LXXIIII Hypsipyle
Septem ductores qui Thebas oppugnatum ibant devenerunt in Nemeam, ubi Hypsipyle Thoantis filia in servitute puerum Archemorum sive Ophelten Lyci regis filium nutriebat. cui responsum erat, ne in terra puerum deponeret, antequam posset ambulare. ergo ductores septem, qui Thebas ibant, aquam quaerentes devenerunt ad Hypsipylen eamque rogaverunt, ut eis aquam demonstraret. illa timens puerum in terram deponere apium altissimum †erat ad fontem, in quo puerum deposuit. quae dum aquam eis tradit, draco fontis custos puerum exedit. at draconem Adrastus et c[a]eteri occiderunt et Lycum pro Hypsipyle deprecati sunt ludosque puero funebres instituerunt, qui quinto quoque anno fiunt, in quibus victores apiacam coronam accipiunt.
74. Hypsipyle at Nemea
The seven leaders who were going to attack Thebes came to Nemea, where Hypsipyle, daughter of Thoas, in slavery, was nursing the boy Archemorus, or Opheltes, the son of King Lycus. An oracle had told her not to put the boy down on the ground until he could walk. So the seven leaders, who were going to Thebes, looking for water, came to Hypsipyle and asked her to show them water. She, afraid to put the boy on the ground, †erat at the spring a very tall (patch of) celery, on which she laid the boy. While she was giving them water, the serpent that was the guardian of the spring devoured the boy. Adrastus and the others killed the serpent, pleaded with Lycus on Hypsipyle's behalf, and instituted funeral games for the boy, held every fifth year, in which the victors receive a crown of celery.
LXXV Tiresias
In monte Cyllenio Tiresias Eueris filius pastor dracones venerantes dicitur baculo percussisse alias calcasse. ob id in mulieris figuram est conversus. postea monitus a sortibus in eodem loco dracones cum calcasset redit in pristinam speciem. eodem tempore inter Iovem et Iunonem fuit iocosa altercatio, quis magis de re venerea voluptatem caperet, masculus an f[o]emina: de qua re Tiresiam iudicem sumpserunt qui utrumque erat ⟨sexum⟩ expertus. is cum secundum Iovem iudicasset, Iuno irata †manu aversa eum excaecavit. at Iovis ob id fecit ut septem aetates viveret vatesque praeter c[a]eteros mortales ⟨veracissimus⟩ esset.
75. Tiresias
On Mount Cyllene Tiresias, son of Eueres, a shepherd, is said to have struck with his staff serpents that were mating, or to have trodden on them. For this he was changed into the form of a woman. Afterwards, advised by oracles, when he trod on the serpents in the same place he returned to his former shape. At the same time there was a playful quarrel between Zeus and Hera as to who takes more pleasure in love-making, the male or the female; they chose Tiresias as judge in the matter, as he had experienced both ⟨sexes⟩. When he judged in favour of Zeus, Hera in anger †manu aversa blinded him. But Zeus, in return, made him live for seven generations and be the most truthful seer of all mortals.
LXXVI Reges Thebanorum
Cadmus Agenoris filius Polydorus Cadmi Pentheus Echionis * Lycus Neptuni Labdacus Polydori Zet⟨h⟩us Iovis Amphion Iovis Laius Labdaci Creon Menoecei Oedipus Lai Polynices Oedipi Et[h]eocles Oedipi
76. Kings of Thebes
Cadmus, son of Agenor; Polydorus, son of Cadmus; Pentheus, son of Echion; *; Lycus, son of Poseidon; Labdacus, son of Polydorus; Zethus, son of Zeus; Amphion, son of Zeus; Laius, son of Labdacus; Creon, son of Menoeceus; Oedipus, son of Laius; Polynices, son of Oedipus; Eteocles, son of Oedipus.
LXXVII Leda
Iupiter Ledam Thestii filiam in cygnum conversus ad flumen Eurotam †compressit et ex eo peperit Pollucem et Helenam; ex Tyndareo autem Castorem et Clytemnestram.
77. Leda
Zeus, changed into a swan, †lay with Leda, daughter of Thestius, by the river Eurotas, and from him she bore Pollux and Helen; and by Tyndareus, Castor and Clytemnestra.
LXXVII (sic) Tyndareus
Tyndareus Oebali filius ex Leda Thestii filia procreavit Clytemnestram et Helenam. Clytemnestram Agamemnoni Atrei filio dedit in coniugium. Helenam propter formae dignitatem complures ex civitatibus in coniugium proci petebant. Tyndareus cum †repudiaret filiam suam Clytemnestram ab Agamemnone vereretur timeretque ne quid ex ea re discordiae nasceretur monitus ab Ulixe iureiurando eos obligavit et ⟨in⟩ arbitrio Helenae posuit, ut cui vellet nubere coronam imponeret. Menelao imposuit. [ut] cui Tyndareus eam dedit uxorem regnumque moriens Menelao tradidit.
78. Tyndareus
Tyndareus, son of Oebalus, by Leda, daughter of Thestius, begat Clytemnestra and Helen. He gave Clytemnestra in marriage to Agamemnon, son of Atreus. For Helen, because of the dignity of her beauty, suitors from many cities asked in marriage. Tyndareus, since he †repudiaret his daughter Clytemnestra, was apprehensive of Agamemnon and feared that some discord might arise from the matter; advised by Odysseus, he bound them by an oath and put it in Helen's choice to place a garland on whomever she wished to marry. She placed it on Menelaus. [ut] Tyndareus gave her to him as wife and, dying, handed the kingdom to Menelaus.
LXXIX Helena
Theseus Aegei et Aethrae Pitthei filiae filius cum Pirithoo Ixionis filio Helenam Tyndarei et Ledae filiam virginem de fano Dianae sacrificantem rapuerunt et detulerunt Aphidnas in pagum Atticae regionis. — Quod Iovis eos cum vidisset tantam audaciam habere, ut se ipsi ad periculum offerrent, in quiete eis imperavit, ut peterent ambo a Plutone Pirithoo Proserpinam in coniugium. qui cum per †insulam Taenariam ad inferos descendissent et de qua re venissent indicarent Plutoni, a furiis strati diuque lacerati sunt. quo Hercules ad canem tricipitem ducendum cum venisset, illi fidem eius implorarunt. qui a Plutone impetravit eosque incolumes eduxit. — Ad Helenam * Castor et Pollux fratres belligerarunt et Aethram Thesei matrem et †Phisadiem Pirithoi sororem ceperunt et in servitutem sorori dederunt.
79. Helen
Theseus, son of Aegeus and of Aethra, daughter of Pittheus, with Pirithous, son of Ixion, seized Helen, the maiden daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, from the shrine of Artemis where she was sacrificing, and took her to Aphidnae, a village of the Attic region. — When Zeus saw that they had such audacity as to offer themselves to danger, he commanded them in a dream that both should ask Pluto for Persephone as wife for Pirithous. When they had gone down to the underworld †through the island of Taenarus and told Pluto the reason they had come, they were laid low by the Furies and long mangled. When Heracles came there to fetch the three-headed dog, they appealed to his protection. He obtained their release from Pluto and led them out unharmed. — For Helen's sake the brothers Castor and Pollux made war * and captured Aethra, Theseus' mother, and †Phisadie, the sister of Pirithous, and gave them as slaves to their sister.
LXXX Castor
Idas et Lynceus Apharei filii ex Messenis habuerunt sponsas Phoeben et ⟨Hi⟩lairam Leucippi filias. hae autem formosissimae virgines cum essent et esset Phoebe sacerdos Minervae ⟨Hi⟩laira Dianae, Castor et Pollux amore incensi eas rapuerunt. Illi amissis sponsis arma tulerunt, si possent eas recuperare. Castor Lynceum in praelio interfecit. Idas amisso fratre omisit bellum et [sponsam] coepit fratrem sepelire. cum ossa eius collocaret in pila, intervenit Castor et prohibere coepit monumentum fieri, quod diceret se eum quasi f[o]eminam superasse: Idas indignans gladio quo cinctus erat Castori inguina traiecit. Alii dicunt, quemadmodum aedificabat pilam, super Castorem impulisse et sic interfectum. Quod cum annunciasset Polluci, accurrit et Idam uno praelio superavit corpusque fratris recuperatum sepulturae dedit. Cum autem ipse stellam ab Iove accepisset et fratri non esset data, ideo quod diceret Iovis, Castorem semine Tyndarei et Clytemnestram natos, ipsum autem et Helenam Iovis esse filios, tunc deprecatus Pollux ut liceret ei munus suum cum fratre communicare. cui permisit, ideoque dicitur ‘alterna morte redemptus’. Unde etiam Romani servant institutum: cum desultorem mittunt, unus duos equos habet, pileum in capite, ⟨de⟩ equo in equum transilit, quod ille sua et fratris vice fungatur.
80. Castor and Pollux
Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus, from Messene, had as betrothed brides Phoebe and ⟨Hi⟩laira, daughters of Leucippus. As these were very beautiful maidens, and Phoebe was a priestess of Athena and Hilaira of Artemis, Castor and Pollux, inflamed with love, carried them off. The others, having lost their brides, took up arms to see if they could win them back. Castor killed Lynceus in the battle. Idas, having lost his brother, gave up the war [and the bride] and began to bury his brother. While he was placing his bones on a pillar, Castor came up and began to forbid the monument to be built, saying that he had overcome him as if he were a woman. Idas, indignant, ran Castor through the groin with the sword with which he was girded. Others say that, as he was building the pillar, Idas pushed it over Castor and so killed him. When Pollux was told of this, he ran up, overcame Idas in a single combat, and gave his brother's body, recovered, burial. When he himself had received a star from Zeus and it was not given to his brother, because Zeus said that Castor was born of Tyndareus' seed and Clytemnestra likewise, but that he himself and Helen were Zeus' children, then Pollux begged that he might share his gift with his brother. Zeus allowed it, and so he is said to be ‘ransomed by alternate death’. From this the Romans also keep a custom: when they send out a vaulting rider (desultor), one man has two horses, a felt cap on his head, and leaps from horse to horse, because he takes the place of himself and his brother.
LXXXI Proci Helenae
Antilochus Ascalaphus Aiax Oileus Anti⟨phus⟩ Amphimachus †Aecaeus †Blanirus Agapenor Aiax Telamonius Clonius Guneus Menelaus Patroclus Diomedes Peneleus †Phemius Nireus Polypoetes Elephenor Eumelus Sthenelus Tlepolemus Protesilaus Podalirius Eurypylus Idomeneus Te⟨ucer⟩ Leonteus Thalpius Polyxenus Prothous Menestheus Machaon Thoas Ulysses Phidippus Meriones Philoctetes. alios alii auctores.
81. The suitors of Helen
Antilochus, Ascalaphus, Ajax son of Oileus, Antiphus, Amphimachus, †Aecaeus, †Blanirus, Agapenor, Ajax son of Telamon, Clonius, Guneus, Menelaus, Patroclus, Diomedes, Peneleus, †Phemius, Nireus, Polypoetes, Elephenor, Eumelus, Sthenelus, Tlepolemus, Protesilaus, Podalirius, Eurypylus, Idomeneus, Teucer, Leonteus, Thalpius, Polyxenus, Prothous, Menestheus, Machaon, Thoas, Odysseus, Phidippus, Meriones, Philoctetes. Other authors give others.
LXXXII Tantalus
Tantalus Iovis et Plutonis filius procreavit ex Dione Pelopem. — Iupiter Tantalo concredere sua consilia solitus erat et ad epulum deorum admittere: quae Tantalus ad homines renunciavit. ob id dicitur ad inferos in aqua media fine corporis stare semperque sitire et cum haustum aquae vult sumere aquam recedere. Item poma ei super caput pendent, quae cum vult sumere rami vento moti recedunt. Item saxum super caput eius ingens pendet, quod semper timet ne super se ruat.
82. Tantalus
Tantalus, son of Zeus and of Pluto, begat Pelops by Dione. — Zeus was accustomed to confide his plans to Tantalus and to admit him to the banquet of the gods: Tantalus reported these things to men. For this he is said to stand in the underworld in the middle of water up to the end of his body and always to thirst, and when he wants to take a draught of water the water recedes. Likewise fruits hang over his head, and when he wants to take them the branches, moved by the wind, recede. Likewise an enormous stone hangs over his head, which he fears always will fall on him.
LXXXIII Pelops
Pelops Tantali et Dionis Atlantis filiae filius cum esset in epulis deorum a Tantalo caesus, brachium eius Ceres consumpsit. qui a deorum numine vitam recepit. cui cum c[a]etera membra ut fuerant coissent, humero non perpetuo, eburneum eius loco Ceres aptavit.
83. Pelops
Pelops, son of Tantalus and of Dione, daughter of Atlas, was cut up by Tantalus at the banquet of the gods, and Demeter ate his arm. He received his life back by the divinity of the gods. When the other limbs had come together for him as they had been, but the shoulder not being permanent, Demeter fitted an ivory one in its place.
LXXXIIII Oenomaus
Oenomaus Martis et Asteropes ⟨Atlantis⟩ filiae filius habuit in coniugio Euareten Acrisii filiam, ex qua procreavit Hippodamiam virginem eximiae formae, quam nulli ideo dabat in coniugium, quod sibi responsum fuit a genero mortem cavere⟨t⟩. itaque cum complures eam peterent in coniugium simultatem constituit, se ei daturum, qui secum quadrigis certasset victorque exisset (quod is equos Aquilone velociores habuit), victus autem interficeretur. multis interfectis novissime Pelops Tantali filius cum venisset et capita humana super valvas fixa vidisset eorum qui Hippodamiam in uxorem petierant, poenitere ⟨eum⟩ coepit regis crudelitatem timens. itaque Myrtilo aurigae eius persuasit regnumque ei dimidium pollicetur si se adiuvaret. fide data Myrtilus currum iunxit et clavos in rotas non coniecit: itaque equis incitatis, currum defectum Oenomai equi distraxerunt. Pelops cum Hippodamia et Myrtilo domum victor cum rediret cogitavit sibi opprobrium futurum et Myrtilo fidem praestare noluit eumque in mare praecipitavit, a quo Myrtoum pelagus est appellatum. Hippodamiam in patriam abduxit suam, quod Peloponnesum appellatur. ibi ex Hippodamia procreavit Hippalcum Atreum Thyesten.
84. Oenomaus
Oenomaus, son of Ares and of Asterope, daughter of Atlas, had as wife Euarete, daughter of Acrisius, by whom he fathered Hippodamia, a maiden of outstanding beauty. He gave her in marriage to no one, because an oracle had told him to beware of death at the hands of a son-in-law. So when many sought her in marriage, he set a contest: he would give her to the one who raced against him with four-horse chariots and came out the winner (since his horses were swifter than the North Wind), but the loser would be killed. After many had been killed, last of all Pelops, son of Tantalus, when he came and saw the human heads fixed over the doors, of those who had sought Hippodamia as wife, began to regret it, fearing the king's cruelty. So he persuaded Myrtilus, Oenomaus' charioteer, and promised him half the kingdom if he would help. A pledge being given, Myrtilus yoked the chariot and did not put the linch-pins into the wheels; so when the horses were whipped on, the horses dragged Oenomaus' broken chariot to pieces. When Pelops was returning home as victor with Hippodamia and Myrtilus, he thought it would be a disgrace for him and did not wish to keep his pledge to Myrtilus, and threw him into the sea, from which the Myrtoan Sea is named. He carried Hippodamia off to his own country, which is called the Peloponnese. There he fathered by Hippodamia Hippalcus, Atreus and Thyestes.
LXXXV Chrysippus
Laius Labdaci filius Chrysippum Pelopis filium †natum propter formae dignitatem Nemeae ludis rapuit. quem ab eo Pelops bello recuperavit. Hunc Atreus et Thyestes matris Hippodamiae impulsu interfecerunt. Pelops cum Hippodamiam argueret, ipsa se interfecit.
85. Chrysippus
Laius, son of Labdacus, carried off at the Nemean games Chrysippus, Pelops' son †natum, because of his dignified beauty. Pelops won him back from him by war. Atreus and Thyestes killed him at the instigation of their mother Hippodamia. When Pelops accused Hippodamia, she killed herself.
LXXXVI Pelopidae
Thyestes Pelopis et Hippodamiae filius quod cum Aeropa Atrei uxore concubuit a fratre Atreo de regno est eiectus. At is Atrei filium Plisthenem, quem pro suo educaverat, ad Atreum interficiendum misit: quem Atreus credens fratris filium esse imprudens filium suum occidit.
86. The Pelopidae
Thyestes, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, because he lay with Aerope, Atreus' wife, was driven from the kingdom by his brother Atreus. He sent Atreus' son Plisthenes, whom he had brought up as his own, to kill Atreus; Atreus, thinking him his brother's son, unknowingly killed his own son.
⟨LXXXVII Aegisthus⟩
[Thyesti Pelopis et Hippodamiae filio responsum fuit, quem ex filia sua Pelopia procreasset eum fratris fore ultorem. quod cum audisset * puer est natus quem Pelopia exposuit. quem inventum pastores caprae subdiderunt ad nutriendum. Aegisthus est appellatus ideo quod graece capra †aega appellatur.]
87. Aegisthus
[An oracle was given to Thyestes, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, that the son he fathered by his own daughter Pelopia would be the avenger of his brother. When he heard this * a boy was born whom Pelopia exposed. Shepherds found him and put a she-goat under him to suckle. He was called Aegisthus because in Greek a goat is called †aega.]
LXXXVIII Atreus
Atreus Pelopis et Hippodamiae filius cupiens a Thyeste fratre suo iniurias exequi in gratiam cum eo rediit et in regnum suum eum reduxit, filiosque eius infantes Tantalum et Plisthenem occidit et ⟨in⟩ epulis Thyesti opposuit. qui cum vesceretur, Atreus imperavit brachia et ora puerorum afferri. ob id scelus etiam Sol currum avertit. Thyestes scelere nefario cognito profugit ad regem Thesprotum, ubi lacus Avernus dicitur esse: inde Sicyonem pervenit, ubi erat Pelopia filia Thyestis deposita, ibi casu nocte cum Minervae sacrificaret, intervenit: qui timens ne sacra contaminaret in luco delituit. Pelopia autem cum choreas ducit lapsa vestem ex cruore pecudis inquinavit. quae dum ad flumen exit sanguinem abluere tunicam maculatam deponit, capite obducto Thyestes e luco prosilivit et *ea compressione gladium de vagina ei extraxit Pelopia et rediens in templum sub acropodio Minervae abscondit. postero die rogat regem Thyestes, ut se in patriam Lydiam remitteret. —
Interim sterilitas Mycenis frugum ac penuria oritur ob Atrei scelus*. ibi responsum est, ut Thyestem in regnum reduceret. qui cum ad Thesprotum regem isset, existimans Thyestem ibi morari, Pelopiam aspexit et rogat Thesprotum, ut sibi Pelopiam in coniugium daret, quod putaret eam Thesproti esse filiam. Thesprotus, ne qua suspicio esset, dat ei Pelopiam, quae iam conceptum ex patre Thyeste habebat Aegisthum. quae cum ad Atreum venisset parit Aegisthum, quem exposuit: at pastores caprae supposuerunt. quem Atreus iussit perquiri et pro suo educari. —
Interim Atreus mittit Agamemnonem et Menelaum filios ad quaerendum Thyestem: qui Delphos petierunt sciscitatum. Casu Thyestes eo venerat ad sortes tollendas de ultione fratris. comprehensus ab eis ad Atreum perducitur. quem Atreus in custodiam coniici iussit Aegisthumque vocat, existimans suum filium esse, et mittit eum ad Thyestem interficiendum. Thyestes cum vidisset Aegisthum et gladium quem Aegisthus gerebat et cognovisset quem in compressione perdiderat, interrogat Aegisthum, unde illum haberet. ille respondit matrem sibi Pelopiam dedisse: quam iubet accersiri. *cui respondit se in compressione nocturna nescio cui *eduxisse et ex ea compressione Aegisthum concepisse. tunc Pelopia gladium arripuit simulans se agnoscere et in pectus sibi detrusit: quem Aegisthus e pectore matris cruentum tenens ad Atreum attulit. ille existimans Thyestem interfectum laetabatur: quem Aegisthus in littore sacrificantem occidit et cum patre Thyeste in regnum avitum redit.
88. Atreus and Thyestes
Atreus, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, wishing to avenge himself on his brother Thyestes for the wrongs, returned to favour with him and brought him back into his kingdom, and killed his infant sons Tantalus and Plisthenes and served them to Thyestes at a banquet. While he was eating, Atreus ordered the arms and faces of the boys to be brought in. Because of this crime the Sun even turned his chariot away. When Thyestes learned of the abominable crime, he fled to King Thesprotus, where Lake Avernus is said to be; from there he came to Sicyon, where his daughter Pelopia had been placed. There by chance he came upon her at night, as she was sacrificing to Athena; fearing that he might pollute the rites, he hid in the grove. Pelopia, while leading dances, slipped and stained her dress with the blood of a sacrificial animal. As she went out to the river to wash off the blood she took off the stained tunic; with his head covered, Thyestes leapt out of the grove and * in that union Pelopia drew his sword from its sheath, and, returning into the temple, hid it under the base of Athena's statue. The next day Thyestes asked the king to send him back to his native Lydia. —
Meanwhile barrenness and scarcity of crops arose at Mycenae because of Atreus' crime *. There it was said that he should bring Thyestes back to the kingdom. When he went to King Thesprotus, thinking that Thyestes was staying there, he saw Pelopia and asked Thesprotus to give Pelopia to him in marriage, because he thought she was Thesprotus' daughter. Thesprotus, so that there should be no suspicion, gave Pelopia to him; she already carried Aegisthus, conceived by her father Thyestes. When she came to Atreus she bore Aegisthus, whom she exposed; shepherds set a she-goat under him. Atreus ordered him sought out and brought up as his own. —
Meanwhile Atreus sent his sons Agamemnon and Menelaus to look for Thyestes; they went to Delphi to enquire. By chance Thyestes had come there to receive oracles about avenging his brother. Seized by them, he was brought to Atreus. Atreus ordered him thrown into custody and called Aegisthus, thinking he was his own son, and sent him to kill Thyestes. When Thyestes saw Aegisthus and the sword that Aegisthus bore, and recognised the one he had lost in the union, he asked Aegisthus where he got it. He answered that his mother Pelopia had given it to him; Thyestes ordered her to be summoned. * She replied that in a nocturnal union with she knew not whom she had * led away [the sword?] and that from that union she had conceived Aegisthus. Then Pelopia seized the sword, pretending that she recognised it, and drove it into her own breast; Aegisthus took it, bloody, from his mother's breast and brought it to Atreus. He, thinking Thyestes was dead, rejoiced; Aegisthus killed him on the shore as he was sacrificing and returned with his father Thyestes to the ancestral kingdom.
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