XXXIII. Περὶ Ὀρφέως
Ψευδὴς καὶ ὁ περὶ τοῦ Ὀρφέως μῦθος, ὅτι κιθαρίζοντι αὐτῷ ἐφείπετο τετράποδα καὶ ἑρπετὰ καὶ ὄρνεα καὶ δένδρα. δοκεῖ δέ μοι ταῦτα εἶναι. Βάκχαι μανεῖσαι πρόβατα διέσπασαν ἐν τῇ Πιερίᾳ, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα βιαίως εἰργάζοντο τρεπόμεναί τε εἰς τὸ ὄρος διέτριβον ἐκεῖ τὰς ἡμέρας. ὡς δὲ ἔμειναν, οἱ πολῖται, δεδιότες περὶ τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ θυγατέρων, μεταπεμψάμενοι τὸν Ὀρφέα μηχανήσασθαι ἐδέοντο, ὃν τρόπον καταγάγοι ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους αὐτάς. ὁ δὲ θυσάμενος τῷ Διονύσῳ ὄργια κατάγει αὐτὰς βακχευούσας κιθαρίζων. αἱ δὲ νάρθηκας τότε πρῶτον ἔχουσαι κατέβαινον ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ κλῶνας δένδρων παντοδαπῶν· τοῖς δὲ ἀνθρώποις τότε θεασαμένοις τὰ ξύλα θαυμαστὰ ἐφαίνετο, καὶ ἔφασαν „Ὀρφεὺς κιθαρίζων ἄγει ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ τὴν ὕλην.“ καὶ ἐκ τούτου ὁ μῦθος ἐπλάσθη.
33. Orpheus
False too is the myth about Orpheus, that as he played the lyre quadrupeds and reptiles and birds and trees followed him. I think the facts were these. Bacchae, possessed, tore sheep apart in Pieria, did many other violent things as well, and turning to the mountain stayed there for days. When they stayed, the citizens, fearing for their wives and daughters, sent for Orpheus and begged him to devise a way of bringing them down from the mountain. He made sacrifice to Dionysus, and brings them down, playing the lyre, in their Bacchic revels. They came down from the mountain holding thyrsus-wands for the first time and branches of all kinds of trees; and to the people who then saw the wood it seemed marvellous, and they said: “Orpheus, playing the lyre, is leading wood and forest from the mountain.” And from this the myth was invented.
XXXIV. Περὶ Πανδώρας
Ὁ περὶ Πανδώρας οὐκ ἀνεκτὸς λόγος, ὡς ἐκ γῆς ἀναπλασθεῖσαν ἀναδοῦναι αὐτὴν καὶ ἄλλοις τὸ πλάσμα. ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐ δοκεῖ τοῦτο· ἀλλὰ Πανδώρα γυνὴ ἐγένετο Ἕλλην μάλιστα πλουσία. καὶ ὅτε ἐξίοι, ἐκοσμεῖτο καὶ ἐχρίετο πολλῇ τῇ γῇ. πρώτη γὰρ αὕτη ἐξεῦρε χρίεσθαι πολλῇ τῇ γῇ τὸ χρῶμα (ὡς καὶ νῦν πολλαί· ὀνομάζεται δὲ οὐδεμία διὰ τὸ πλεῖστον). καὶ τὸ μὲν ἔργον οὕτως ἔχει· ὁ δὲ λόγος ἐπὶ τὸ ἀμήχανον ἐτράπη.
34. Pandora
The account of Pandora is not to be endured, that she was moulded out of earth and gave herself and the moulded creature to others as well. This does not seem so to me; rather, Pandora was a woman, a Greek, exceedingly rich, and when she went out she adorned herself and anointed herself with much earth; for she was the first to discover that one could colour oneself with much earth (as many women do even now; none is named, because of the great number). And so the facts are like this; but the story turned toward the impossible.
XXXV. Περὶ Μελιῶν γενεᾶς
Καὶ τἄλλα φαύλως εἶπον καὶ τὸ πρῶτον γένος ἀνθρώπων ἐκ μελιῶν γενέσθαι [φασίν]. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ ἀμήχανον ἐκ ξύλων ἀνθρώπους γενέσθαι. ἀλλὰ Μέλιός τις ἐγένετο καὶ Μελίαι ἐκλήθησαν ἀπὸ τούτου, ὥσπερ Ἕλληνες ἀπὸ Ἕλληνος καὶ Ἴωνες ἀπὸ Ἴωνος. ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἐφθάρη τὸ γένος ὅλον, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ἀπέσβη. σιδηρᾶ δὲ καὶ χαλκῆ γενεὰ οὐδέποτε ἐγένετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐφλυαρήθη ταῦτα.
35. The Race Born of Ash-Trees
They also spoke badly on other matters, and that the first race of men came from ash-trees [they say]. To me it seems impossible that men should be born from trees. But there was a certain Melios, and the Meliai were named after him, just as Hellenes after Hellen and Ionians after Ion. But that race was destroyed entire, and the name too went out. An iron or bronze race never existed; these things are nonsense.
XXXVI. Περὶ Ἡρακλέους
Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ περὶ Ἡρακλέους ἐγένετο. λέγεται ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ ἔσχε φύλλα ****** ὁ οὖν Φιλοίτης ****** εἴτε καὶ ἰδιώτης ὑπάρχων ἐπινοήσας ἔκαυσεν καὶ ὑγιᾶ ἐποίησεν. ὁ δὲ λόγος ἐλέχθη οὕτως ἐντεῦθεν.
36. Heracles and the Leaves
This too happened about Heracles. It is said that he had leaves of his own ****** ; Philoetes ****** or being in fact a private person, thought of it, burned them, and made him well. And the story was told in this way from that.
XXXVII. Περὶ τοῦ Κήτους
Περὶ τοῦ Κήτους τάδε λέγεται, ὡς τοῖς Τρωσὶν ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπεφοίτα καί, εἰ μὲν αὐτῷ δοῖεν κόρας εἰς βοράν, ἀπήει, εἰ δὲ μή, ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν. ὡς δὲ μάταιόν ἐστιν ἄνδρας ἰχθύσι συνθήκας τίθεσθαι, τίς οὐκ οἶδεν; ἀλλ᾽ ἦν τοῦτο. ἀνὴρ βασιλεὺς μέγας καὶ πολλὴν ἔχων δύναμιν εἶχε ναυτικὸν πολύ, ὃς κατεστρέψατο ἅπαν τῆς Ἀσίας τὸ παραθαλάσσιον, οἵτινες καὶ φόρον, ὃν καὶ δασμὸν καλοῦσιν, ἐτέλουν. ἀργυρίῳ μὲν οὖν οἱ τότε ἄνθρωποι οὐκ ἐχρῶντο, ἀλλὰ σκεύεσι· προσετέτακτο δὲ τῶν πόλεων αἷς μὲν ἵππους διδόναι, αἷς δὲ βόας, αἷς δὲ κόρας. τούτῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ ὄνομα ἦν Κήτων. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι αὐτὸν ἐκάλουν Κῆτος. περιέπλει οὖν κατὰ τὸν δέοντα χρόνον ἀπαιτῶν τὸν δασμόν· ὅσοι δὲ μὴ ἀπεδίδοσαν ἐκακοῦντο τὰς χώρας. ἔρχεται δὲ εἰς Τροίαν καθ' ὃν χρόνον ἦκε καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ἔχων στρατιὰν Ἑλλήνων. μισθοῦται δὲ αὐτὸν Λαομέδων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀρῆξαι τοῖς Τρωσίν. ἀποβιβάσας δὲ τὴν στρατιὰν ὁ Κήτων ὡδοιπόρει· ὑπαντήσαντες δὲ αὐτῷ Ἡρακλῆς τὲ καὶ Λαομέδων ἑκάτεροι ἔχοντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν στρατιάν, ἀναιροῦσιν αὐτόν. οὗ γενομένου προσανεπλάσθη ὁ μῦθος.
37. The Sea-Monster
About the sea-monster this is told: that it used to come out of the sea at the Trojans and, if they gave it girls as food, went away, but if not, ravaged their land. That it is vain for men to make agreements with fish — who does not know it? But this is what happened. A king, a great man with great power, had a large navy and conquered the whole coast of Asia, whose people paid him tribute, which they also call a levy. In those days people did not use money but goods; it had been laid down that some cities should give horses, some cattle, some girls. The name of this king was Ceton; and the barbarians called him “Cetus.” So he sailed round at the appointed time collecting the levy; those who did not pay he used to harm in their lands. He came to Troy at the time when Heracles also arrived with an army of Greeks. King Laomedon hired him [Heracles] to help the Trojans. Ceton, landing his army, marched; Heracles and Laomedon, each with his own army, met him and killed him. When this happened, the myth was added.
XXXVIII. Περὶ Ὕδρας
Λέγεται καὶ περὶ τῆς ὕδρας τῆς Δερναίας ὅτι ὄφις ἦν ἔχων πεντήκοντα κεφαλάς, σῶμα δὲ ἕν, καὶ ἐπειδὴ αὐτῆς ἀφέλοιτο μίαν Ἡρακλῆς κεφαλήν, δύο ἀνεφύοντο. καὶ ὁ καρκίνος δὲ ἦλθε βοηθῶν τῇ ὕδρᾳ· καὶ τότε δὴ ὁ Ἰόλαος ἀμύνει τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῇ ὕδρᾳ ἤμυνεν ὁ καρκίνος. τούτων δὲ εἰ τις πείθεταί τι γενέσθαι, μάταιός ἐστιν· γελοία γὰρ καὶ ἡ ὄψις· καὶ πῶς, ὁπότε ἀφέλοιτο μίαν κεφαλήν, ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν οὐ κατησθίετο καὶ ἤλγει; ἦν οὖν τοιοῦτον. Λέρνος ἦν βασιλεὺς τοῦ χωρίου, ἔσχε δὲ ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνου τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸ χωρίον (ᾧκουν δὲ πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι τότε κατὰ κώμας, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον Ἀργεῖοι νῦν ἔχουσιν). ἦσαν δὲ πόλεις τότε Ἄργος, Μυκήνη, Τυρήνη, Λέρνη, καὶ βασιλεὺς ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ ἐτέτακτο τῶν χωρίων τούτων. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι βασιλεῖς Εὐρυσθεῖ τοῦ Σθενέλου τοῦ Περσέως ὑπετάττοντο· εἶχε γὰρ τὸ μέγιστον καὶ πολυαν- δρότατον, τὰς Μυκήνας· ὁ δὲ Λέρνος οὐκ ἤθελεν αὐτῷ ὑποτετάχθαι. ἐπολέμουν οὖν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦτο. ἦν δὲ τῷ Λέρνῳ ἐν τῇ εἰσβολῇ τῆς χώρας πολίχνιόν τι καρτερόν, καὶ ἐφρούρουν αὐτὸ πεντήκοντα τοξόται ἀνδρεῖοι, οἳ ἐπήεσαν ἐπὶ τῷ πύργῳ ἀδιαλείπτως νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν. ὄνομα δὲ ἦν τῷ πολιχνίῳ Ὕδρα. πέμπει οὖν Εὐρυσθεὺς Ἡρακλέα ἐκπορθήσοντα τὸ πολίχνιον. οἱ δὲ περὶ Ἡρακλέα ἐπυρπόλουν τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ πύργῳ τοξότας· ὁπότε δέ τις πληγεὶς πέσοι, δύο ἀνέβαινον τοξόται ἀνθ’ ἕνός, ἐπεὶ ἀνδρεῖος ἦν ὁ προανῃρημένος. ἐπεὶ δὲ συνείχετο ὁ Λέρνος ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους τῷ πολέμῳ, μισθοῦται ἐπικούρους Κᾶρας. ἦλθε δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγων τὴν στρατιὰν Καρκίνος ὀνόματι ἀνὴρ μέγας καὶ πολεμικός. καὶ σὺν τούτῳ ἀντεῖχον πρὸς τὸν Ἡρακλέα. εἶτα βοηθεῖ Ἰόλαος ὁ Ἰφικλέους ἀδελφιδοῦς ὧν τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ ἔχων στρατιὰν ἀπὸ Θηβῶν καὶ τὸν πεφυκότα πύργον πρὸς τῇ Ὕδρᾳ προσελθὼν ἐνέπρησε, καὶ σὺν ταύτῃ τῇ δυνάμει ⟨ἐκ⟩πορθεῖ αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἡρακλῆς, καὶ τὴν Ὕδραν ἀναιρεῖ καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἀπόλλυσιν. οὗ γενομένου γράφουσι τὴν ὕδραν ὄφιν καὶ τὸν μῦθον προσαναπλάττουσιν.
38. The Hydra
It is said of the Hydra of Lerna that she was a serpent with fifty heads and one body, and that when Heracles cut off one head two grew back. And a crab came to help the Hydra; and then Iolaus came to help Heracles, since the crab had helped the Hydra. Whoever believes that any of this happened is a fool: for the appearance too is absurd; and how, when one head was cut off, was it not eaten by the others and in pain? What really happened was this. Lernus was king of the district, and the place got its name from him (in those days all people lived in villages, and this district the Argives now hold). There were cities in those days — Argos, Mycenae, Tiryns, Lerne — and a king had been appointed over each of these places. The other kings were subject to Eurystheus, son of Sthenelus, son of Perseus, for he held the largest and most populous, Mycenae; but Lernus did not wish to be subject to him. So they made war on him for this reason. Lernus had on the border of his country a rather strong little town, which fifty brave archers guarded, who kept going up onto the tower without a break, night and day. The little town was called Hydra. So Eurystheus sent Heracles to sack the little town. Heracles’ men set fire to the archers on the tower; whenever one was struck and fell, two archers climbed up in place of one, since the one who had been killed was brave. When Lernus was hard pressed by Heracles’ war, he hired Carian allies. A man named Carcinus (“Crab”), big and warlike, came to him leading the army. With him they held out against Heracles. Then Iolaus, the son of Iphicles, nephew of Heracles, brought help to Heracles with an army from Thebes and, coming up to the tower that had grown beside Hydra, set it on fire; with this force Heracles sacks them, kills the Hydra and destroys the army. Because of this they paint the hydra as a serpent and add the myth.
XXXIX. Περὶ Κερβέρου
Εἴρηται περὶ Κερβέρου ὡς κύων ὧν τρεῖς εἶχε κεφαλάς. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ οὗτος ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐκλήθη Τρικάρηνος, ὥσπερ ὁ Γηρυόνης· ἔλεγον δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι „καλός τε καὶ μέγας ὁ Τρικάρηνος κύων.“ εἴρηται δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς Ἡρακλῆς αὐτὸν ἐξ Ἅιδου ἀνήγαγε, μυθικῶς. ἐγένετο δὲ τοιόνδε τι. Γηρυόνῃ ἐπὶ ταῖς βουσὶν ἦσαν κύνες μεγάλοι καὶ νεανίαι, ὀνόματα δὲ ἦν αὐτοῖς τῷ μὲν Κέρβερος, τῷ δὲ Ὄρθος. τὸν μὲν οὖν Ὄρθον Ἡρακλῆς ἐν Τρικαρηνίᾳ πρὶν περιελάσαι τὰς βοῦς ἀναιρεῖ· ὁ δὲ Κέρβερος συνηκολούθει ταῖς βουσίν. ἐπιθυμήσας δὲ τοῦ κυνὸς ἀνὴρ Μυκηναῖος ὄνομα Μολοττός, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ᾔτει τὸν Εὐρυσθέα ἀποδόσθαι αὐτῷ τὸν κύνα· οὐ βουλομένου δὲ τοῦ Εὐρυσθέως, ἀναπείθει τοὺς βουκόλους καὶ κατείργνυσι τὸν κύνα ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ ἐπὶ Ταινάρῳ ἐν σπηλαίῳ τινὶ τεκνοποιίας ἕνεκα, καὶ ὑφίησιν αὐτῷ κύνας θηλείας ἐμβατεύειν. Εὐρυσθεὺς δὲ πέμπει Ἡρακλέα κατὰ ζήτησιν τοῦ κυνός. ὁ δὲ πᾶσαν Πελοπόννησον περιιὼν ἦλθεν ὅπου αὐτῷ ἐμηνύθη ὁ κύων ὑπάρχειν, καὶ καταβὰς ἀνάγει ἐκ τοῦ ἄντρου τὸν κύνα. ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι „διὰ τοῦ ἄντρου καταβὰς εἰς Ἅιδου Ἡρακλῆς ἀνήγαγε τὸν κύνα.“
39. Cerberus
It is said of Cerberus that he was a dog and had three heads. It is clear that he too was called “Tricarenos” from the city, like Geryon; and people used to say: “the fine big Tricarenian dog.” It is also said of him that Heracles brought him up from Hades, mythically. What happened was something like this. Geryon had dogs with the cattle, big ones and young, and their names were Cerberus for one and Orthus for the other. Heracles killed Orthus in Tricarenia before driving off the cattle; but Cerberus followed the cattle. A Mycenaean man named Molottus, who desired the dog, first asked Eurystheus to sell it to him; when Eurystheus was unwilling, he persuaded the herdsmen and shut the dog up in Laconia at Taenarum in a cave for the sake of breeding, and let female dogs in to mate with him. Eurystheus sent Heracles to search for the dog. He went round the whole Peloponnese and came to where he was told the dog was, and going down brought the dog up out of the cave. So people said: “Heracles went down through the cave into Hades and brought the dog up.”
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