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Diodorus Siculus · 1st century BC

Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths)

Βιβλιοθήκη ἱστορική
Ancient Sources / Diodorus Siculus / Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths)

Books 4 and 5 of the Library of History are Diodorus' account of the Greek myths. Book 4 follows the Greek heroes and demigods, beginning with Dionysus and passing through Heracles, the Argonauts, Theseus and the families of Thebes, Crete, Pelops and Troy. Book 5 turns to the islands of the west and the Mediterranean (Sicily, the Aeolian and Lipari islands, Malta, the Balearics, Sardinia, Corsica, Britain, Iberia, Gaul), then to the Atlantic and Arabian islands, Crete and the Aegean islands, Rhodes, and the isles of the Greek coast, and the gods and heroes with whom they are associated. Of Book 6 only fragments survive, preserved by Eusebius and others, and they are given here in English only: they include the Euhemerist account of the gods and a few legends. Oldfather's translation carries the traditional chapter and section numbers of the Greek text, and each Greek section is shown against the English section with the same number.

Read from the start
Text
Greek original with English translation, 46 passages, about 74200 words in English.
Translator
C. H. Oldfather (1939)
Edition
Diodori Bibliotheca Historica, ed. Immanuel Bekker, Ludwig Dindorf and Friedrich Vogel, Leipzig: Teubner, 1888-1890 (Greek text of Books 4-5 as digitised by Perseus)
Cite as
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.1.1 (by book, chapter, section)

Contents · 46 passages

  1. 4.1.1–7Preface to Book 4: writing the ancient myths673 words
  2. 4.2.1–4.5.4Dionysus1832 words
  3. 4.6.1–4.7.4Priapus, Hermaphroditus and the Muses1035 words
  4. 4.8.1–4.10.7Heracles: birth and early deeds1602 words
  5. 4.11.1–4.13.4Heracles' labours I: the first seven1723 words
  6. 4.14.1–4.16.4Heracles: the Olympic Games, the Giants and the Amazons1244 words
  7. 4.17.1–4.21.7Heracles and the cattle of Geryones2399 words
  8. 4.22.1–4.24.7Heracles in Italy and Sicily1535 words
  9. 4.25.1–4.27.5Heracles: Hades, Orpheus and the Hesperides1101 words
  10. 4.28.1–4.30.6The Amazons' invasion of Attica and the colony in Sardinia1208 words
  11. 4.31.1–4.33.12Heracles: servitude, Troy, Elis and Sparta1830 words
  12. 4.34.1–4.35.4Deianeira, Meleager and the Calydonian boar836 words
  13. 4.36.1–4.39.4The death of Heracles1655 words
  14. 4.40.1–4.44.7The Argonauts I: Jason and the voyage to Phineus1865 words
  15. 4.45.1–4.49.8The Argonauts II: Colchis, Medea and the golden fleece2333 words
  16. 4.50.1–4.53.7The Argonauts III: Medea, Pelias and the return to Iolcus2143 words
  17. 4.54.1–4.56.8Jason and Medea at Corinth; the Argonauts' alleged return route1654 words
  18. 4.57.1–4.58.8The Heracleidae803 words
  19. 4.59.1–4.63.5Theseus2356 words
  20. 4.64.1–4.66.6Oedipus, the Seven against Thebes and the Epigoni1652 words
  21. 4.67.1–4.70.4Aeolus and Boeotus, Salmoneus and Neleus, the Lapiths and Centaurs1687 words
  22. 4.71.1–4.75.6Asclepius, Aeacus, Pelops and the kings of Troy1898 words
  23. 4.76.1–4.80.6Daedalus, Minos in Sicily and the Mothers at Engyum2406 words
  24. 4.81.1–4.85.7Aristaeus, Eryx, Daphnis and Orion2319 words
  25. 5.1.1–5.2.5Preface to Book 5: early Sicily728 words
  26. 5.3.1–5.5.3Demeter and Core in Sicily1363 words
  27. 5.6.1–5.11.4The Sicani, the Siceli and the Aeolian Islands2224 words
  28. 5.12.1–5.18.4Melite, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands2406 words
  29. 5.19.1–5.23.5The Atlantic island, Britain and the amber island2007 words
  30. 5.24.1–5.27.4Gaul: the land and its gold1163 words
  31. 5.28.1–5.32.7The Gauls: appearance, war and customs2199 words
  32. 5.33.1–5.34.7The Celtiberians and Lusitanians1002 words
  33. 5.35.1–5.38.5The silver mines of Iberia1551 words
  34. 5.39.1–5.40.5The Ligurians and Tyrrhenians1071 words
  35. 5.41.1–5.46.7Hiera and Panchaea2410 words
  36. 5.47.1–5.49.6Samothrace and its mysteries1166 words
  37. 5.50.1–5.54.4Naxos, Syme, Calydna and Nisyros1439 words
  38. 5.55.1–5.59.6Rhodes: the Telchines, the Heliadae and later settlers2119 words
  39. 5.60.1–5.63.3The Cherronesus and the sanctuary of Hemithea1183 words
  40. 5.64.1–5.67.5Early Crete: the Dactyls, the Curetes and the Titans1582 words
  41. 5.68.1–5.72.5Zeus and the children of Cronus in Crete2059 words
  42. 5.73.1–5.77.8The gods' discoveries and their Cretan origins2399 words
  43. 5.78.1–5.80.4Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon; the peoples of Crete975 words
  44. 5.81.1–5.84.4Lesbos, Tenedos and the Cyclades1460 words
  45. 6.1.1–11Euhemerus on the gods757 words
  46. 6.2.1–6.9.1Book 6: other fragments1120 words

English translation by C. H. Oldfather (1939). Original text: Diodori Bibliotheca Historica, ed. Immanuel Bekker, Ludwig Dindorf and Friedrich Vogel, Leipzig: Teubner, 1888-1890 (Greek text of Books 4-5 as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library, Greek text); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.