XL. HYDRA.
In qua Coruus insidere et Crater positus existimatur; de qua hanc habemus memoriae proditam causam. coruus Apollinis tutela usus, eo sacrificante, missus ad fontem aquam puram petitum uidit arbores conplures ficorum inmaturas; eas exspectans dum maturescerent, in arbore quadam earum consedit. itaque post aliquot dies coctis ficis, et a coruo compluribus earum comesis, exspectans Apollo coruum uidit cum cratere pleno uolare festinantem. pro quo admisso eius dicitur, quod diu moratus sit, Apollo, qui coactus mora corui alia aqua est usus, hac igitur ignominia eum adfecisse, ut quamdiu fici coquerentur, coruus bibere non possit, ideo quod guttur habeat pertusum illis diebus. itaque cum uellet significare sitim corui, inter sidera constituit cratera et supposuit hydram, quae coruum sitientem moraretur. uidetur enim rostro caudam eius extremam uerberare, ut tamquam sinat se ad crateram transire.
XL. The Hydra
On this the Raven is thought to sit, and the Cup (Crater) to be placed; about which we have this account handed down. The raven, enjoying Apollo's protection, when Apollo was sacrificing, was sent to a spring to fetch pure water, and saw many fig trees with unripe fruit; waiting for them to ripen, it perched on one of the trees. And so after some days, the figs having ripened and been eaten in good number by the raven, Apollo, waiting, saw the raven hurrying to fly with a cup full. For this fault of his, because he had delayed so long, Apollo, who, forced by the raven's delay, had used other water, is said to have inflicted this disgrace on him: that as long as figs are ripening, the raven cannot drink, because he has his throat pierced in those days. And so, wishing to signify the raven's thirst, he set the cup among the stars and put beneath it the hydra, which should delay the thirsty raven. For the raven is seen to strike the very end of the hydra's tail with its beak, as though to let it [or himself] pass over to the cup [?].
Istrus autem et complures dixerunt Coronida Phlegyae filiam fuisse; hanc autem ex Apolline Aesculapium procreasse, sed postea Ischyn Elati filium cum ea concubuisse • quod cum uiderit coruus, Apollini nuntiasse; qui cum fuerit antea candidus, Apollinem pro incommodo nuntio eum nigrum fecisse et Ischyn sagittis confixisse.
Istrus and very many have said that Coronis was daughter of Phlegyas; that she bore Asclepius to Apollo, but afterwards Ischys, son of Elatus, lay with her; the raven, when it saw this, reported it to Apollo; and that, though it had formerly been white, Apollo, for the unwelcome news, made it black, and pierced Ischys with arrows.
De cratera autem hanc historiam Phylarchus scribit. In Chersoneso quae confinis est Troiae, ubi Protesilai sepulcrum statutum conplures dixerunt, urbs Elaeusa nomine dicitur. in qua Demophon quidam cum regnaret, incidit eorum finibus repentina uastitas et ciuium interitio miranda. qua re Demophonta permotum ferunt misisse ad Apollinis oraculum quaerentis remedium uastitatis. responso autem dato, ut quotannis una de nobilium genere uirgo diis penatibus eorum immolaretur, Demophon omnium filias praeter suas sorte ductas interficiebat, usque dum cuidam ciuium loco nobilissimo eorum nato perdoluit inceptum Demophontis. qui negare coepit de sua filia se passurum sortiri, nisi eodem regis filiae essent coniectae. quo facto rex permotus, illius filiam sine sorte ductam interfecit. quod Mastusius nomine, uirginis pater, instanti tempore simulauit se patriae causa non aegre ferre factum (potuisset enim postea sorte ducta nihilominus interire): quod paulatim dies regi in obliuionem perduxit. itaque cum se prope amicissimum regi uirginis pater ostendisset, sollemne sacrificium se habere dixit, eumque et filias eius ad id conficiendum inuitauit. qui nihil aliter futurum suspicatus, filias ante misit, ut ipse occupatus in re ciuili postea ueniret. quod cum ex optato Mastusio accidisset, filias regis interfecit et sanguinem earum cum uino in cratera mixtum aduenienti regi pro potione dari iussit. qui cum filias desideraret, et quid his factum esset rescisset, Mastusium cum cratere in mare proici iussit. quo facto mare, quo ille est proiectus, memoriae causa Mastusium mare uocatum est; portus autem adhuc Crater appellatur. quem antiqui astrologi stellis deformarunt, ut homines meminissent maleficium neminem temere lucrari posse, neque obliuionem inimicitiarum fieri solere. nonnulli cum Eratosthene dicunt eum cratera esse, quo Icarus sit usus, cum hominibus ostenderet uinum; alii autem dicunt dolium esse, quo Mars ab Oto et Ephialte sit coniectus.
Concerning the Cup, however, Phylarchus writes this story. In the Chersonese that borders on Troy, where very many have said that the tomb of Protesilaus stands, there is said to be a city named Elaeusa. When a certain Demophon was reigning there, a sudden devastation and marvellous destruction of citizens fell upon their territory. Demophon, moved by this, is said to have sent to Apollo's oracle, seeking a remedy for the devastation. The answer being given that every year one maiden of noble birth should be sacrificed to their household gods, Demophon killed the daughters of all, drawn by lot, except his own, until the beginning made by Demophon grieved deeply one of the citizens, of very noble birth. He began to say that he would not allow his daughter to be drawn by lot unless the king's daughters were cast in too. At this the king, moved, killed that man's daughter, drawn without lot. Mastusius by name, the maiden's father, at the time pretended that he did not take it ill, for the sake of his country (for she could have died afterwards nonetheless if drawn by lot); and the passing days gradually led this into forgetfulness for the king. And so, when he had shown himself almost the king's closest friend, the maiden's father said that he had a solemn sacrifice to hold, and invited him and his daughters to take part in carrying it out. He, suspecting nothing otherwise, sent his daughters ahead, so that he himself, occupied in civic business, might come afterwards. When this had come about as Mastusius wished, he killed the king's daughters, and ordered their blood, mixed with wine in a cup, to be given to the king on his arrival as a drink. He, when he missed his daughters and asked what had been done to them, ordered Mastusius to be thrown into the sea with the cup. When this was done, the sea into which he was thrown was called, in memory, the Mastusian Sea; and the harbour is still called Crater. The ancient astrologers formed it with stars so that men might remember that no one can profit by a crime without consequence, and that forgetfulness of enmities does not usually occur. Some say, with Eratosthenes, that it is the cup which Icarus used when he showed wine to men; others say it is the jar in which Ares was shut up by Otus and Ephialtes.
XLI. PISCIS
qui notius appellatur. Hic uidetur ore aquam excipere a signo Aquarii. qui laborantem quondam Isim seruasse existimatur; pro quo beneficio simulacrum piscis et eius filiorum, de quibus ante diximus, inter astra constituit. itaque Syri conplures pisces non esitant et eorum simulacra inaurata pro diis penatibus colunt. De hoc et Ctesias scribit.
XLI. The Southern Fish
The Fish that is called Notius (Southern). This is seen to receive water in its mouth from the sign of Aquarius; it is thought once to have saved Isis when she was in distress; for which kindness she set the likeness of a fish, and of its sons, of whom we spoke before, among the stars. And so very many Syrians do not eat fish and worship gilded images of them as household gods. Of this Ctesias also writes.
Cite This Text