XXII. Περὶ Φινέως
Ἱστορεῖται περὶ Φινέως ὡς διεφόρουν Ἅρπυιαι τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ. δοκοῦσι δὲ ἔνιοι θηρία πετεινὰ εἶναι ταῦτα ἁρπάζοντα ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ Φινέως τὸ δεῖπνον. ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια αὕτη. Φινεὺς ἦν Παιονίας βασιλεύς. γέροντα δὲ αὐτὸν ὄντα ἡ ὄψις ἐπέλιπεν οἵ τε ἄρρενες παῖδες ἀπέθανον. θυγατέρες δὲ ἦσαν αὐτῷ Ἐράσεια καὶ Ἁρπύρεια ***, αἵτινες τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ διέφθειρον. ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ πολῖται „δύστηνος ὁ Φινεύς· αἱ Ἅρπυιαι αὐτοῦ διαφθείρουσι τὸν βίον.“ οἰκτείραντες δὲ αὐτὸν Ζήτης καὶ Κάλαϊς, ἀστυγείτονες αὐτῷ ὄντες, Βορέου δὲ παῖδες (ἀνδρός, οὐκ ἀνέμου), βοηθήσαντες αὐτῷ, τάς τε θυγατέρας ἐξεδίωξαν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὰ χρήματα συναθροίσαντες, ἐπίτροπον αὐτῶν κατέστησαν τῶν Θρᾳκῶν τινα.
22. Phineus
It is told of Phineus that the Harpies were carrying off his livelihood. Some think that these were winged beasts snatching the dinner from Phineus’ table. The truth is this. Phineus was king of Paeonia. When he was an old man his sight failed him, and his sons had died. He had daughters, Erasia and Harpyreia ***, who were ruining his livelihood. So the citizens said: “Poor Phineus! The Harpies are ruining his livelihood.” Zetes and Calais, who were his neighbours and the sons of Boreas (a man, not a wind), took pity on him and came to his help; they drove his daughters out of the city and, collecting his property, appointed one of the Thracians as its steward.
XXIII. Περὶ Μήστρας
Περὶ Μήστρας τῆς Ἐρυσίχθονος φασὶν ὡς, ὁπότε βούλοιτο, ἀλλάσσειν τὴν ἰδέαν. ὢ μύθου καταγελάστου. πῶς γὰρ εἰκὸς ἐκ κόρης γενέσθαι βοῦν καὶ αὖθις κύνα ἢ ὄρνεον; τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἔχει ὧδε. Ἐρυσίχθων ἦν ἀνὴρ Θετταλός, διαφθείρας δὲ τὰ χρήματα πένης ἐγένετο. ἦν δὲ θυγάτηρ αὐτῷ καλὴ καὶ ὡραία Μήστρα ὀνόματι· ὅστις δὲ εἶδεν αὐτήν, ἐπιθυμητικῶς διέκειτο. ἀργυρίῳ μὲν οὖν οἱ τότε ἄνθρωποι οὐκ ἐμνηστεύοντο, ἐδίδοσαν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἵππους, οἱ δὲ βοῦς, τινὲς δὲ πρόβατα ἢ ὅ τι ἂν ἐθέλῃ ἡ Μήστρα. ἔλεγον δὲ οἱ Θετταλοί, ὁρῶντες ἀθροιζόμενον τῷ Ἐρυσίχθονι τὸν βίον, „ἐγένετο ἐκ Μήστρας αὐτῷ καὶ ἵππος καὶ βοῦς καὶ τἄλλα.“ ὅθεν ὁ μῦθος προσανεπλάσθη.
23. Mestra
They say about Mestra, the daughter of Erysichthon, that whenever she wished she changed her shape. What a ridiculous myth! For how is it likely that from a girl there came to be a cow, and then again a dog or a bird? The truth is this. Erysichthon was a Thessalian, who squandered his property and became poor. He had a beautiful, blooming daughter named Mestra; everyone who saw her was seized with desire. In those days people did not woo with money; they gave horses, or cattle, and some sheep or whatever Mestra might want. So the Thessalians, seeing Erysichthon’s wealth increasing, used to say: “From Mestra he has got both a horse and a cow and all the rest.” Hence the myth was added.
XXIV. Περὶ Γηρυόνου
Γηρυόνην δέ φασιν ὅτι τρικάρηνος ἐγένετο. ἀδύνατον δὲ σῶμα ⟨ἓν⟩ τρεῖς ἔχειν κεφαλάς. ἦν δὲ τοιοῦτον. πόλις ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ Εὐξείνῳ πόντῳ Τρικαρηνία καλουμένη. ἦν δὲ ὁ Γηρυόνης ἐν τοῖς τότε ἀνθρώποις ὀνομαστός, πλούτῳ τε καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις διαφέρων· εἶχε δὲ καὶ βοῶν ἀγέλην θαυμαστήν, ἐφ᾽ ἣν ἐλθὼν Ἡρακλῆς ἀντιποιούμενον Γηρυόνην ἀπέκτεινεν. οἱ δὲ θεώμενοι περιελαυνομένας τὰς βοῦς ἐθαύμαζον· ἦσαν γὰρ τὸ μὲν μέγεθος μικραί, ἀπὸ δὲ κεφαλῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν μακραὶ καὶ σιμαί, κέρατα οὐκ ἔχουσαι, ὀστέα δὲ μεγάλα καὶ πλατέα. πρὸς τοὺς πυνθανομένους οὖν ἔλεγόν τινες „Ἡρακλῆς ταύτας περιήλασεν οὔσας Γηρυόνου τοῦ Τρικαρήνου.“ τινὲς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ λεγομένου ὑπέλαβον αὐτὸν τρεῖς ἔχειν κεφαλάς.
24. Geryon
They say that Geryon was three-headed. But it is impossible for one body to have three heads. What happened was this. There is a city on the Euxine Sea called Tricarenia (“Three-Heads”). Geryon was famous among the people of that time, excelling in wealth and in other things; he also had a marvellous herd of cattle, against which Heracles came, and killed Geryon when he resisted. The onlookers wondered at the cattle being driven round: for they were small in size, but from head to loin long and snub-nosed, without horns, but with large, broad bones. So to those who asked, some said: “Heracles has driven off these cattle, which belonged to Geryon of Tricarenia.” And some, from what was said, supposed that he had three heads.
XXV. Περὶ Γλαύκου τοῦ Σισύφου
Φασὶ δὲ ὅτι καὶ οὗτος κατεβρώθη ὑπὸ τῶν ἵππων, ἀγνοοῦντες ὅτι ἱπποτροφῶν καὶ μεγάλας δαπάνας ποιούμενος καὶ τῶν οἰκείων οὐδὲν ἐπιμελούμενος ἐπετρίβη, καὶ ἐπέλιπεν αὐτὸν ὁ βίος.
25. Glaucus son of Sisyphus
They say that he too was devoured by his horses, not knowing that by keeping horses and incurring great expense, and taking no care of his household, he was ruined, and his livelihood failed him.
XXVI. Περὶ Γλαύκου τοῦ Μίνωος
Καὶ οὗτος ὁ μῦθος παγγέλοιος, ὡς δὴ τοῦ Γλαύκου ἐν πίθῳ μέλιτος ἀποθανόντος ὁ Μίνως ἐν τῷ τύμβῳ κατώρυξε τὸν Κοιράνου Πολύιδον (ὃς ἦν ἐκ τοῦ Ἄργους), ὃς ἰδὼν δράκοντα ἑτέρῳ δράκοντι τεθνεῶτι πόαν ἐπιθέντα καὶ ἀναστήσαντα αὐτόν, καὶ αὐτὸς ταὐτὸ ποιήσας τῷ Γλαύκῳ, ἀνέστησεν αὐτόν. ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον, ἀποθανόντα ἄνδρα ἀναστῆσαι ἢ ὄφιν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἄλλο ζῷον. ἐγένετο δέ τι τοιόνδε. Γλαῦκος πιὼν μέλι ἐταράχθη τὴν κοιλίαν, χολῆς δὲ αὐτῷ πλείονος κινηθείσης καὶ λειποθυμήσαντος, ἀφίκοντο οἵ τε δὴ ἄλλοι ἰατροί, ἅτε χρήματα ληψόμενοι, καὶ δὴ καὶ Πολύιδος. ἤδη δὲ ἐκλείποντος αὐτοῦ, εἰδώς τινα πόαν ὠφελοῦσαν, ἣν ἔμαθε παρά τινος ἰατροῦ, ᾧ ὄνομα ἦν Δράκων, καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ βοτάνῃ χρησάμενος, ὑγιᾶ ἐποίησε τὸν Γλαῦκον. ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι „Πολύιδος Γλαῦκον ὑπὸ μέλιτος ἀποθανόντα βοτάνῃ ἀνέστησεν, ἣν παρὰ Δράκοντος ἔμαθεν.“ ἀφ᾽ οὗ οἱ μυθογράφοι τὸν μῦθον ἔπλασαν.
26. Glaucus son of Minos
This myth too is utterly ridiculous: that when Glaucus died in a jar of honey, Minos buried Polyidus, son of Coeranus (who was from Argos), in the tomb with him, and Polyidus, seeing a serpent put a herb on another dead serpent and bring it back to life, did the same thing himself to Glaucus and brought him back to life. This is impossible, that a dead man should be raised up, or a snake, or indeed any other creature. What happened was something like this. Glaucus drank honey and his stomach was upset; a great deal of bile was stirred up in him and he fainted; and the other doctors arrived, as they would to collect fees, and with them Polyidus. When he was already failing, Polyidus, knowing a certain beneficial herb that he had learned from a doctor named Draco (“Serpent”), and using this herb, restored Glaucus to health. So people said: “Polyidus raised Glaucus, who had died from honey, with a herb that he had learned from Draco.” From this the myth-writers fashioned the myth.
XXVII. Περὶ Γλαύκου τοῦ θαλασσίου
Λέγεται ὅτι καὶ οὗτος ὁ Γλαῦκος πόαν ποτὲ φαγὼν ἀθάνατος ἐγένετο καὶ νῦν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ οἰκεῖ. τὸ δὲ τῇ πόᾳ ταύτῃ Γλαῦκον μόνον ἐντυχεῖν λίαν ἐστὶν εὔηθες, τό τε ἄνθρωπον ἐν θαλάσσῃ ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν χερσαίων ζῆν. ὁπότε οὔτε ποτάμιόν τι ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, οὔτε τὸ ἀνάπαλιν ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ τὰ θαλάσσια ζῆν δύναται. μάταιος οὖν ὁ λόγος. ἔχει δὲ τὸ ἀληθὲς οὕτως. Γλαῦκος ἦν ἀνὴρ ἁλιεὺς Ἀνθηδόνιος τὸ γένος· ἦν δὲ κολυμβητής, ἐν τούτῳ διαφέρων τῶν ἄλλων. κολυμβῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ λιμένι, ὁρώντων αὐτὸν τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ διακολυμβήσας εἴς τινα τόπον καὶ μὴ ὀφθεὶς τοῖς οἰκείοις ἡμέρας ἱκανάς, διακολυμβήσας πάλιν, ὤφθη αὐτοῖς· πυνθανομένων δὲ „ποῦ διέτριψας τὰς τοσαύτας ἡμέρας;“ ἔφη „σὺν τῇ θαλάσσῃ.“ καὶ συγκλείων εἰς ἔλυτρον ἰχθῦς, ὁπότε χειμὼν γένοιτο καὶ μηδεὶς τῶν ἄλλων ἁλιέων ἰχθῦς δύναιτο λαβεῖν, ἐπυνθάνετο τῶν πολιτῶν τίνας δὴ βούλοιντο τῶν ἰχθύων ἀποκομισθῆναι αὐτοῖς. καὶ κομίζων οὓς ἂν ἤθελον, Γλαῦκος θαλάσσιος ἐκλήθη, ὥσπερ νῦν εἴ τις ἐν ὄρει οἰκῶν καὶ ὢν ἀγαθὸς θηρευτὴς ὄρειος ἄνθρωπος καλοῖτο. οὕτω καὶ ὁ Γλαῦκος τὰ πλεῖστα ἐν θαλάσσῃ διατρίβων Γλαῦκος θαλάσσιος ἐκλήθη. καὶ περιτυχὼν θηρίῳ θαλασσίῳ ἀπώλετο, μὴ ἐξελθόντα δὲ ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐμύθευσαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὡς ἐν θαλάσσῃ οἰκοῦντα κἀκεῖ τοῦ λοιποῦ διάγοντα.
27. Glaucus of the Sea
It is said that this Glaucus too, having once eaten a herb, became immortal and now lives in the sea. But that Glaucus alone should have come upon this herb is very foolish, as is the idea that a human being, or any other land creature, could live in the sea, since neither can a river creature live in the sea nor, conversely, can sea creatures live in a river. So the account is vain. The truth is this. Glaucus was a fisherman, an Anthedonian by birth; he was also a diver, in which he excelled the others. Once, diving in the harbour with the people of the city looking on, he swam under water to some place and was not seen by his family for a good many days; when he dived back again he appeared to them. When they asked “Where have you been all these days?”, he said, “With the sea.” And he used to shut fish up in a basket; and whenever there was a storm and none of the other fishermen could catch fish, he would ask the citizens which fish they wanted brought to them, and bring whichever they wished. So he was called Glaucus “of the sea”, as nowadays if someone lives in the mountains and is a good hunter he might be called a “mountain man.” In the same way Glaucus, spending most of his time in the sea, was called Glaucus of the Sea. He met a sea monster and perished, and because he did not come out of the sea, people made a myth that he lived in the sea and spent the rest of his time there.
XXVIII. Περὶ Βελλεροφόντου
Φασὶν ὅτι Βελλεροφόντην ὑπόπτερος ἵππος Πήγασος ἔφερεν. ἐμοὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἵππος οὐδέποτε δοκεῖ δύνασθαι, οὐδ᾽ εἰ πάντα τὰ τῶν πτηνῶν πτερὰ λάβοι· εἰ γὰρ ἦν ποτε τοιοῦτον ζῷον, καὶ νῦν ἂν ἦν. τοῦτον δέ φασι καὶ τὴν Ἀμισωδάρου Χίμαιραν ἀνελεῖν· ἦν δὲ ἡ Χίμαιρα „πρόσθε λέων, ὄπιθεν δὲ δράκων, μέσση δὲ χίμαιρα.“ ἔνιοι δὲ δοκοῦσι τοιοῦτον γενέσθαι θηρίον τρεῖς ἔχον κεφαλάς, σῶμα δὲ ἕν. ἀδύνατον δὲ ὄφιν καὶ λέοντα καὶ αἶγα ὁμοίᾳ τροφῇ χρῆσθαι· καὶ τὸ θνητὴν ἔχον φύσιν πῦρ ἀποπνεῖν, εὔηθες. ποίᾳ δὲ τῶν κεφαλῶν τὸ σῶμα ἐπηκολούθει; τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἔχει ὧδε. Βελλεροφόντης ἦν φυγὰς ἀνήρ, τὸ γένος Κορίνθιος, καλὸς κἀγαθός. κατασκευάσας δὲ πλοῖον μακρὸν ἐληίζετο τὰ παραθαλάσσια χωρία πλέων καὶ ἐπόρθει. ὄνομα δὲ ἦν τῷ πλοίῳ Πήγασος (ὡς καὶ νῦν ἕκαστον τῶν πλοίων ὄνομα ἔχει· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ πλοίῳ μᾶλλον ἢ ἵππῳ ὄνομα κεῖσθαι Πήγασος). βασιλεὺς δὲ Ἀμισώδαρος ᾤκει ἐπὶ τῷ Ξάνθῳ ποταμῷ, ὄρος τι ὑψηλόν, ἐξ οὗ ἡ Τελμισσὶς ὕλη προσκέχωσται, πρὸς ὃ δὴ ὄρος προσβάσεις εἰσὶ δύο, ⟨ἡ⟩ μὲν ἔμπροσθεν ἐκ πόλεως τῆς Ξανθίων, ἡ δὲ ὄπισθεν ⟨ἐκ⟩ τῆς Καρίας· τὰ δὲ ἄλλα κρημνοὶ ὑψηλοί, ἐν δὲ μέσῳ αὐτῶν χάσμα ἐστὶ τῆς γῆς μέγα, ἐξ οὗ δὴ καὶ πῦρ ἀναφέρεται. τούτῳ τῷ ὄρει ὄνομά ἐστι Χίμαιρα. τότε δὲ ἦν, ὡς λέγουσιν οἱ προσχώριοι, κατὰ μὲν τὴν πρόσθεν πρόσβασιν λέων οἰκῶν, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὄπισθεν δράκων, οἳ δὴ καὶ ἐσίνοντο τοὺς ὑλοτόμους καὶ νομέας. τότε δὲ δὴ Βελλεροφόντης ἐλθὼν τὸ ὄρος ἐνέπρησε, καὶ ἡ Τελμισσὶς κατεκάη καὶ τὰ θηρία ἀπώλετο. ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ προσχώριοι „Βελλεροφόντης ἀφικόμενος μετὰ τοῦ Πηγάσου τὴν Ἀμισωδάρου Χίμαιραν ἀπώλεσε.“ τούτου γενομένου προσανεπλάσθη ὁ μῦθος.
28. Bellerophon
They say that Bellerophon was carried by a winged horse, Pegasus. But it seems to me that a horse could never do this, not even if it received all the wings of all winged creatures; for if there had ever been such a creature, it would exist now. They say that he also killed the Chimaera of Amisodarus; and the Chimaera was “a lion in front, a serpent behind, and in the middle a goat.” Some think that such a beast with three heads and one body existed. But it is impossible for a snake, a lion and a goat to live on the same food, and for a creature of mortal nature to breathe fire is foolish. And which of the heads would the body obey? The truth is this. Bellerophon was an exile, a Corinthian by birth, a gentleman. He built a long ship and plundered the coastal places by sailing about, and he ravaged them. The ship’s name was Pegasus (as even now each ship has a name; and to me it seems more likely that the name Pegasus was given to a ship than to a horse). Now King Amisodarus lived on the river Xanthus, and there was a high mountain, from which the Telmissian forest descends, and to this mountain there are two approaches, ⟨the⟩ one in front from the city of the Xanthians, the other behind ⟨from⟩ Caria; elsewhere there are high cliffs, and in the middle of them is a great chasm in the earth, from which fire also rises. The name of this mountain is Chimaera. At that time there was, as the local people say, a lion living at the front approach and a serpent at the back, and these harmed the woodcutters and herdsmen. Then Bellerophon came and set the mountain on fire, and the Telmissian forest burned down and the beasts perished. So the locals said: “Bellerophon arrived with Pegasus and destroyed Amisodarus’ Chimaera.” When this happened the myth was added.
XXIX. Περὶ Πέλοπος καὶ τῶν ἵππων
Φασὶν ὅτι Πέλοψ ἦλθεν ἔχων ἵππους ὑποπτέρους εἰς Πῖσαν μνηστευσόμενος Ἱπποδάμειαν τὴν Οἰνομάου θυγατέρα. ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγω ἅπερ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Πηγάσου. ἐπεὶ Οἰνόμαος, εἰ ᾔδει ὑποπτέρους ὄντας τοὺς ἵππους τοῦ Πέλοπος, οὐκ ἂν δὴ τὴν θυγατέρα αὑτοῦ ἔδωκεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἅρμα αὐτοῦ ἀναβιβάσαι. ῥητέον οὖν ὅτι Πέλοψ ἦλθεν ἔχων πλοῖον, ἐπεγέγραπτο δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς „ἵπποι ὑπόπτεροι“, ἁρπάσας δὲ τὴν κόρην ᾤχετο φεύγων. ἔλεγον δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὡς ἁρπάσας τὴν Οἰνομάου θυγατέρα ἐπὶ τῶν ἵππων ὑποπτέρων ᾤχετο φεύγων. καὶ ὁ μῦθος προσανεπλάσθη.
29. Pelops and His Horses
They say that Pelops came with winged horses to Pisa to woo Hippodameia, the daughter of Oenomaus. I say the same as I did about Pegasus. For Oenomaus, if he had known that the horses of Pelops were winged, would never have allowed his daughter to get into Pelops’ chariot. So we must say that Pelops came with a ship, on whose cabin “winged horses” was inscribed, and that he carried off the girl and went away in flight. And people said that he had snatched Oenomaus’ daughter and gone away in flight on winged horses. And the myth was added.
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