τούτων δʼ ἡμῖν διευκρινημένων πειρασόμεθα διελθεῖν περὶ Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀπογόνων αὐτοῦ. μυθολογοῦσι τοίνυν Ἀσκληπιὸν Ἀπόλλωνος υἱὸν ὑπάρχειν καὶ Κορωνίδος, φύσει δὲ καὶ ἀγχινοίᾳ διενεγκόντα ζηλῶσαι τὴν ἰατρικὴν ἐπιστήμην, καὶ πολλὰ τῶν συντεινόντων πρὸς ὑγίειαν ἀνθρώπων ἐξευρεῖν. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο δὲ προβῆναι τῇ δόξῃ ὥστε πολλοὺς τῶν ἀπεγνωσμένων ἀρρώστων παραδόξως θεραπεύειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πολλοὺς δοκεῖν τῶν τετελευτηκότων ποιεῖν πάλιν ζῶντας.
διὸ καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἅιδην μυθολογοῦσιν ἐγκαλοῦντα τῷ Ἀσκληπιῷ κατηγορίαν αὐτοῦ ποιήσασθαι πρὸς τὸν Δία ὡς τῆς ἐπαρχίας αὐτοῦ ταπεινουμένης· ἐλάττους γὰρ ἀεὶ γίνεσθαι τοὺς τετελευτηκότας, θεραπευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ.
καὶ τὸν μὲν Δία παροξυνθέντα κεραυνώσαντα τὸν Ἀσκληπιὸν διαφθεῖραι, τὸν δʼ Ἀπόλλωνα διὰ τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τούτου παροξυνθέντα φονεῦσαι τοὺς τὸν κεραυνὸν τῷ Διὶ κατασκευάσαντας Κύκλωπας· ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ τούτων τελευτῇ παροξυνθέντα τὸν Δία προστάξαι τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι θητεῦσαι παρʼ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ ταύτην τιμωρίαν λαβεῖν παρʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων.
Ἀσκληπιοῦ δέ φασι γενομένους υἱοὺς Μαχάονα καὶ Ποδαλείριον, καὶ τὴν τέχνην ἐκπονήσαντας, ἐπὶ Τροίαν συστρατεῦσαι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονα· κατὰ δὲ τὸν πόλεμον μεγάλας χρείας αὐτοὺς παρασχέσθαι τοῖς Ἕλλησι, θεραπεύοντας ἐμπειρότατα τοὺς τιτρωσκομένους, καὶ διὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας ταύτας ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων μεγάλης τυχεῖν δόξης· ἀτελεῖς δʼ αὐτοὺς ἀφεῖναι τῶν κατὰ τὰς μάχας κινδύνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων λειτουργιῶν διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἐν τῷ θεραπεύειν εὐχρηστίας.
Now that we have examined these matters we shall endeavour to set forth the facts concerning Asclepius and his descendants. This, then, is what the myths relate: Asclepius was the son of Apollo and Coronis, and since he excelled in natural ability and sagacity of mind, he devoted himself to the science of healing and made many discoveries which contribute to the health of mankind. And so far did he advance along the road of fame that, to the amazement of all, he healed many sick whose lives had been despaired of, and for this reason it was believed that he had brought back to life many who had died. Consequently, the myth goes on to say, Hades brought accusation against Asclepius, charging him before Zeus of acting to the detriment of his own province, for, he said, the number of the dead was steadily diminishing, now that men were being healed by Asclepius. So Zeus, in indignation, slew Asclepius with his thunderbolt, but Apollo, indignant at the slaying of Asclepius, murdered the Cyclopes who had forged the thunderbolt for Zeus; but at the death of the Cyclopes Zeus was again indignant and laid a command upon Apollo that he should serve as a labourer for a human being and that this should be the punishment he should receive from him for his crimes. To Asclepius, we are told further, sons were born, Machaon and Podaleirius, who also developed the healing art and accompanied Agamemnon in the expedition against Troy. Throughout the course of the war they were of great service to the Greeks, healing most skilfully the wounded, and because of these benefactions they attained to great fame among the Greeks; furthermore, they were granted exemption from the perils of battles and from the other obligations of citizenship, because of the very great service which they offered by their healing.
Now as regards Asclepius and his sons we shall be satisfied with what has been said.
περὶ μὲν οὖν Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦτοῖς ῥηθεῖσιν ἀρκεσθησόμεθα, περὶ δὲ τῶν Ἀσωποῦ θυγατέρων καὶ τῶν Αἰακῷ γενομένων υἱῶν νῦν διέξιμεν. Ὠκεανοῦ καὶ Τηθύος κατὰ τοὺς μύθους ἐγένοντο παῖδες ἄλλοι τε πλείους ἐπώνυμοι ποταμῶν, ἐν οἷς ὑπάρξαι Πηνειὸν καὶ Ἀσωπόν. Πηνειὸς μὲν οὖν κατοικήσας περὶ τὴν νῦν οὖσαν Θετταλίαν ἐπώνυμον ἑαυτοῦ τὸν προειρημένον ποταμὸν ἐποίησεν· Ἀσωπὸς δʼ ἐν Φλιοῦντι κατοικήσας ἔγημε Μετώπην τὴν Λάδωνος, ἐξ ἧς ἐγένοντο δύο μὲν υἱοί, Πελασγὸς καὶ Ἰσμηνός, θυγατέρες δὲ δώδεκα, Κόρκυρα καὶ Σαλαμίς, ἔτι δʼ Αἴγινα καὶ Πειρήνη καὶ Κλεώνη, πρὸς δὲ ταύταις Θήβη τε καὶ Τάναγρα καὶ Θέσπεια καὶ Ἀσωπίς, ἔτι δὲ Σινώπη, πρὸς δὲ ταύταις Ὀρνία καὶ Χαλκίς.
τούτων δʼ Ἰσμηνὸς μὲν εἰς Βοιωτίαν ἐλθὼν κατῴκησε περὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν ἀπʼ ἐκείνου τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν λαβόντα, τῶν δὲ θυγατέρων Σινώπη μὲν ὑπὸ Ἀπόλλωνος ἁρπαγεῖσα ἀπηνέχθη πρὸς τοῦτον τὸν τόπον οὗ νῦν ἐστιν ἡ ἀπʼ ἐκείνης ὀνομασθεῖσα πόλις Σινώπη· ἐκ δὲ ταύτης καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος γενόμενος υἱὸς Σύρος ἐβασίλευσε τῶν ἀπʼ ἐκείνου Σύρων ὀνομασθέντων.
Κόρκυρα δʼ ὑπὸ Ποσειδῶνος ἀπηνέχθη εἰς νῆσον τὴν ἀπʼ ἐκείνης Κόρκυραν ὀνομαζομένην· ἐκ ταύτης δὲ καὶ Ποσειδῶνος ἐγένετο Φαίαξ, ἀφʼ οὗ τοὺς Φαίακας συνέβη τυχεῖν ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας.
Φαίακος δʼ ἐγένετο Ἀλκίνοος ὁ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα καταγαγὼν εἰς τὴν Ἰθάκην. Σαλαμὶς δʼ ὑπὸ Ποσειδῶνος ἁρπαγεῖσα ἐκομίσθη εἰς τὴν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς νῆσον Σαλαμῖνα προσαγορευθεῖσαν· αὕτη δὲ μιγεῖσα Ποσειδῶνι Κυχρέα ἐγέννησεν, ὃς βασιλεύσας τῆς νήσου ταύτης καὶ γενόμενος ἐπιφανὴς ἀπέκτεινεν ὄφιν ὑπερφυῆ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ λυμαινόμενον τοὺς ἐγχωρίους.
Αἴγινα δʼ ἐκ Φλιοῦντος ὑπὸ Διὸς ἁρπαγεῖσα εἰς νῆσον ἀπεκομίσθη τὴν ἀπʼ ἐκείνης Αἴγιναν ὀνομασθεῖσαν, ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ Διὶ μιγεῖσα ἐτέκνωσεν Αἰακόν, ὃς ἐβασίλευσε τῆς νήσου.
We shall now recount the story of the daughters of Asopus and of the sons who were born to Aeacus. According to the myths there were born to Oceanus and Tethys a number of children who gave their names to rivers, and among their number were Peneius and Asopus. Now Peneius made his home in what is now Thessaly and called after himself the river which bears his name; but Asopus made his home in Phlius, where he married Metopê, the daughter of Ladon, to whom were born two sons, Pelagus and Ismenus, and twelve daughters, Corcyra and Salamis, also Aegina, Peirenê, and Cleonê, then Thebê, Tanagra, Thespeia, and Asopis, also Sinopê, and finally Ornia and Chalcis. One of his sons, Ismenus, came to Boeotia and settled near the river which received its name from him; but as for the daughters, Sinopê was seized by Apollo and carried off to the place where now stands the city of Sinopê, which was named after her, and to her and Apollo was born a son Syrus, who became king of the Syrians, who were named after him. Corcyra was carried off by Poseidon to the island which was named Corcyra after her; and to her and Poseidon was born Phaeax, from whom the Phaeacians afterwards received the name they bear. To Phaeax was born Alcinoüs, who brought about the return of Odysseus to Ithaca. Salamis was seized by Poseidon and taken to the island which was named Salamis after her; and she lay with Poseidon and bore Cychreus, who became king of this island and acquired fame by reason of his slaying a snake of huge size which was destroying the inhabitants of the island. Aegina was seized by Zeus and taken off by him from Phlius to the island which was named Aegina after her, and lying with Zeus on this island she gave birth to Aeacus, who became its king.
τούτου δʼ ἐγένοντο υἱοὶ Πηλεὺς καὶ Τελαμών. τούτων δὲ Πηλεὺς δίσκῳ βαλὼν ἀπέκτεινεν ἀκουσίως Φῶκον ὁμοπάτριον ἀδελφόν, ἐξ ἄλλης δὲ μητρὸς γεγενημένον. διὰ δὲ τὸν φόνον Πηλεὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς φυγαδευθεὶς ἔφυγε τῆς νῦν Θετταλίας καλουμένης εἰς Φθίαν, καὶ καθαρθεὶς ὑπὸ Ἄκτορος τοῦ βασιλέως διεδέξατο τὴν βασιλείαν, ἄπαιδος ὄντος τοῦ Ἄκτορος. ἐκ δὲ Πηλέως καὶ Θέτιδος γενόμενος Ἀχιλλεὺς ἐστράτευσε μετʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος εἰς Τροίαν.
Τελαμὼν δὲ φυγὼν ἐξ Αἰγίνης κατήντησεν εἰς Σαλαμῖνα, καὶ γήμας Κυχρέως τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Σαλαμινίων θυγατέρα Γλαύκην ἐβασίλευσε τῆς νήσου. τῆς δὲ γυναικὸς Γλαύκης ἀποθανούσης ἔγημεν ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν Ἐρίβοιαν τὴν Ἀλκάθου, ἐξ ἧς ἐγέννησεν Αἴαντα τὸν ἐπὶ Τροίαν στρατεύσαντα.
To Aeacus sons were born, Peleus and Telamon. Of these, Peleus, while hurling a discus, accidentally slew Phocus, who was his brother by the same father although born of another mother. Because of this slaying Peleus was banished by his father and fled to Phthia in what is now called Thessaly, where he was purified by Actor the king of the country and succeeded to the kingship, Actor being childless. To Peleus and Thetis was born Achilleus, who accompanied Agamemnon in the expedition against Troy. Telamon, being also a fugitive from Aegina, went to Salamis and marrying Glaucê, the daughter of Cychreus, the king of the Salaminians, he became king of the island. When his wife Glaucê died he married Eriboea of Athens, the daughter of Alcathus, by whom he begat Ajax, who served in the expedition against Troy.
τούτων δʼ ἡμῖν διευκρινημένων πειρασόμεθα διελθεῖν περὶ Πέλοπος καὶ Ταντάλου καὶ Οἰνομάου· ἀναγκαῖον δὲ τοῖς χρόνοις προσαναδραμόντας ἡμᾶς ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἅπαντα διελθεῖν. κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Πελοπόννησον ἐν πόλει Πίσῃ Ἄρης Ἁρπίνῃ τῇ Ἀσωποῦ θυγατρὶ μιγεὶς ἐγέννησεν Οἰνόμαον.
οὗτος δὲ θυγατέρα μονογενῆ γεννήσας ὠνόμασεν Ἱπποδάμειαν. χρηστηριαζομένῳ δʼ αὐτῷ περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς ἔχρησεν ὁ θεὸς τότε τελευτήσειν αὐτὸν ὅταν ἡ θυγάτηρ Ἱπποδάμεια συνοικήσῃ. εὐλαβούμενον οὖν αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ γάμου τῆς θυγατρὸς κρῖναι ταύτην παρθένον διαφυλάττειν, ὑπολαμβάνοντα μόνως οὕτως ἐκφεύξεσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον.
διόπερ πολλῶν μνηστευομένων τὴν κόρην, ἆθλον προετίθει τοῖς βουλομένοις αὐτὴν γῆμαι τοιοῦτον· ἔδει τὸν μὲν ἡττηθέντα τελευτῆσαι, τὸν δʼ ἐπιτυχόντα γαμεῖν τὴν κόρην. ὑπεστήσατο δʼ ἱπποδρομίαν ἀπὸ τῆς Πίσης μέχρι τοῦ κατὰ Κόρινθον Ἰσθμοῦ πρὸς τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος, τὴν δʼ ἄφεσιν τῶν ἵππων ἐποίησε τοιαύτην.
ὁ μὲν Οἰνόμαος ἔθυε κριὸν τῷ Διί, ὁ δὲ μνηστευόμενος ἐξώρμα τέθριππον ἐλαύνων ἅρμα· ἁγισθέντων δὲ τῶν ἱερῶν, τότε ἄρχεσθαι τοῦ δρόμου τὸν Οἰνόμαον καὶ διώκειν τὸν μνηστῆρα, ἔχοντα δόρυ καὶ ἡνίοχον τὸν Μυρτίλον· εἰ δʼ ἐφίκοιτο καταλαβεῖν τὸ διωκόμενον ἅρμα, τύπτειν τῷ δόρατι καὶ διαφθείρειν τὸν μνηστῆρα. τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ τοὺς ἀεὶ μνηστευομένους καταλαμβάνων διὰ τὴν ὀξύτητα τῶν ἵππων πολλοὺς ἀνῄρει.
Now that we have examined these matters we shall endeavour to set forth the facts concerning Pelops and Tantalus and Oenomaüs, but to do so we must revert to earlier times and give in summary the whole story from the beginning. The account runs like this: In the city of Pisa in the Peloponnesus Ares lay with Harpinê, the daughter of Asopus, and begat Oenomaüs, who, in turn, begat a daughter, an only child, and named her Hippodameia. And once when he consulted an oracle about the end of his life the god replied to him that he should die whenever his daughter Hippodameia should marry. Consequently, we are told, he proceeded cautiously regarding the marriage of his daughter and decided to see that she was kept a virgin, assuming that only in this way could he escape from the danger which her marriage would entail. And so, since there were many suitors for the girl’s hand, he proposed a contest for any who wished to marry her, the conditions being that the defeated suitor must die, but whoever should win would have the girl in marriage. The contest he set was a chariot-race from Pisa to the altar of Poseidon on the Isthmus of Corinth, and the starting of the horses he arranged as follows: Oenomaüs was to be sacrificing a ram to Zeus, when the suitor should set out, driving a chariot drawn by four horses; then, when the sacrifice had been completed, Oenomaüs was to begin the race and make after the suitor, having a spear and Myrtilus as his driver, and if he should succeed in overtaking the chariot which he was pursuing he was to smite the suitor with the spear and slay him. By employing this method he kept overtaking the suitors as they appeared, his horses being swift, and was slaying them in great numbers.
Πέλοψ δʼ ὁ Ταντάλου καταντήσας εἰς Πῖσαν, καὶ θεασάμενος τὴν Ἱπποδάμειαν, ἐπεθύμησε τοῦ γάμου· φθείρας δὲ τὸν ἡνίοχον τοῦ Οἰνομάου Μυρτίλον, καὶ λαβὼν συνεργὸν πρὸς τὴν νίκην, ἔφθασε παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσθμὸν πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος βωμόν.
ὁ δʼ Οἰνόμαος τὸ λόγιον τετελέσθαι νομίζων, καὶ διὰ τὴν λύπην ἀθυμήσας, αὑτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ζῆν μετέστησε. τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ Πέλοψ γήμας τὴν Ἱπποδάμειαν παρέλαβε τὴν ἐν Πίσῃ βασιλείαν, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀνδρείαν καὶ σύνεσιν ἀεὶ μᾶλλον αὐξόμενος τοὺς πλείστους τῶν κατὰ τὴν Πελοπόννησον οἰκούντων προσηγάγετο, καὶ τὴν χώραν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ Πελοπόννησον προσηγόρευσεν.
But when Pelops, the son of Tantalus, came to Pisa and looked upon Hippodameia, he set his heart upon marrying her, and by corrupting Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaüs, and thus securing his co-operation toward winning the victory, he was the first to arrive at the altar of Poseidon on the Isthmus. And Oenomaüs, believing that the oracle had been fulfilled, was so disheartened by grief that he removed himself from life. In this way, then, Pelops got Hippodameia for his wife and succeeded to the sovereignty of Pisa, and increasing steadily in power by reason of his courage and his wisdom, he won over to himself the larger number of those who dwelt in the Peloponnesus and called the land after his own name “Peloponnesus.”
ἐπεὶ δὲ Πέλοπος ἐμνήσθημεν, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ταντάλου διελθεῖν, ἵνα μηδὲν τῶν ἀκοῆς ἀξίων παραλίπωμεν. Τάνταλος Διὸς μὲν ἦν υἱός, πλούτῳ δὲ καὶ δόξῃ διαφέρων κατῴκει τῆς Ἀσίας περὶ τὴν νῦν ὀνομαζομένην Παφλαγονίαν. διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς Διὸς εὐγένειαν, ὥς φασι, φίλος ἐγένετο τῶν θεῶν ἐπὶ πλέον.
ὕστερον δὲ τὴν εὐτυχίαν οὐ φέρων ἀνθρωπίνως, καὶ μετασχὼν κοινῆς τραπέζης καὶ πάσης παρρησίας, ἀπήγγελλε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἀθανάτοις ἀπόρρητα. διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ ζῶν ἐκολάσθη καὶ τελευτήσας αἰωνίου κατὰ τοὺς μύθους τιμωρίας ἠξιώθη, καταταχθεὶς εἰς τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς.
τούτου δʼ ἐγένετο Πέλοψ υἱὸς καὶ Νιόβη θυγάτηρ· αὕτη δʼ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς ἑπτὰ καὶ θυγατέρας τὰς ἴσας . ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ πλήθει τῶν τέκνων μέγα φρυαττομένη πλεονάκις ἐκαυχᾶτο καὶ τῆς Λητοῦς ἑαυτὴν εὐτεκνοτέραν ἀπεφαίνετο. εἶθʼ ἡ μὲν Λητὼ κατὰ τοὺς μύθους χολωσαμένη προσέταξε τῷ μὲν Ἀπόλλωνι κατατοξεῦσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς Νιόβης, τῇ δʼ Ἀρτέμιδι τὰς θυγατέρας. τούτων δʼ ὑπακουσάντων τῇ μητρὶ καὶ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν κατατοξευσάντων τὰ τέκνα τῆς Νιόβης, συνέβη τὴν προειρημένην ὑφʼ ἕνα καιρὸν ὀξέως ἅμα εὔτεκνον καὶ ἄτεκνον γενέσθαι.
ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Τάνταλος μισηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν θεῶν ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τῆς Παφλαγονίας ὑπὸ Ἴλου τοῦ Τρωός, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Ἶλον καὶ τοὺς προγόνους αὐτοῦ διελθεῖν.
And since we have made mention of Pelops, we must also relate the story concerning his father Tantalus, in order that we may omit nothing which deserves to be made known. Tantalus was a son of Zeus, and he possessed surpassing wealth and renown, dwelling in that part of Asia which is now called Paphlagonia. And because of his noble descent from Zeus his father he became, as men say, a very especial friend of the gods. At a later time, however, he did not bear as a human being should the good fortune which came to him, and being admitted to the common table of the gods and to all their intimate talk as well, he made known to men happenings among the immortals which were not to be divulged. For this reason he was chastened while yet in this life and after his death, as the myths relate, was condemned to eternal punishment by being rated in Hades among the impious. To him were born a son Pelops and a daughter Niobê, and Niobê became the mother of seven sons and an equal number of daughters, maids of exceeding beauty. And since she gave herself haughty airs over the number of her children, she frequently declared in boastful way that she was more blest in her children than was Leto. At this, so the myths tell us, Leto in anger commanded Apollo to slay with his arrows the sons of Niobê and Artemis the daughters. And when these two hearkened to the command of their mother and slew with their arrows the children of Niobê at the same time, it came to pass that immediately, almost in a single moment, that woman was both blest with children and childless. But since Tantalus, after he had incurred the enmity of the gods, was driven out of Paphlagonia by Ilus, the son of Tros, we must also set forth all that relates to Ilus and his ancestors.
τῆς Τρῳάδος χώρας πρῶτος ἐβασίλευσε Τεῦκρος, υἱὸς ὢν Σκαμάνδρου τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ Ἰδαίας νύμφης, ἀνὴρ ἐπιφανής, καὶ τοὺς λαοὺς ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ Τεύκρους προσηγόρευσε. Τεύκρου δʼ ἐγένετο θυγάτηρ Βάτεια· ταύτην δὲ Δάρδανος ὁ Διὸς γήμας, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν διαδεξάμενος, τοὺς μὲν λαοὺς ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ ὠνόμασε Δαρδάνους, πόλιν δʼ οἰκίσας ἐπὶ θαλάττης ὠνόμασεν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ Δάρδανον.
τούτου δʼ Ἐριχθόνιος υἱὸς γενόμενος εὐδαιμονίᾳ καὶ πλούτῳ πολὺ διήνεγκε· περὶ οὗ καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς Ὅμηρός φησι, ὃς δὴ ἀφνειότατος γένετο θνητῶν ἀνθρώπων· τοῦ τρισχίλιαι ἵπποι ἕλος κάτα βουκολέοντο.
Ἐριχθονίου δʼ υἱὸς γενόμενος Τρὼς τοὺς λαοὺς ὠνόμασεν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ Τρῶας. τούτου δʼ ἐγένοντο τρεῖς υἱοί, Ἶλος, Ἀσσάρακος, Γανυμήδης. Ἶλος μὲν οὖν ᾤκισεν ἐν πεδίῳ πόλιν ἐπιφανεστάτην τῶν ἐν τῇ Τρῳάδι, Ἴλιον ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ θέμενος τὴν προσηγορίαν.
Ἴλου δὲ γενόμενος υἱὸς Λαομέδων Τιθωνὸν καὶ Πρίαμον ἐγέννησεν· ὧν Τιθωνὸς μὲν στρατεύσας εἰς τὰ πρὸς ἕω μέρη τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ διατείνας ἕως Αἰθιοπίας ἐμυθολογήθη ἐξ Ἠοῦς τεκνῶσαι Μέμνονα τὸν τοῖς Τρωσὶ βοηθήσαντα καὶ ὑπʼ Ἀχιλλέως ἀναιρεθέντα, Πρίαμος δʼ Ἑκάβην γήμας σὺν ἄλλοις πλείοσιν υἱοῖς ἐγέννησεν Ἕκτορα τὸν ἐπισημόντατον γενόμενον ἐν τῷ Τρωικῷ πολέμῳ.
Ἀσσάρακος δὲ Δαρδάνων βασιλεύσας Κάπυν ἐγέννησεν, ἐξ οὗ τεκνωθεὶς Ἀγχίσης ἐξ Ἀφροδίτης Αἰνείαν ἐγέννησε τὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τῶν Τρώων. Γανυμήδης δὲ τῶν ἁπάντων εὐπρεπείᾳ διαφέρων ὑπὸ τῶν θεῶν ἀνηρπάγη τῷ Διὶ οἰνοχοεῖν.
τούτων δʼ ἡμῖν διευκρινημένων πειρασόμεθα διεξιέναι περὶ Δαιδάλου καὶ Μινωταύρου καὶ τῆς Μίνωος στρατείας εἰς Σικελίαν ἐπὶ Κώκαλον τὸνβασιλέα.
The first to rule as king over the land of Troy was Teucrus, the son of the river-god Scamandrus and a nymph of Mt. Ida; he was a distinguished man and caused the people of the land to be called Teucrians, after his own name. To Teucrus was born a daughter Bateia, whom Dardanus, the son of Zeus, married, and when Dardanus succeeded to the throne he called the people of the land Dardanians after his own name, and founding a city on the shore of the sea he called it also Dardanus after himself. To him a son Erichthonius was born, who far excelled in good fortune and in wealth. Of him the poet Homer writes:
The wealthiest was he of mortal men;
Three thousand mares he had that grazed throughout
His marshy pastures.
To Erichthonius was born a son Tros, who called the people of the land Trojans, after his own name. To Tros were born three sons, Ilus, Assaracus, and Ganymedes. Ilus founded in a plain a city which was the most renowned among the cities in the Troad, giving it after himself the name Ilium. And to Ilus was born a son Laomedon, who begat Tithonus and Priam; and Tithonus, after making a campaign against those parts of Asia which lay to the east of him and pushing as far as Ethiopia, begat by Eos, as the myths relate, Memnon, who came to the aid of the Trojans and was slain by Achilleus, whereas Priam married Hecabê and begat, in addition to a number of other sons, Hector, who won very great distinction in the Trojan War. Assaracus became king of the Dardanians and begat Capys, whose son was Anchises, who by Aphroditê begat Aeneas, the most renowned man among the Trojans. And Ganymedes, who excelled all men in beauty, was snatched up by the gods to serve as the cupbearer of Zeus.
But now that we have examined these matters we shall endeavour to set forth what relates to Daedalus, the Minotaur, and the expedition of Minos into Sicily against King Cocalus.
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