals and feasts as the Pythian Saviour.
Ἄρτεμις δὲ τὸ μὲν νεῖκος κατέπαυε τὸ πρὸς τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα, παρ’ ἑκόντος δ’ ἠξίου τὴν Ἀμβρακίαν ἔχειν· ἐφίεσθαι γὰρ τῆς πόλεως κατὰ πρόφασιν τοιαύτην· ὅτε Φάλαικος ἐτυράννευε τῆς πόλεως, οὐδενὸς αὐτὸν δυναμένου κατὰ δέος ἀνελεῖν αὐτὴ κυνηγετοῦντι τῷ Φαλαίκῳ προφῆναι σκύμνον λέοντος, ἀναλαβόντος δὲ εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἐκδραμεῖν ἐκ τῆς ὕλης τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσπεσοῦσαν ἀναρρῆξαι τὰ στέρνα τοῦ Φαλαίκου, τοὺς δ’ Ἀμβρακιώτας ἐκφυγόντας τὴν δουλείαν Ἄρτεμιν ἡγεμόνην ἱλάσασθαι καὶ ποιησαμένους ἀγροτέρης εἴκασμα παραστήσασθαι χάλκεον αὐτῷ θῆρα.
Artemis broke off her quarrel with Apollo, but asked to have Ambracia with his consent; she laid claim to the city on the following ground: when Phalaecus was tyrant of the city and no one, out of fear, was able to kill him, she herself showed Phalaecus, as he was hunting, a lion cub; when he took it up in his arms, its mother ran out of the wood, fell upon him and tore open Phalaecus' chest; and the Ambraciots, having escaped slavery, propitiated Artemis as the Leader (Hegemone), made a likeness of the Huntress (Agrotera) and set up a bronze wild beast beside it.
ὁ δὲ Ἡρακλῆς ἀπεδείκνυεν Ἀμβρακίαν τε καὶ τὴν σύμπασαν Ἤπειρον οὖσαν ἑαυτοῦ· πολεμήσαντας γὰρ αὐτῷ Κελτοὺς καὶ Χάονας καὶ Θεσπρωτοὺς καὶ σύμπαντας Ἠπειρώτας ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ κρατηθῆναι, ὅτε τὰς Γηρυόνου βοῦς συνελθόντες ⟨ἐβούλευον⟩ ἀφελέσθαι, χρόνῳ δ’ ὕστερον λαὸν ἔποικον ἐλθεῖν ἐκ Κορίνθου καὶ τοὺς πρόσθεν ἀναστήσαντας Ἀμβρακίαν συνοικίσαι.
Heracles showed that Ambracia and all Epirus were his: for the Celts [?], the Chaonians, the Thesprotians and all the Epirotes had made war on him and been defeated by him, when they banded together ⟨and planned⟩ to take the cattle of Geryon from him; and later settlers had come from Corinth, driven out the earlier inhabitants and founded Ambracia.
Κορίνθιοι δὲ πάντες εἰσὶν ἀφ’ Ἡρακλέους. ἃ διακούσας ὁ Κραγαλεὺς ἔγνω τὴν πόλιν Ἡρακλέους εἶναι. Ἀπόλλων δὲ κατ’ ὀργὴν ἁψάμενος αὐτοῦ τῇ χειρὶ πέτρον ἐποίησεν ἵναπερ εἱστήκει. Ἀμβρακιῶται δὲ Ἀπόλλωνι μὲν σωτῆρι θύουσι, τὴν δὲ πόλιν Ἡρακλέους καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου παίδων ⟨εἶναι⟩ νενομίκασι, Κραγαλεῖ δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν Ἡρακλέους ἔντομα θύουσιν ἄχρι νῦν.
And the Corinthians are all descended from Heracles. When he had heard these arguments through, Cragaleus judged that the city belonged to Heracles. Apollo in anger touched him with his hand and turned him to stone where he stood. The Ambraciots sacrifice to Apollo the Saviour, but they hold that the city is Heracles' and his descendants', and to this day they offer sacrifices of slaughtered victims to Cragaleus after the festival of Heracles.
V. Αἰγυπιός
[Ἱστορεῖ Βοῖος ὀρνιθογονίας α΄.]
Ἀνθέως τοῦ Νομίονος ἐγένετο παῖς Αἰγυπιός· ᾤκει δὲ παρὰ τὴν ἐσχατιὰν τῆς Θεσσαλίας καὶ αὐτὸν ἐφίλησαν θεοὶ ὁσιότητος ἕνεκα καὶ ἄνθρωποι ὅτι ἦν μεγαλόφρων καὶ δίκαιος.
5. Aegypius
[Boeus tells this story in Book 1 of the Ornithogonia.]
Anthus, the son of Nomion, had a son, Aegypius. He lived on the borders of Thessaly, and the gods loved him for his piety, and men because he was generous and just.
οὗτος ἰδὼν Τιμάνδρην ἠράσθη· μαθὼν δ’ ὅτι ἀνδρὸς ἦν χήρα, πείσας χρήμασιν ἐμίγνυτο φοιτῶν εἰς τὰ ἐκείνης οἰκεῖα. πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο Νεόφρων ὁ παῖς τῆς Τιμάνδρης χαλεπῶς εἶχε (τῷ Αἰγυπιῷ δ’ ἦν ἡλικιώτης) κἀκείνῳ δόλον ἐβούλευε.
He saw Timandre and fell in love with her; learning that she was a widow, he won her over with money and slept with her, visiting her house. Neophron, Timandre's son, was angry at this (he was of the same age as Aegypius) and plotted a trick against him.
δοὺς ⟨δὲ⟩ πλεῖστα δῶρα καὶ ἀναπείσας Βουλίδα τὴν Αἰγυπιοῦ μητέρα καὶ ἀγαγὼν εἰς τὰ οἰκεῖα εὐνάζεται σὺν αὐτῇ· προμαθὼν δὲ τὴν ὥραν, ἣν εἰώθει παρὰ Τιμάνδρην ὁ Αἰγυπιὸς φοιτᾶν, τὴν μὲν αὐτοῦ μητέρα καθ’ ἥντινα πρόφασιν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας μετέστησεν, ἀντὶ δ’ ἐκείνης τὴν Αἰγυπιοῦ μητέρα παρήγαγεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον ὡς ἐπανήξων πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ ἀμφοτέρους ἐξηπάτησεν.
⟨So⟩ he gave many gifts to Bulis, Aegypius' mother, and won her over, brought her into his house and slept with her; and having learned in advance the hour at which Aegypius used to visit Timandre, he got his own mother out of the house on some pretext and brought Aegypius' mother into the house in her place, as if he would come back to her, and so he deceived them both.
Αἰγυπιὸς δ’ οὐδὲν ἐπιλεξάμενος ὧν εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμηχανᾶτο Νεόφρων μίγνυται τῇ μητρὶ δοκῶν εἶναι Τιμάνδρην· καὶ ἐπεὶ αὐτὸν ὕπνος ἔλαβεν, ἡ Βουλὶς ἔγνω τὸν παῖδα τὸν ἑαυτῆς· καὶ ἀναλαβοῦσα ξίφος ἐβούλευεν ἐκείνου μὲν τὰς ὄψεις ἀφελέσθαι, ἑαυτὴν δὲ κτεῖναι· βουλῇ δ’ Ἀπόλλωνος ἀνίησι τὸν Αἰγυπιὸν ὁ ὕπνος· ὁ δὲ γνοὺς οἷον ἔργον ἐμηχανήσατο Νεόφρων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβλέψας ηὔξατο σὺν ἑαυτῷ πάντα⟨ς⟩ ἀφανισθῆναι.
Aegypius, taking no note of anything that Neophron was contriving against him, slept with his mother, thinking she was Timandre; and when sleep overcame him, Bulis recognised her own son; she took up a sword and meant to put out his eyes and kill herself. But by the will of Apollo sleep released Aegypius; and when he understood the deed Neophron had contrived against him, he looked up to heaven and prayed that all ⟨of them⟩, himself included, might vanish.
Ζεὺς δὲ μετέβαλεν εἰς ὄρνιθας καὶ ἐγένοντο Αἰγυπιὸς μὲν καὶ Νεόφρων αἰγυπιοὶ ὁμώνυμοι, χρόαν δὲ καὶ μέγεθος οὐχ ὅμοιοι, ἀλλὰ ἐλάττων ὄρνις αἰγυπιὸς ἐγένετο Νεόφρων, ἡ δὲ Βουλὶς ἐγένετο πῶυγξ καὶ αὐτῇ τροφὴν ἔδωκεν ὁ Ζεὺς μηδὲν ἐκ γῆς φυόμενον, ἀλλὰ [ἐσθίειν] ὀφθαλμοὺς ἰχθύος ἢ ὄρνιθος ἢ ὄφεως, ὅτι ἔμελλεν Αἰγυπιοῦ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀφελέσθαι τὰς ὄψεις· Τιμάνδρην δὲ ἐποίησεν αἰγίθαλλον· καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐπὶ ταὐτὸν οὐδέποθ’ οἱ ὄρνιθες οὗτοι.
Zeus changed them into birds: Aegypius and Neophron became vultures (aigypioi) with the same name, but not alike in colour and size — Neophron became a smaller vulture; Bulis became a pōynx, and Zeus gave her as food nothing that grows from the earth, but [to eat] the eyes of fish or birds or snakes, because she had been about to take away the eyes of her son Aegypius; Timandre he made a titmouse (aigithallos). These birds are never seen in the same place.
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