CCLIIII Quae piissimae fuerunt
Antigona Oedipi filia Polynicem fratrem sepulturae dedit. Electra Agamemnonis filia in fratrem Orestem. Iliona Priami filia in fratrem Polydorum et parentes: Pelopia Thyestis filia in patrem, ut eum vindicaret. Hypsipyle Thoantis filia patri [cui] vitam concessit. Chalciope * filia patrem non deseruit regno amisso. Harpalyce Harpalyci filia in bello patrem servavit et hostem fugavit. Erigone Icarii filia patre amisso suspendio se necavit. Agaue Cadmi filia in Illyri⟨c⟩a Lycothersen regem interfecit et patri suo regnum dedit. [Xanthippe Myconi patri incluso carcere lacte suo alimentum vitae praestitit.] Tyro Salmonei filia propter patrem filios suos necavit.
[In Sicilia cum Aetna mons primum ardere coepit Damon matrem suam ex igne rapuit, item Phintia patrem. Aeneas item in Ilio Anchisen patrem humeris et Ascanium filium ex incendio eripuit. — Cleops et Bitias, Cydippae filii. Cydippe sacerdos Iunonis Argivae cum boves in pastionem misisset, neque ad horam, qua sacra in monte ad templum Iunonis duci et fieri deberent, apparerent et essent mortui (— quae nisi ad horam sacra facta essent, sacerdos interficiebatur —) inter quam trepidationem Cleops et Bitias pro bubus sub iugo se iunxerunt et ad fanum sacra et matrem Cydippen in plaustro duxerunt: sacrificioque peracto Cydippe precata est Iunonem, si sacra eius caste coluisset, si filii adversus eam pii fuissent, ut quicquid bonum mortalibus posset contingere id filiis eius contingeret. precatione peracta plaustrum et matrem filii domum reduxerunt et fessi somno acquieverunt*. at Cydippe diligenter agnovit nihil esse melius mortalibus quam mori et ob hoc obiit voluntaria morte.]
254. Most dutiful daughters (and others)
Antigone, daughter of Oedipus, buried her brother Polynices. Electra, daughter of Agamemnon, towards her brother Orestes. Iliona, daughter of Priam, towards her brother Polydorus and her parents: Pelopia, daughter of Thyestes, towards her father, to avenge him. Hypsipyle, daughter of Thoas, spared her father's life [for whom]. Chalciope, * daughter, did not desert her father when his kingdom was lost. Harpalyce, daughter of Harpalycus, saved her father in war and put the enemy to flight. Erigone, daughter of Icarius, when her father was lost, killed herself by hanging. Agave, daughter of Cadmus, killed King Lycotherses in Illyria and gave the kingdom to her father. [Xanthippe gave her father Mycon, shut up in prison, nourishment of life with her own milk.] Tyro, daughter of Salmoneus, killed her sons because of her father.
[In Sicily, when Mount Etna first began to burn, Damon snatched his mother from the fire, and likewise Phintias his father. Aeneas likewise at Ilium rescued from the fire his father Anchises on his shoulders and his son Ascanius. — Cleops and Bitias, sons of Cydippe. Cydippe, priestess of Argive Hera, had sent her oxen to pasture, and they did not appear at the hour at which the rites had to be led to the temple of Hera on the mountain and performed, and were dead (— and if the rites were not done on time, the priestess was put to death —); in this agitation Cleops and Bitias yoked themselves under the yoke in place of the oxen and drew the rites and their mother Cydippe in a wagon to the shrine: and when the sacrifice was done, Cydippe prayed to Hera that, if she had worshipped her rites chastely, if her sons had been dutiful towards her, whatever good could befall mortals might befall her sons. When the prayer was done, the sons drew the wagon and their mother home and, tired, fell asleep *. But Cydippe carefully recognised that nothing is better for mortals than to die, and for this reason she died a voluntary death.]
CCLV Quae impiae fuerunt
Scyllae Nisi filia patrem occidit. Ariadne Minois filia ** fratrem et filios occidit. Procne Pandionis filia filium occidit. Danaides coniuges suos patrueles occiderunt. Lemniades in Lemno insula patres et filios occiderunt. Harpalyce Clymeni filia filium, quem ex patris concubitu pepererat, occidit. [Tullia Romanorum super parentis corpus currum duxit, unde vicus sceleratus est dictus.]
255. Impious women
Scylla, daughter of Nisus, killed her father. Ariadne, daughter of Minos, ** killed her brother and sons. Procne, daughter of Pandion, killed her son. The Danaids killed their cousins, their husbands. The Lemnian women on the island of Lemnos killed fathers and sons. Harpalyce, daughter of Clymenus, killed the son whom she had borne from her father's embrace. [Tullia, a Roman woman, drove her chariot over her parent's body, from which the street was called the Wicked Street.]
CCLVI Quae castissimae fuerunt
Penelope Icarii filia uxor Ulyssis. Euadne †Philacis filia coniunx Capanei. Laodamia Acasti filia coniunx Protesilai. Hecuba Cissei filia uxor Priami. Theonoe Thestoris filia uxor Admeti. [Romanorum Lucretia Lucretii filia coniunx Collatini.]
256. The most chaste women
Penelope, daughter of Icarius, wife of Odysseus. Euadne, daughter of †Philacus, wife of Capaneus. Laodamia, daughter of Acastus, wife of Protesilaus. Hecuba, daughter of Cisseus, wife of Priam. Theonoe, daughter of Thestor, wife of Admetus. [Of the Romans, Lucretia, daughter of Lucretius, wife of Collatinus.]
CCLVII Qui inter se amicitia iunctissimi fuerunt
Pylades Strophii filius cum Oreste Agamemnonis filio. Pirithous Ixionis filius cum Theseo Aegei filio. Achilles Pelei filius cum Patroclo Menoetii filio. Diomedes Tydei filius cum Sthenelo Capanei filio. Peleus Aeaci filius cum Phoenice Amyntoris filio. Hercules Iovis filius cum Philocteta Poeantis filio. [Harmodius et Aristogiton more fraterno.] [In Sicilia [Dionysius] tyrannus crudelissimus cum esset suosque cives cruciatibus interficeret, Moeros tyrannum voluit interficere. quem satellites cum deprehendissent armatum, ad regem perduxerunt. qui interrogatus respondit se regem voluisse interficere. quem rex iussit cruci figi. a quo Moerus petit tridui commeatum ut sororem suam nuptui collocaret et daret tyranno Selinuntium amicum suum et sodalem qui sponderet eum tertio die venturum. cui rex indulsit commeatum ad sororem collocandam, dicitque rex Selinuntio, ut nisi ad diem Moerus veniret eum eandem poenam passurum, et dimitti⟨t⟩ Moerum. Qui collocata sorore cum reverteretur, repente tempestate et pluvia orta flumen ita increvit ut nec transiri nec transnatari posset. ad cuius ripam Moerus consedit et flere coepit ne amicus pro se periret. [Phalaris] autem Selinuntium cruci figi cum iuberet ideo, quod horae sex tertii iam diei essent nec veniret Moerus, cui Selinuntius respondit diem adhuc non praeteriisse. cumque iam et horae novem essent, rex iubet duci Selinuntium in crucem. qui cum duceretur vix tandem Moerus liberato flumine consequitur carnificem exclamatque a longe: sustine carnifex, adsum quem spopondit. quod factum regi nunciatur. quos rex ad se iussit perduci rogavitque eos ut se in amicitiam reciperent, vitamque Moero concessit. — Harmodius et Aristogiton. †idem in Sicilia eundem Phalarim Harmodius cum vellet interficere simulationis causa scrofam porcellos habentem occidit et venit ad Aristogitonem amicum suum ense sanguinolento dicitque se matrem interfecisse rogatque eum ut se celaret. qui cum ab eo celaretur rogavit Aristogitonem ut progrederetur rumoresque qui essent de matre sibi renunciaret. **nullos esse rumores. qui vespere ita litem contraxerunt ut alius alio potiora ingererent. nec ideo Aristogiton voluit obiicere eum matrem interfecisse. cui Harmodius patefecit se scrofam porcellos habentem interfecisse, et ideo ‘matrem’ dixisse. cui indicat se regem velle interficere rogatque eum, ut sibi adiutorio esset. qui cum ad regem interficiendum venissent deprehensi sunt a satellitibus armati; et cum perducerentur ad tyrannum, Aristogiton a satellitibus effugit. Harmodius autem solus cum perductus esset ad regem, quaerentque ab eo quis ei fuisset comes, ille ne amicum proderet, linguam dentibus sibi praecidit eamque regis in faciem inspuit.] [Nisus cum Euryalo suo pro quo et mortuus est.]
257. Friends joined by closest friendship
Pylades, son of Strophius, with Orestes, son of Agamemnon. Pirithous, son of Ixion, with Theseus, son of Aegeus. Achilles, son of Peleus, with Patroclus, son of Menoetius. Diomedes, son of Tydeus, with Sthenelus, son of Capaneus. Peleus, son of Aeacus, with Phoenix, son of Amyntor. Heracles, son of Zeus, with Philoctetes, son of Poeas. [Harmodius and Aristogiton, in brotherly fashion.] [In Sicily, when [Dionysius] was a most cruel tyrant and put his citizens to death by tortures, Moerus wanted to kill the tyrant. When the guards found him armed, they brought him to the king. Questioned, he said that he had wanted to kill the king. The king ordered him to be crucified. Moerus asked him for a three days' leave to give his sister in marriage, and to give the tyrant as a pledge his friend and comrade Selinuntius, who would guarantee that he would come on the third day. The king granted him leave to settle his sister, and the king told Selinuntius that, unless Moerus came on the day, he would suffer the same punishment; and he let Moerus go. When Moerus, having settled his sister, was returning, a storm and rain suddenly arose and the river swelled so much that it could neither be crossed nor swum. At its bank Moerus sat down and began to weep, that his friend would die for him. [Phalaris], however, when he was ordering Selinuntius to be crucified, because it was now the sixth hour of the third day and Moerus did not come, was told by Selinuntius that the day had not yet passed. And when it was already the ninth hour, the king ordered Selinuntius to be led to the cross. As he was being led, at last Moerus, the river having subsided, overtook the executioner and cried from afar: ‘Hold, executioner; here is the man for whom he stood surety.’ This was reported to the king. The king ordered them to be brought to him and asked them to receive him into their friendship, and granted Moerus his life. — Harmodius and Aristogiton. †idem in Sicily, Harmodius, when he wanted to kill the same Phalaris, for the sake of pretence killed a sow that had piglets, and came to his friend Aristogiton with a bloody sword and said that he had killed his mother, and asked him to hide him. While he was being hidden by him he asked Aristogiton to go out and report to him what rumours there were about his mother. ** there were no rumours. In the evening they quarrelled so that each heaped up the more telling abuse on the other. Nor did Aristogiton for that reason wish to reproach him for having killed his mother. Harmodius revealed to him that he had killed a sow with piglets, and that was why he had said ‘mother’. He told him that he wished to kill the king and asked him to help. When they came to kill the king they were caught by armed guards; and as they were being led to the tyrant, Aristogiton escaped from the guards. Harmodius, however, when he alone had been led to the king and was asked by him who had been his accomplice, in order not to betray his friend bit off his tongue with his teeth and spat it into the king's face.] [Nisus with his Euryalus, for whom he also died.]
⟨CCLVIII Atreus et Thyestes⟩
[Atreus et Thyestes germani cum in dissensione sibi nocere non possent in simulatam gratiam redierunt. qua occasione Thyestes cum fratris uxore concubuit. Atreus vero ei filium epulando apposuit. quae sol ne* pollueretur aufugit. Sed veritatis hoc est: Atreum apud Mycenas primum solis eclipsin invenisse, cui invidens frater ex urbe discessit . . .]
258. Atreus and Thyestes (interpolated version)
[The brothers Atreus and Thyestes, when in their dissension they could not harm each other, returned to a pretended friendship. On that occasion Thyestes lay with his brother's wife. Atreus, however, served him his son at a feast. The Sun, so that it should not be polluted, fled away. But the truth is this: Atreus at Mycenae was the first to discover an eclipse of the sun, and his brother, envying him, left the city . . .]
⟨CCLVIIII Lyncus⟩
[Lyncus rex Siciliae fuit, qui missum a Cerere Triptolemum ut hominibus frumentum monstraret susceptum hospitio ut in se tanta[m] gloria[m] migraret, interimere cogitavit. ob quam rem irata Ceres eum convertit in lyncem varii coloris ut ipse variae mentis extiterat.]
259. Lyncus
[Lyncus was a king of Sicily who, when Triptolemus had been sent by Demeter to show people grain and had been received by him as guest, planned to kill him so that so great a glory should pass to himself. For this reason Demeter, angry, turned him into a lynx of various colours, as he himself had been of various mind.]
⟨CCLX Eryx⟩
[Eryx Veneris et Butae filius fuit qui occisus ab Hercule est. monti ex sepultura sua nomen imposuit in quo Aeneas Veneris templum constituit. in hoc autem monte dicitur etiam Anchises sepultus, licet secundum Catonem ad Italiam venerit.]
260. Eryx
[Eryx was a son of Aphrodite and Butes, who was killed by Heracles. From his burial he gave his name to the mountain on which Aeneas founded a temple of Aphrodite. On this mountain Anchises too is said to be buried, although according to Cato he came to Italy.]
⟨CCLXI Agamemnon qui ignarus Dianae cervam occidit⟩
[Cum de Graecia ad Aulidem Danai venissent Agamemnon Dianae cervam occidit ignarus, unde dea irata flatus ventorum removit. quare cum nec navigare possent et pestilentiam sustinerent, consulta oracula dixerunt Agamemnonio sanguine esse placandam Dianam. ergo cum ab Ulixe per nuptiarum simulationem adducta Iphigenia in eo esset ut immolaretur, numinis miseratione sublata est et cerva supposita et translata ad Tauricam civitatem regi Thoanti tradita est sacerdosque facta Dictynnae Dianae. ⟨quae cum⟩ secundum consuetudinem statutam humano sanguine numen placaret cognovit fratrem Orestem, qui accepto oraculo †carendi sororis causa cum amico Pylade Colchos petierat et cum ⟨his⟩ occiso Thoante simulacrum sustulit absconditum fasce lignorum
(unde et fascelis dicitur, non tantum ⟨facelitis⟩ a face cum qua pingitur, propter quod et Lucifera dicitur) et Ariciam detulit. sed cum postea Romanis sacrorum crudelitas displiceret, quanquam servi immolarentur, ad Laconas [Diana] translata ⟨est⟩, ubi sacrificii consuetudo adolescentum verberibus servabatur, qui vocabantur βωμονῖκαι, quia aris sup[p]erpositi contendebant, qui plura posset verbera sustinere. Orestis vero ossa de Aricia Romam translata sunt et condita ante templum Saturni, quod est ante clivum capitolinum iuxta Concordiae templum.]
261. Agamemnon who unwittingly killed Artemis' hind
[When the Danaans had come from Greece to Aulis, Agamemnon killed Artemis' hind, unaware, whence the goddess in anger took away the winds. So, since they could neither sail nor endure the plague, the oracles consulted said that Artemis must be appeased with Agamemnon's blood. Therefore, when Iphigenia, brought by Odysseus under pretence of a wedding, was about to be sacrificed, she was lifted away by the pity of the divinity and a hind was substituted, and, transported to the Taurian state, was handed to King Thoas and made priestess of Artemis Dictynna. When, according to the established custom, she was propitiating the divinity with human blood, she recognised her brother Orestes, who, having received an oracle †carendi on account of his sister, had gone with his friend Pylades to Colchis and, with ⟨these⟩ having killed Thoas, carried off the image, hidden in a bundle of wood
(from which she is also called Fascelis, not only ⟨Facelitis⟩ from the torch with which she is pictured, for which reason she is also called Lucifera) and brought it to Aricia. But when later the cruelty of the rites displeased the Romans, although slaves were sacrificed, [Artemis] was transferred to the Laconians, where the custom of sacrifice was kept up with the flogging of youths, who were called βωμονῖκαι (altar-victors), because, laid upon the altars, they competed in who could endure more lashes. The bones of Orestes were transferred from Aricia to Rome and buried in front of the temple of Saturn, which is in front of the Capitoline hill, beside the temple of Concord.]
Cite This Text