XXI. Περὶ τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου
Λέγεται ὡς Ἡρακλῆς κατελθὼν ⟨εἰς Ἅιδου⟩ ἀνῆλθεν ἀνάγων τὸν Κέρβερον, καὶ Ὀρφεὺς ὡσαύτως Εὐρυδίκην τὴν γυναῖκα. τὸ δ᾽ ἀληθές, ὅτι ὁπηνίκα τις ἐκ μακρᾶς ἀποδημίας καὶ ἐπικινδύνου δια⟨ν⟩τλήσας ἐσώθη, ἔφασκον ἐξ Ἅιδου αὐτὸν διασεσῶσθαι. ὅθεν ἔτι καὶ νῦν τοὺς μακροὺς πόνους καὶ παραβόλους ὁδοὺς καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς νόσους ⟨δια⟩φεύγοντας φάσκομεν ἐξ Ἅιδου σεσῶσθαι.
21. On the Things in Hades
It is said that Heracles went down ⟨to Hades⟩ and came up again leading Cerberus, and that Orpheus likewise brought up Eurydice his wife. The truth is that whenever someone, after a long and dangerous absence abroad, came through and was saved, people used to say that he had been brought safely out of Hades. Hence even now we say of those who escape long toils, hazardous roads and dangerous diseases that they have been saved from Hades.
XXII. Περὶ Φαέθοντος
Οὗτος Ἡλίου ὢν υἱὸς ἐπεθύμησεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἅρμα ἀναβὰς διφρεῦσαι· ἀπείρως δὲ τοῦτο ποιοῦντος καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπολλυμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ καύματος, ὁ Ζεὺς αὐτὸν ἐκεραύνωσεν * * *
22. On Phaethon
He, being a son of Helios, longed to climb into his father’s chariot and drive it; but as he did so unskilfully and people were perishing from the heat, Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt. * * *
XXIII. Περὶ Ὀρφέως
Οὗτος κινεῖν λέγεται καὶ πέτρας καὶ δένδρα καὶ θῆρας οἰωνούς τε. εἴποι δ᾽ ἄν τις ἀληθῶς ὅτι θηριώδεις ὄντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ οὔτε ἔθη οὔτε νόμους εἰδότας εἰς δεισιδαιμονίαν ἀγαγών, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ εὐσεβεῖν παρακαλέσας πετρώδεις ὄντας καὶ δενδρώδεις καὶ διὰ τῶν λόγων κηλήσας ταύτης τῆς φήμης ἔτυχε.
23. On Orpheus
He is said to move rocks and trees and wild beasts and birds. But one might truly say that, having led people who were beast-like and knew neither customs nor laws to the fear of the gods [?], and having summoned them to piety, stony and wooden as they were, and having charmed them by his words, he won this reputation.
XXIV. Περὶ Ἕλλης καὶ Φρίξου
Ἡνίκα τὴν Ἰνοῦς ἐπιβουλὴν μητρυιᾶς οὔσης ἔφευγον Ἕλλη καὶ Φρίξος, ὁ παιδαγωγός, ᾧ ἦν Κριὸς ὄνομα, ἐπὶ πλοιαρίου μικροῦ χειμῶνος ὄντος ἔφυγεν ἔχων αὐτούς. καὶ συμβαίνει τὴν μὲν Ἕλλην ἐκπεσεῖν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν (ὅθεν ἐκλήθη Ἑλλήσποντος), τοῦ δὲ Φρίξου σωθέντος ἐπιθυμητικῶς ἔχειν τὸν Αἰήτην, τὸν δὲ Κριὸν διακωλύοντα καὶ πειρώμενον ἄφθορον διατηρῆσαι τὸν Φρίξον, ἀποδαρῆναι καὶ τὸ δέρμα αὐτοῦ προσπασσαλευθῆναι, χρυσοῦν δὲ προσαγορευθῆναι διὰ τὸ πιστότατον ⟨αὐτὸν⟩ γεγενῆσθαι.
24. On Helle and Phrixus
When Helle and Phrixus were fleeing the plot of Ino, who was their stepmother, the tutor, whose name was Crius, fled with them in a small boat in a storm. And it happened that Helle fell into the sea (from which the Hellespont was named), and when Phrixus was saved Aeetes conceived a desire for him [?]; Crius, who opposed this and tried to keep Phrixus unharmed, was flayed, and his skin was nailed up, and it was called golden because he had proved most faithful.
XXV. Περὶ Πανῶν καὶ Σατύρων
* * * ἐν ὄρεσι καταγινόμενοι καὶ γυναικῶν ἀπωτέρω ὄντες, ὅταν τις παρεφάνη γυνή, κοινῶς αὐτῇ ἐχρῶντο. [τράγων δὲ τρίχας καὶ σκέλη ἐδόκουν ἔχειν διὰ τὴν περὶ τὰ λουτρὰ ἀμέλειαν καὶ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα δυσοσμίαν. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Διονύσου φίλοι· τὴν γὰρ ἐργασίαν τῶν ἀμπέλων ἐποίουν.] καὶ νῦν δὲ ὅτι τὰς εἰς πλῆθος γυναῖκας λέγομεν ὅτι „ἐπανεύομεν αὐτάς“.
25. On Pans and Satyrs
* * * living in the mountains and being far from women, whenever a woman appeared they used her in common. [They were thought to have the hair and legs of goats because of their neglect of washing and the bad smell that came with it. For that reason they were friends of Dionysus; for they did the work of the vines.] And even now, of women who are there for the many we say that “we pan them” [?].
XXVI. Περὶ Ἀσκληπιοῦ
Λέγουσιν αὐτὸν κεκεραυνῶσθαι. εἴη δ᾽ ἂν πιθανώτερον οὕτω. ἰατρικὴν κινήσας καὶ ὑψώσας αὐτὸς ὑπὸ πυρετοῦ φλεχθεὶς ὤλετο· ὅθεν διὰ τὴν φλεγμονὴν αὐτὸν κεραυνωθῆναι λέγουσιν.
26. On Asclepius
They say that he was struck by lightning. A more plausible version would be this. Having set medicine in motion and exalted it [?], he was himself burned by a fever and died; so, because of the inflammation, they say he was struck by lightning.
XXVII. Περὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἅιδου κυνῆς
Ὅτι τὴν Ἅιδος κυνῆν, ὡς καὶ ὁ Περσεύς, περιθέμενος ἀόρατος ἐγίνετο. ἔστι δὲ κυνῆ Ἅιδος τὸ τέλος εἰς ὃ ἀπελθὼν ὁ τετελευτηκὼς ἀόρατος γίνεται.
27. On the Cap of Hades
[It is said] that whoever put on the cap of Hades, as Perseus also did, became invisible. The cap of Hades is the end [?] into which the one who has died departs and becomes invisible.
XXVIII. Περὶ Βορέου καὶ Ὠρειθυίας
Λέγεται ὅτι Βορέας Ὠρείθυιαν ἥρπασεν. ἦν δὲ βασιλεὺς τῶν τόπων ἐκείνων.
Ἡ δὲ αὐτὴ ὑπόληψις καὶ μέθοδος καὶ περὶ Διὸς καὶ Γανυμήδους. βασιλεύων γὰρ ⟨ὁ Ζεὺς⟩ ἁρπάζει τὸν Γανυμήδην, ἀετὸς γεν⟨έσθαι λεγ⟩όμενος, ὅτι καὶ τὸ ζῷον ἄλκιμον. ὁ δ᾽ αὐτὸς τρόπος καὶ περὶ Ἠοῦς καὶ Τιθωνοῦ, καὶ Ἀγχίσου καὶ Ἀφροδίτης.
28. On Boreas and Oreithyia
It is said that Boreas carried off Oreithyia. But he was king of those regions.
The same supposition and method apply to Zeus and Ganymede. For Zeus, being king, seizes Ganymede, and is said to have become an eagle because the creature too is valiant. The same manner applies also to Eos and Tithonus, and to Anchises and Aphrodite.
XXIX. Περὶ Πρωτέως
Λέγεται ὅτι ἐγένετο ποτὲ μὲν ὕδωρ, ποτὲ δὲ πῦρ, δηλονότι τοῖς μὲν χρηστοῖς ὡς ὕδωρ, τοῖς δὲ πονηροῖς κατ᾽ ἀξίαν τιμωρητικός· ὅθεν ταύτην τὴν φήμην περὶ αὐτοῦ διέσπειραν.
29. On Proteus
It is said that he became now water and now fire; evidently because to the good he was like water, but to the bad he was a punisher, as they deserved. Hence they spread this story about him.
XXX. Περὶ τοῦ κυνὸς καὶ τῆς ἀλώπεκος
Τῷ μὲν κυνὶ τοῦ Κεφάλου δεδομένον εἶναί φασιν γέρας ὃ ἂν ἴδῃ θηρίον καταλαμβάνειν, τῇ δὲ ⟨Τευμησίᾳ⟩ ἀλώπεκι ὑπὸ μηδενὸς καταλαμβάνεσθαι. διώκοντος οὖν τοῦ κυνὸς τὴν ἀλώπεκα, ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ τὸ πεπρωμένον, τοὺς δύο λίθους ὁ Ζεὺς ἐποίησεν. εἴη δ᾽ ἂν τὸ τοιοῦτον πλάσμα παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀμφοτέρων κατὰ τὸν διωγμὸν πλάνην.
30. On the Dog and the Fox
They say that to the dog of Cephalus it was given as its privilege to catch whatever beast it sighted, and to the ⟨Teumessian⟩ fox to be caught by no one. So when the dog was chasing the fox, in order that what was fated might not be undone, Zeus made the two into stones. Such a fiction could have arisen from the wandering of the two of them in the chase.
XXXI. Περὶ τῶν Διομήδους ἵππων
Φασὶ ταύτας ἀνθρωποφάγους εἶναι. ἄγριαι δὲ ἦσαν νομάδες. οὐ δυναμένου δέ τινος αὐτὰς ὑφ᾽ ἅρμα ζεῦξαι, ὁ Ἡρακλῆς ἔζευξεν.
31. On the Mares of Diomedes
They say that these mares were man-eaters. They were wild, and roamed free. Since no one was able to yoke them to a chariot, Heracles yoked them.
XXXII. Περὶ Καλυψοῦς καὶ Ὀδυσσέως
Ἄλογον θνητὸν ὄντα Ὀδυσσέα αὐτὴν ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι ποιήσειν ἀθάνατον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τὰ πρὸς τροφὴν καὶ πρὸς βίου ἀπόλαυσιν ἄφθονα καὶ λαμπρὰ ἕξειν. ὅθεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὅταν που κλιθῶμεν καὶ λαμπρῶς εὐωχώμεθα, ἐν θεοῖς φαμεν γεγονέναι.
32. On Calypso and Odysseus
It is absurd that she should promise to make Odysseus immortal, mortal as he was; what she meant was that he would have an abundance of splendid food and enjoyment of life. Hence we too, whenever we lie down to a banquet and feast splendidly, say that we have been among the gods.
XXXIII. Περὶ Κερβέρου
Τοῦτ᾽ ἂν εἴη ὃ καὶ περὶ τῆς Ὕδρας. οὗτος γὰρ εἶχε δύο σκύμνους, ὧν ἀεὶ συμβαδιζόντων τῷ πατρὶ ἐφαίνετο εἶναι τρικέφαλος.
33. On Cerberus
The same would hold as for the Hydra. For he had two pups, who always walked beside their father, so that he appeared to have three heads.
XXXIV. Περὶ Λαμίας
Ἱστοροῦσιν ὅτι, Διὸς αὐτῇ συμμιγέντος, Ἥρα ἀπεθηρίωσεν αὐτήν, καὶ ὅτι ἡνίκα ἂν μανῇ, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξαιρεῖ καὶ εἰς κοτύλην βάλλει, καὶ ὅτι σαρκοφαγεῖ καὶ ἀνθρώπους ἐσθίει. εἴη δ᾽ ἂν τάδε. καλῇ αὐτῇ οὔσῃ ὁ Ζεὺς ἐπλησίασε βασιλεύων, Ἥρα δὲ συναρπάζουσα αὐτήν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξώρυξε καὶ εἰς τὰ ὄρη ἔρριψεν· ὅθεν ἐπιπόνως ἔζη ἐπικουρουμένη δὲ οὐδέν· ⟨διὰ δὲ τὸ⟩ ὑπὸ ταῖς ἐρημίαις καταγινομένην αὐτὴν ἄλουτον καὶ ἀθεράπευτον εἶναι, ἐδόκει θηρίον ὑπάρχειν.
34. On Lamia
They report that, when Zeus had lain with her, Hera turned her into a beast, and that whenever she goes mad she takes out her eyes and puts them in a cup, and that she eats flesh and devours people. It may have been like this. She was beautiful, and Zeus, being king, approached her; Hera, seizing her, gouged out her eyes and threw her into the mountains; so she lived a toilsome life, helped in no way; and since she lived in the wilds, unwashed and uncared for, she seemed to be a beast.
XXXV. Περὶ Πρόκνης καὶ Φιλομήλας ⟨καὶ Τηρέως⟩
Ἱστοροῦνται ὄρνιθες γενέσθαι, ἡ μὲν χελιδών, ἡ δὲ ἀηδών, ὁ δὲ ἔποψ. τοῦτο δ᾽ ἂν ἔχοι οὕτως. ἀποκτείνασαι τὸν Ἴτυν καὶ πορθήσασαι τὸν οἶκον, εἴς τι πλοιάριον ἐμβᾶσαι ταχεῖαν τὴν φυγὴν ἐποιήσαντο. ὁ δὲ Τηρεύς, ἐπεὶ διώξας οὐ κατέλαβεν αὐτάς, αὑτὸν ἀναιρεῖ. ὅθεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, οὐ φαινομένων αὐτῶν, διὰ τὸ ἐξαίφνης ἀφανεῖς γενέσθαι εἶπον ὅτι ἀπωρνιθώθησαν.
35. On Procne, Philomela and Tereus
It is reported that they became birds: one a swallow, the other a nightingale, and he a hoopoe. This may have happened as follows. After they had killed Itys and sacked the house, they boarded a small boat and made a swift escape. Tereus, when he pursued them but did not catch them, killed himself. Hence people, since they could not be seen and had suddenly vanished, said that they had “turned into birds”.
XXXVI. Περὶ τῶν Ἡλιάδων
Ταύτας φασὶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων αἰγείρους γενέσθαι. οὐ τοῦτο δέ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ πάθος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ εἰς τὸν Ἠριδανὸν αὑτὰς ἔβαλον. διὸ οἱ ζητοῦντες, ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν παραγενόμενοι καὶ τὰς μὲν οὐχ εὑρόντες, τρία δὲ στελέχη αἰγείρων, ὑπέλαβον αὐτὰς ἀποδενδρωθῆναι. [ὄνομα δὲ αὐταῖς Φοίβη, Λαμπετώ, Αἴγλη.]
36. On the Heliades
They say that these were turned from humans into poplars. But it was not so: because of what had happened to their brother they threw themselves into the Eridanus. Therefore those who were searching for them, coming to the river and not finding the women, but three trunks of poplars, supposed that they had turned into trees. [Their names were Phoebe, Lampeto and Aegle.]
XXXVII. Περὶ Πανόπτου
Τοῦτον πάντα βουλόμενον ἀκούειν καὶ ὁρᾶν ἐν παντὶ τῷ σώματι ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχειν ἐπλάσαντο. ὅθεν ἔτι καὶ νῦν τοὺς τοιούτους πανόπτας καλοῦμεν.
37. On Panoptes
Because he wanted to hear and see everything, they invented that he had eyes over his whole body. Hence even now we call such people “all-seers”.
XXXVIII. Περὶ Ἐνδυμίωνος καὶ Σελήνης
Λέγεται ὅτι καθεύδοντος αὐτοῦ Σελήνη ἐρασθεῖσα καταβᾶσα ἐμίγη αὐτῷ. εἴη δ᾽ ἂν ὁ μὲν Ἐνδυμίων ποιμὴν ἄπειρος γυναικός, ἐπιθυμητικῶς δὲ σχοῦσα γυνὴ αὐτοῦ * * * ἐρωτηθεῖσα παρά τινος τίς εἴη, ἔφη „Σελήνη“.
38. On Endymion and Selene
It is said that while he slept Selene fell in love with him, came down, and lay with him. It could be that Endymion was a shepherd who had no experience of women, and a woman who had conceived a desire for him * * * when asked by someone who she was, said, “Selene”.
XXXIX. Περὶ τῶν Ἡλίου βοῶν
Περὶ τούτων οὕτως εὗρον ἠλληγορημένον ἐν Ἰλιάδι. οὐκ ἐξῆν τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἱεροθυτεῖν βοῦς ἐργάτας. καὶ τοῦτο φησὶ μὲν καὶ Ἄρατος, δῆλον δὲ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ποιήσεως. φησὶ γὰρ Ἑκάβη πρὸς Ἀθηνᾶν·
σοὶ δ᾽ αὖ ἐγὼ ῥέξω βοῦν ἦνιν εὐρυμέτωπον
ἀδμήτην, ἣν οὔπω ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἤγαγεν ἀνήρ.
οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἡλίου βόας τούτους ἐκάλουν ὡς τὴν γῆν ἐργαζομένους καὶ ἡμᾶς τρέφοντας. οἱ δὲ τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως ἑταῖροι οὐχ Ἡλίου βοῦς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐργάτας θοινηθέντες
σφῇσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὑπὲρ μόρον ἄλγε᾽ ἐπέσπον.
39. On the Oxen of Helios
About these I found the following allegorical explanation in the Iliad [?]. The ancients were not permitted to sacrifice working oxen. Aratus says this too, and it is also clear from the poetry itself. For Hecabe says to Athena:
“And in turn I will offer you a yearling heifer, broad of brow,
unbroken, one that no man has yet led under the yoke.”
And not only that, but they also called these working oxen “oxen of Helios”, because they work the earth and feed us. The companions of Odysseus had feasted not on oxen of Helios but on the working oxen, and
“by their own recklessness met with sorrows beyond their fate.”
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