Ἀνεγνώσθη βιβλιδάριον, Κόνωνος διηγήσεις. προσφωνεῖ μὲν τὸ πονημάτιον Ἀρχελάῳ Φιλοπάτορι βασιλεῖ, περιέχεται δ᾿ αὐτῷ ἐκ πολλῶν ἀρχαίων συνειλεγμένα ν΄ διηγήματα.
Photius' preface
There was read a little book, the Narrations of Conon. He addresses the small work to King Archelaus Philopator, and it contains fifty narratives collected from many ancient writers.
ὧν πρῶτον τὰ περὶ Μίδα καὶ Βρίγων, ὅπως τε θησαυρῷ περιτυχὼν ἀθρόον τε εἰς πλοῦτον ἤρθη, καὶ Ὀρφέως κατὰ Πιερίαν τὸ ὄρος ἀκροατὴς γενόμενος πολλαῖς τέχναις Βρίγων βασιλεύει. καὶ ὡς Σειληνὸς περὶ τὸ Βέρμιον ὄρος Μίδα βασιλεύοντος ὤφθη, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ᾤκει πολυανθρωπότατον ὄν· καὶ ὡς ἤχθη τὸ ζῷον ἐξηλλαγμένον τὴν ἰδέαν ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ φύσει. καὶ ὅπως αὐτῷ χρυσὸς ἐγίνετο καὶ τὰ εἰς τροφὴν παρατιθέμενα ἅπαντα· καὶ ὡς διὰ τοῦτο πείσας τὸ ὑπήκοον ἀπ᾿ Εὐρώπης διαβῆναι τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον ὑπὲρ Μυσίαν ᾤκισε, Φρύγας ἀντὶ Βριγῶν βραχύ τι παραλλαγείσης τῆς λέξεως μετονομασθέντας.
1. Midas and the Briges
Of these the first is the story of Midas and the Briges: how he came upon a hoard of treasure and was lifted at once into wealth; and how, having become a hearer of Orpheus near Mount Pieria, he became king of the Briges by many skills. And how Silenus was seen near Mount Bermion while Midas was king—the people lived there in very great numbers—and how the creature was brought before him, strangely changed in appearance, as is natural in a human being [?]. And how gold came to him, and all the food that was set before him; and how, because of this, he persuaded his subjects to cross the Hellespont from Europe and settled them beyond Mysia, calling them Phrygians in place of Briges, the word having been altered only slightly.
Μίδας δὲ πολλοὺς ἔχων ἀπαγγέλλοντας αὐτῷ τὰ ὅσα ἐλέγετό τε καὶ ἐπράττετο τοῖς ὑπηκόοις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ ἀνεπιβουλεύτῳ τὴν βασιλείαν ἔχων καὶ εἰς γῆρας ἐλθών, μακρὰ ὦτα ἔχειν ἐλέχθη, καὶ κατ᾿ ὀλίγον ἡ φήμη ὄνου ὦτα τὰ μακρὰ μετεποίει, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ σκῶψαι τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ λόγος ἔργον εἶναι ἐπιστεύθη.
Midas had many men who reported to him all that was said and done among his subjects, and because of this he held his kingdom safe from plots; and when he had come to old age he was said to have long ears. Little by little the rumor changed this into the long ears of an ass, and the tale, which began as mockery, came to be believed as fact.
Δεύτερον τὰ περὶ Βυβλίδος, ὡς παῖς ἦν Μιλήτῳ, ἔχουσα ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀδελφὸν Καῦνον. ᾤκουν δὲ Μίλητον τῆς Ἀσίας, ἣν ὕστερον μὲν Ἴωνες καὶ οἱ ἀπ᾿ Ἀθηνῶν μετὰ Νηλέως ὁρμηθέντες ᾤκησαν, τότε δ᾿ ἐνέμοντο Κᾶρες, ἔθνος μέγα, κωμηδὸν οἰκοῦντες. Καύνῳ δ᾿ ἔρως ἐγείρεται ἀμήχανος τῆς ἀδελφῆς Βυβλίδος· ὡς δ᾿ ἀπετύγχανε πολλὰ κινήσας, ἔξεισι τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης.
2. Byblis and Caunus
Second, the story of Byblis: how she was a child of Miletus and had a brother, Caunus, by the same parent [?]. They lived in Miletus in Asia, which later the Ionians and those who set out from Athens with Neleus settled; at that time the Carians were in possession, a great people living in villages. In Caunus a helpless passion arose for his sister Byblis; and when, after many attempts, he did not succeed, he left that land.
καὶ ἀφανισθέντος μυρίῳ ἄχει κατεχομένη ἡ Βυβλὶς ἐκλείπει καὶ αὐτὴ τὴν πατρῴαν οἰκίαν, καὶ πολλὴν ἐρημίαν πλανηθεῖσα, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀτελεῖς ἱμέρους ἀπαγορεύουσα, βρόχον τὴν ζώνην τινὸς καρύας καθάψασα ἑαυτὴν ἀνήρτησεν· ἔνθα δὴ κλαιούσης αὐτῆς ἐρρύη τὰ δάκρυα καὶ κρήνην ἀνῆκε, Βυβλίδα τοῖς ἐπιχωρίοις ὄνομα.
And when he had vanished, Byblis, gripped by boundless grief, left her father's house too; and after wandering through much wilderness, and giving up on her unfulfilled longings, she fastened her girdle to a nut tree as a noose and hanged herself. There, as she wept, her tears flowed and sent up a spring, to which the people of the place gave the name Byblis.
Καῦνος δὲ πλανώμενος εἰς Λυκίαν φθάνει, καὶ τούτῳ Προνόη (Ναῒς δ᾿ ἦν αὕτη) ἀναδῦσα τοῦ ποταμοῦ τά τε συνενεχθέντα τῇ Βυβλίδι λέγει, ὡς ἐχρήσατο Ἔρωτι δικαστῇ, καὶ πείθει αὐτὸν αὐτῇ ἐπὶ τῷ τῆς χώρας λαβεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν (καὶ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὴν ἀνῆπτο) συνοικῆσαι. ὁ δὲ Καῦνος ἐκ τῆς Προνόης τίκτει Αἰγιαλόν, ὃς καὶ παραλαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν, ἐπεὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐτελεύτησεν, ἤθροισέ τε τὸν λαὸν σποράδην οἰκοῦντα καὶ πόλιν ἔκτισεν ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ μεγάλην καὶ εὐδαίμονα, Καῦνον ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπονομάσας.
Caunus, wandering, reached Lycia, and there Pronoe (she was a Naiad) came up out of the river and told him what had befallen Byblis, how she had taken Eros as judge; and she persuades him to marry her, on the condition that he take the kingship of the country (for it had devolved upon her). And Caunus had by Pronoe a son, Aegialus, who took over the kingship when his father died, gathered the people who lived scattered about, and founded on the river a great and prosperous city, naming it Caunus after his father.
Τρίτον, ἡ παρὰ τὸν Ἴόνιον πόντον Σχερία νῆσος, οὐκ ἐκὰς ὅσα τῆς ἠπείρου καὶ τῶν Κεραυνίων ὀρῶν, αἵ τε Φαίακας ἔσχεν οἰκήτορας τὸ πρότερον, αὐτόχθονας, ἔθνος λαχὸν τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἀπό τινος τῶν ἐπιχωρίων βασιλέως· ὕστερον δ᾿ ἐπῴκησεν αὐτὴν μοῖρα Κορινθίων, καὶ τό τε ὄνομα εἰς Κέρκυραν μετέβαλε καὶ τῆς περὶ ἐκεῖνα θαλάσσης ἦρξε. Φαίακος δὲ τοῦ τῆς νήσου βασιλεύοντος τελευτήσαντος οἱ υἱεῖς Ἀλκίνους καὶ Λοκρὸς στασιάσαντες συνέβησαν πάλιν ἐφ᾿ ᾧ βασιλεύειν μὲν Ἀλκίνουν τῆς Φαιακίδος, Λοκρὸν δὲ κειμήλια καὶ μοῖραν λαβόντα τοῦ ἔθνους ἀποικίζεσθαι τῆς χώρας· ὃς καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰταλίας πλεύσας ξενίζεται παρὰ Λατίνῳ Ἰταλῶν βασιλεῖ, δόντι πρὸς γάμον τὴν θυγατέρα Λαυρίνην. διὰ ταῦτα ὡς συγγενεῖς Φαίακες Λοκροὺς τοὺς ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ προσεποιοῦντο.
3. Scheria and Locrus
Third, the island of Scheria by the Ionian Sea, lying not far from the mainland and the Ceraunian mountains; this [?] had the Phaeacians as its first inhabitants, native-born, a people who took their name from one of their local kings; later a part of the Corinthians settled it, and the name was changed to Corcyra, and they ruled the sea around there. When Phaeax, king of the island, died, his sons Alcinous and Locrus fell out, and then made peace again on the terms that Alcinous should be king of Phaeacia, and Locrus, taking treasures and a share of the people, should found a colony away from the country. He sailed to Italy and is entertained as a guest by Latinus, king of the Italians, who gave him his daughter Laurine in marriage. For this reason the Phaeacians claimed the Locrians in Italy as kinsmen.
ὁ δὲ Ἡρακλῆς κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τὰς τοῦ Γηρυόνου περικαλλεῖς ὅσαι βόες οὔσας ἐξ Ἐρυθείας ἐλαύνων εἰς Ἰταλίαν ἀφικνεῖται, καὶ ξενίζεται φιλοφρόνως παρὰ τῷ Λοκρῷ· ὁ δὲ Λατῖνος πρὸς τὴν θυγατέρα ἐλθὼν καὶ τὰς βοῦς ἰδὼν ἠράσθη τε καὶ ἤλαυνεν. ὅπερ ἀναμαθὼν Ἡρακλῆς ἐκεῖνον τόξῳ βαλὼν ἀνεῖλε, τὰς δὲ βοῦς ἀνεκόμισε. Λοκρὸς δὲ δεδιὼς περὶ τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ μή τι δεινὸν ὑπὸ Λατίνου πάθῃ (ἦν γὰρ Λατῖνος σώματι γενναῖος καὶ ψυχῇ), ἐξελαύνει ἐπὶ βοηθείᾳ τοῦ ξενισθέντος, ἀμειψάμενος καὶ στολήν. Ἡρακλῆς δ᾿ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν θέοντα, καὶ νομίσας τινὰ εἶναι ἄλλον πρὸς ἐπικουρίαν σπεύδοντα Λατίνῳ, βαλὼν ἄτρακτον κτείνει. ὕστερον δὲ μαθὼν ἀπωλοφύρατο μὲν καὶ τὰ ὅσια αὐτῷ ἐπετέλεσε· καὶ μεταστὰς δ᾿ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἔχρησε, φάσματι φανεὶς τῷ λαῷ, πόλιν οἰκίζειν ἐπ᾿ Ἰταλίας, ἐν ᾧ ἦν τὸ σῆμα τοῦ Λοκροῦ. καὶ διαμένει τῇ πόλει τοὔνομα τιμώσῃ τῇ κλήσει τὸν Λοκρόν. οὕτω μὲν καὶ ἡ τρίτη διήγησις. ἀλλὰ τί μοι δεῖ μικροῦ μεταγράφειν ταύτας, δέον πολλῷ κεφαλαιωδέστερον ἐπελθεῖν;
At that time Heracles, driving the very beautiful cattle that had been Geryon's from Erytheia, comes to Italy and is hospitably entertained at Locrus's house. Latinus came to his daughter, saw the cattle, was seized with desire for them and began to drive them off. When Heracles learned of it, he shot him with a bow and killed him, and took the cattle back. Locrus, fearing for Heracles lest he suffer some harm at Latinus's hands (for Latinus was noble in body and in spirit), rode out to help the man he had entertained, having changed his clothes. Heracles, seeing him running, and thinking he was someone else hurrying to help Latinus, shot an arrow and killed him. Later, learning the truth, he lamented, and performed the proper rites for him. And Locrus, when he had passed from among men, gave an oracle, appearing as an apparition to the people, that they should found a city in Italy, in the place where the tomb of Locrus was. And the name remains for the city, honoring Locrus by its title. So much for the third narrative. But why must I copy these out almost in full, when I ought to go through them much more briefly?
Ἡ τοίνυν δ΄ διήγησις τὰ περὶ Ὀλύνθου τῆς πόλεως καὶ Στρυμόνος τοῦ Θρᾳκῶν βασιλεύσαντος ἀπαγγέλλει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ὁ πάλαι Ἠιονεὺς ποταμὸς ἐπώνυμος· καὶ ὅτι παῖδες αὐτῷ τρεῖς γεγόνασι, Βράγγας καὶ Ῥῆσσος καὶ Ὄλυνθος· καὶ Ῥῆσσος μὲν ἐπὶ Τροίαν Πριάμῳ συστρατεύσας ἀναιρεῖται χειρὶ Διομήδους, Ὄλυνθος δὲ λέοντι συστὰς ἑκουσίως ἔν τινι κυνηγεσίῳ θνῄσκει· καὶ Βράγγας ὁ ἀδελφὸς πολλὰ κατολοφυρόμενος τὴν συμφορὰν Ὀλύνθου, ὅπερ ἐτελεύτησε τόπῳ θάπτει, εἰς Σιθονίαν δὲ ἀφικόμενος πόλιν ἔκτισεν εὐδαίμονα καὶ μεγάλην, Ὄλυνθον αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς ὀνομάσας.
4. Olynthus and Strymon
The fourth narrative reports on the city of Olynthus and on Strymon, who was king of the Thracians, from whom the river formerly called Eioneus took its name; and that he had three sons, Brangas, Rhesus and Olynthus. Rhesus, who went to Troy as an ally of Priam, is killed by the hand of Diomedes; Olynthus, who of his own will faced a lion in a hunt, dies; and Brangas his brother, lamenting the disaster of Olynthus greatly, buries him in the very place where he died, and then, coming to Sithonia, founded a prosperous and great city, naming it Olynthus after the boy.
Ἡ ε΄ [τὰ] περὶ Ῥηγίνου καὶ Εὐνόμου τοῦ Λοκροῦ τῶν κιθαρῳδῶν τὴν ἱστορίαν ποιεῖται, καὶ ὡς εἰς Δελφοὺς ἀφίκοντο· καὶ ὅτι ποταμῷ διοριζόμενοι Ῥηγῖνοί τε καὶ Λοκροί (Ἁλὴξ ὄνομα τῷ ποταμῷ) οἱ μὲν ἄφωνοι, ἡ δὲ Λοκρὶς ᾄδοντας ἔχει τοὺς τέττιγας· καὶ ὡς ἐρίζων Εὔνομος τῷ Ῥηγίνῳ τέττιγος ᾠδῇ κρατεῖ τοῦ ἀνταγωνιστοῦ. ἑπταχόρδου γὰρ τότε τῆς ἁρμονίας οὔσης, καὶ μιᾶς ῥαγείσης τῶν χορδῶν, τέττιξ ἐπιπτὰς τῇ κιθάρᾳ τὸ λεῖπον ἀνεπλήρωσε τῆς ᾠδῆς.
5. Rhegium and Locris: the cicada
The fifth narrative tells the story of Rheginus and of Eunomus the Locrian, singers to the lyre, and how they came to Delphi; and that the Rheginians and the Locrians, divided by a river (Halex is the name of the river), the former have cicadas without voice, while the Locrian land has cicadas that sing; and how Eunomus, contending with Rheginus, wins over his opponent by a cicada's song. For the harmony at that time had seven strings, and when one of the strings snapped, a cicada, alighting on the lyre, filled in what was missing of the song.
Ἡ ς΄ ὡς Μόψος ὁ Μάντης καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος τῆς μητρὸς τελευτησάσης ἐκδέχεται κλῆρον τὸ ἐν Κλάρῳ Ἀπόλλωνος μαντεῖον. κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνο δὲ καιροῦ ἀφικνεῖται Κάλχας εἰς Κολοφῶνα, ἐν ᾧ Μόψος ἔχων ἔχρα τὸ μαντεῖον, μετὰ Τροίας πλανώμενος ἅλωσιν. ἤριζον οὖν ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀλλήλοις, καὶ Ἀμφίμαχος ὁ Λυκίων βασιλεὺς λύει τὴν ἔριν· ἐπὶ πόλεμον γὰρ ἐξιόντα Μόψος μὲν ἐκώλυεν ἧτταν προαγγέλλων, Κάλχας δὲ ἐπέτρεπε νίκην σημαίνων, καὶ ἡττᾶται, καὶ Μόψος μὲν ἐπὶ μᾶλλον ἐτιμήθη, Κάλχας δ᾿ ἑαυτὸν διεχρήσατο.
6. Mopsus and Calchas
The sixth: how Mopsus, the son of Manto and Apollo [?], when his mother died, inherits the oracle of Apollo at Claros. At that time Calchas comes to Colophon, where Mopsus held and gave the oracle, wandering after the capture of Troy. So they competed for a long time, and Amphimachus, king of the Lycians, settled the contest: when Amphimachus was going out to war, Mopsus tried to stop him, predicting defeat, while Calchas encouraged him, indicating victory; and he was defeated, and Mopsus was honored the more, but Calchas killed himself.
Ἡ ζ΄ διηγεῖται ὡς Φιλάμμων παῖς Φιλωνίδος, ἣ γέγονεν ἐξ Ἑωσφόρου καὶ Κλεοβοίας ἐν Θορικῷ τῆς Ἀττικῆς, οὗτος ὁ Φιλάμμων ὑπερφυὴς τὸ κάλλος ἐγένετο. μία δὲ τῶν νυμφῶν ἐρᾷ τοῦ νεανίου καὶ ἐγκύμων γίνεται, αἰδουμένη δ᾿ ἀπαίρει Πελοποννήσου, καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἀκτὴν παραγενομένη τίκτει κοῦρον Θάμυριν, ὃς ἡβήσας ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἧκε κιθαρῳδίας ὡς καὶ βασιλέα σφῶν, καίπερ ἐπήλυτον ὄντα, Σκύθας ποιήσασθαι. ἐρίσας δὲ καὶ ταῖς Μούσαις ὑπὲρ ᾠδῆς, καὶ ἄθλων τῷ νικήσαντι τεθέντων, ἐκείνῳ μὲν τοὺς Μουσῶν γάμους, ἐκείναις δὲ ὃ ἕλοιντο τῶν αὐτοῦ, ἐξεκόπη τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡττηθείς.
7. Thamyris
The seventh tells how Philammon was the son of Philonis, who was born of Eosphorus and Cleoboea in Thoricus in Attica, this Philammon being extraordinarily beautiful. One of the nymphs fell in love with the young man and became pregnant, and, out of shame, left the Peloponnese; and coming to Acte she bore a son, Thamyris, who when grown reached such a height of singing to the lyre that the Scythians even made him their king, though he was an incomer. And having competed also with the Muses in song, with prizes set for the winner—for him, marriage with the Muses; for them, whatever of his they might choose—he was defeated and had his eyes put out.
Ἡ η΄ διηγεῖται τὰ περὶ Πρωτέως τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου μάντεως, οὗ ἡ θυγάτηρ Θεονόη ἐρασθεῖσα Κανώβου (ἦν δ᾿ οὗτος κυβερνήτης Μενελάου τοῦ Τρῴου) ἀποτυγχάνει· καὶ ὡς ὁ Κάνωβος καλὸς καὶ νέος ἀπαίροντος Μενελάου ἀπ᾿ Αἰγύπτου καὶ Ἑλένης, καὶ προσορμισαμένων τῇ γῇ, ὑπὸ ἐχίδνης δηχθεὶς καὶ σαπεὶς τὸ σκέλος μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ θνῄσκει· καὶ Μενέλαος καὶ Ἑλένη θάπτουσιν αὐτὸν ἐπ᾿ Αἰγύπτῳ, οὗ νῦν ἐπώνυμος ᾤκισται πόλις. καὶ τῶν τοῦ Νείλου στομάτων τὸ τελευταῖον ὁ Κάνωβος ἢ Κανωβικὸν ἐκ τοῦ κυβερνήτου τὴν ὀνομασίαν ἕλκει.
8. Canobus
The eighth tells the story of Proteus the Egyptian seer, whose daughter Theonoe, falling in love with Canobus (he was the helmsman of Menelaus the Trojan [?]), fails to win him; and how Canobus, handsome and young, when Menelaus and Helen were sailing away from Egypt and had put in at the land, was bitten by a viper, his leg rotted, and he died not long after. Menelaus and Helen bury him in Egypt, where a city named after him is now settled. And the last of the mouths of the Nile, the Canobus or Canobic, takes its name from the helmsman.
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