CCXVIIII Archelaus
Archelaus Temeni filius exul a fratribus eiectus in †Macedoniam ad regem Cisseum venit. qui cum a finitimis oppugnaretur Archelao regnum et filiam in coniugium dare pollicetur si se ab hoste tutatus esset. Archelaus, quia ab Hercule esset oriundus (nam Temenus Herculis * filius fuit) qui hostes uno proelio fugavit et ab rege pollicita petit. ille ab amicis dissuasus fidem fraudavit, eumque per dolum interficere voluit. itaque foveam iussit fieri et multos carbones eo ingeri et incendi et super virgulta tenuia poni, quo cum Archelaus venisset ut deciderit. hoc regis servus Archelao patefecit. qui re cognita dicit se cum rege colloqui velle secreto. arbitris remotis Archelaus regem arreptum in foveam coniecit atque ita eum perdidit. inde profugit ex responso Apollinis in Macedoniam capra duce oppidumque ex nomine caprae Aegeas constituit. ab hoc Alexander magnus oriundus esse dicitur.
219. Archelaus
Archelaus, son of Temenus, an exile driven out by his brothers, came to †Macedonia to King Cisseus. When Cisseus was being attacked by his neighbours, he promised Archelaus the kingdom and his daughter in marriage if he would defend him against the enemy. Archelaus, because he was descended from Heracles (for Temenus was a son of Heracles *), put the enemies to flight in one battle and asked the king for what he had promised. The king, dissuaded by his friends, broke his pledge and wanted to kill him by a trick. So he ordered a pit to be made and many coals to be thrown in and set alight and thin twigs laid on top, so that Archelaus should fall in when he came there. The king's slave revealed this to Archelaus. Learning of it, he said that he wished to speak with the king in private. The witnesses having been sent away, Archelaus seized the king, threw him into the pit and so destroyed him. From there, according to an oracle of Apollo, he fled to Macedonia with a goat as guide and founded a town named from the goat, Aegeae. From him Alexander the Great is said to be descended.
CCXX Cura
Cura cum quendam fluvium transiret, vidit cretosum lutum; sustulit cogitabunda et coepit fingere [hominem]. dum deliberat secum quidnam fecisset, intervenit Iovis. rogat eum Cura ut ei daret spiritum, quod facile ab Iove impetravit. cui cum vellet Cura nomen suum imponere, Iovis prohibuit suumque nomen ei dandum esse dixit. dum de nomine Cura et Iovis disceptarent, surrexit et Tellus suumque nomen ei imponi debere dicebat, quandoquidem corpus suum praebuisset. sumpserunt Saturnum iudicem. quibus Saturnus †secus videtur iudicasse: ‘tu Iovis quoniam spiritum dedisti **, corpus recipito. cura quoniam prima eum finxit, quamdiu vixerit, cura eum possideat; sed quoniam de nomine eius controversia est, homo vocetur quoniam ex humo videtur esse factus.
220. Cura (Care)
When Cura (Care) was crossing a river, she saw some clayey mud; she picked it up, deep in thought, and began to shape [a human being]. While she was considering with herself what she had made, Jupiter (Zeus) came up. Cura asked him to give it spirit, which she easily obtained from Jupiter. When Cura wished to give it her own name, Jupiter forbade it and said that his name should be given to it. While Cura and Jupiter were disputing about the name, Tellus (Earth) rose up too and said that her name ought to be put on it, since she had given her body. They took Saturn as judge. Saturn seems to have judged †secus: ‘You, Jupiter, since you gave the spirit **, take back the body. Since Cura first fashioned it, let Cura possess it as long as it lives; but since there is a dispute about its name, let it be called homo, since it seems to have been made from humus (earth).’
CCXXI Septem sapientes
Pittacus Mitylenaeus Periander Corinthius Thales Milesius Solon Atheniensis Chilon Lacedaemonius Cleobulus Lindius Bias Prieneus: sententiae eorum sunt:
Optimus est Cleobulus ait modus incola Lindi.
ex Ephyra Periandre doces cuncta et meditanda.
tempus nosce inquit Mitylenis Pittacus ortus.
plures esse malos Bias autumat ille Prieneus.
Milesiusque Thales sponsori damna minatur.
nosce inquit tete Chilon Lacedaemone cretus.
Cecropiusque Solon ne quid nimis induperabit.
221. The Seven Sages
Pittacus of Mytilene, Periander of Corinth, Thales of Miletus, Solon of Athens, Chilon of Lacedaemon, Cleobulus of Lindus, Bias of Priene: their sayings are:
‘Moderation is best,’ says Cleobulus, the dweller of Lindus.
Periander of Ephyra, you teach that all must be thought over.
‘Know the time,’ says Pittacus, born at Mytilene.
Bias of Priene declares that most men are bad.
And Thales of Miletus threatens the surety with loss.
‘Know yourself,’ says Chilon, sprung from Lacedaemon.
And Solon of Athens will command: ‘Nothing in excess.’
CCXXII Septem lyrici
* * *
222. The seven lyric poets
[The text of this fabula is lost: only the heading ‘The seven lyric poets’ and a gap survive in the print.]
CCXXIII Septem opera mirabilia
Ephesi Dianae templum, quod fecit Amazon Otrera Martis coniunx. Monimentum regis Mausoli lapidibus lychniticis altum pedes LXXX circuitus pedes CIↃCCCXL. Rhodi signum Solis aeneum, id est colossus, altus pedibus XC. Signum Iovis Olympii, quod fecit Phidias ex ebore et auro sedens pedes LX. Domus Cyri regis in Ecbatanis, quam fecit Memnon lapidibus variis et candidis vinctis auro. Murus in Babylonia, quem fecit Semiramis Dercetis filia latere cocto et sulphure ferro vinctum, latum pedes XXV altum pedes LX in circuitu stadiorum CCC. Pyramides in Aegypto quarum umbra non videtur altae pedes LX.
223. The Seven Wonders
At Ephesus, the temple of Artemis, which the Amazon Otrera, wife of Ares, built. The monument of King Mausolus, eighty feet high, in stones of lychnitis marble, with a circuit of 1,340 feet [CIↃCCCXL]. At Rhodes the bronze statue of the Sun, that is the Colossus, ninety feet high. The statue of Zeus of Olympia, which Phidias made of ivory and gold, seated, sixty feet. The house of King Cyrus at Ecbatana, which Memnon built of stones of various kinds and white ones bound with gold. The wall in Babylon, which Semiramis, daughter of Derceto, built of baked brick, bound with bitumen [sulphur] and iron, twenty-five feet wide, sixty feet high, three hundred stades in circuit. The pyramids in Egypt, whose shadow is not seen, sixty feet high.
CCXXIIII Qui facti sunt ex mortalibus immortales
Hercules Iovis et Alcumenae filius
Liber Iovis et Semelae filius
Castor et Pollux Helenae fratres, Iovis et Ledae filii
[Ariadnen Liber pater Liberam appellavit Minois et Pasiphaes filiam]
Asclepius Apollinis et C⟨o⟩ronidis filius
Pan Mercurii et Penelopes filius
Ino Cadmi filia in Leucotheam, quam nos matrem Matutam dicimus
Melicertes Athamantis filius in deum Palaemonem
Perseus Iovis et Danaes filius, in stellas receptus
Arcas Iovis et Callisto filius, in stellas relatus
Callisto Lycaonis filia, in septentrionem relata
Cynosura Iovis nutrix, in alterum septentrionem
Crotos Panis et Euphemes filius, conlactius Musarum in stellam sagittarium.
Icarius et Erigone Icarii filia in stellas.
Icarius in arcturi Erigone in Virginis signum
Ganymedes Assaraci filius, in aquario duodecim signorum
Myrtilus Mercurii et Cleobules filius in Heniochon
224. Mortals made immortal
Heracles, son of Zeus and Alcmene;
Liber (Dionysus), son of Zeus and Semele;
Castor and Pollux, brothers of Helen, sons of Zeus and Leda;
[Ariadne, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, Father Liber called Libera;]
Asclepius, son of Apollo and Coronis;
Pan, son of Hermes and Penelope;
Ino, daughter of Cadmus, into Leucothea, whom we call Mater Matuta;
Melicertes, son of Athamas, into the god Palaemon;
Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, received among the stars;
Arcas, son of Zeus and Callisto, placed among the stars;
Callisto, daughter of Lycaon, placed in the Septentrio (the Bear);
Cynosura, nurse of Zeus, in the other Septentrio;
Crotus, son of Pan and Eupheme, foster-brother of the Muses, into the star of the Archer;
Icarius and Erigone, Icarius' daughter, among the stars;
Icarius into Arcturus, Erigone into the sign of the Virgin;
Ganymede, son of Assaracus, in Aquarius, among the twelve signs;
Myrtilus, son of Hermes and Cleobule, into Heniochus (the Charioteer).
CCXXV Qui primi templa deorum constituerunt
Aedem Iovi Olympio primum fecit Pelasgus Triopae filius in Arcadia. Thessalus templum [quod est in Macedonia] Iovis Dodonaei in terra Molossorum. Eleuther primus simulacrum Liberi patris ** constituit et quemadmodum coli deberet ostendit. Phoroneus Inachi filius templum Argis Iunoni primus fecit. Otrera Amazon Martis coniunx templum Dianae Ephesi prima fecit, quod postea †a rege restituerunt. Lycaon Pelasgi filius templum Mercurio Cyllenio in Arcadia fecit. Pierus . . . . .
225. Who first founded temples of the gods
Pelasgus, son of Triopas, first built a temple for Olympian Zeus in Arcadia. Thessalus [which is in Macedonia] built the temple of Zeus of Dodona in the land of the Molossians. Eleuther first set up an image of Father Liber ** and showed how he ought to be worshipped. Phoroneus, son of Inachus, first made a temple for Hera at Argos. Otrera, the Amazon, wife of Ares, was the first to make the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which they afterwards †restored by the king. Lycaon, son of Pelasgus, made a temple to Hermes of Cyllene in Arcadia. Pierus . . . . .
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