αἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς νήσοις εἰσὶν Ἰώνων πόλεις Σάμος ἡ ὑπὲρ Μυκάλης καὶ Χίος ἡ ἀπαντικρὺ τοῦ Μίμαντος. Ἄσιος δὲ ὁ Ἀμφιπτολέμου Σάμιος ἐποίησεν ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν ὡς Φοίνικι ἐκ Περιμήδης τῆς Οἰνέως γένοιτο Ἀστυπάλαια καὶ Εὐρώπη, Ποσειδῶνος δὲ καὶ Ἀστυπαλαίας εἶναι παῖδα Ἀγκαῖον, βασιλεύειν δὲ αὐτὸν τῶν καλουμένων Λελέγων· Ἀγκαίῳ δὲ τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ ποταμοῦ λαβόντι τοῦ Μαιάνδρου Σαμίαν γενέσθαι Περίλαον καὶ Ἔνουδον καὶ Σάμον καὶ Ἀλιθέρσην καὶ θυγατέρα ἐπʼ αὐτῷ Παρθενόπην, Παρθενόπης δὲ τῆς Ἀγκαίου καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος Λυκομήδην γενέσθαι.
Ἄσιος μὲν ἐς τοσοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν ἐδήλωσε· τότε δὲ οἱ τὴν νῆσον οἰκοῦντες ἀνάγκῃ πλέον ἐδέξαντο ἢ εὐνοίᾳ συνοίκους Ἴωνας. ἡγεμὼν δὲ ἦν τοῖς Ἴωσι Προκλῆς ὁ Πιτυρέως, αὐτός τε Ἐπιδαύριος καὶ Ἐπιδαυρίους τὸ πολὺ ἄγων, οἳ ὑπὸ Δηιφόντου καὶ Ἀργείων ἐκ τῆς Ἐπιδαυρίας ἐξεπεπτώκεσαν· τούτῳ τῷ Προκλεῖ γένος ἦν ἀπὸ Ἴωνος τοῦ Ξούθου. Ἄνδροκλος δὲ καὶ Ἐφέσιοι στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ Λεώγορον τὸν Προκλέους, βασιλεύοντα μετὰ τὸν πατέρα ἐν Σάμῳ, καὶ μάχῃ νικήσαντες ἐξελαύνουσιν ἐκ τῆς νήσου Σαμίους· αἰτίαν δὲ ἐπέφερον μετὰ Καρῶν σφᾶς ἐπιβουλεύειν Ἴωσι.
Σαμίων δὲ τῶν φευγόντων οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ Θρᾴκῃ νῆσον ᾤκησαν, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων τῆς ἐνοικήσεως Σαμοθρᾴκην τὴν νῆσον καλοῦσιν ἀντὶ Δαρδανίας· οἱ δὲ ὁμοῦ Λεωγόρῳ περὶ Ἀναίαν τὴν ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ τῇ πέραν βαλόμενοι τεῖχος, δέκα ἔτεσιν ὕστερον διαβάντες ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ τούς τε Ἐφεσίους ἐκβάλλουσι καὶ ἀνεσώσαντο τὴν νῆσον.
τὸ δὲ ἱερὸν τὸ ἐν Σάμῳ τῆς Ἥρας εἰσὶν οἳ ἱδρύσασθαί φασι τοὺς ἐν τῇ Ἀργοῖ πλέοντας, ἐπάγεσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐξ Ἄργους· Σάμιοι δὲ αὐτοὶ τεχθῆναι νομίζουσιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τὴν θεὸν παρὰ τῷ Ἰμβράσῳ ποταμῷ καὶ ὑπὸ τῇ λύγῳ τῇ ἐν τῷ Ἡραίῳ κατʼ ἐμὲ ἔτι πεφυκυίᾳ. εἶναι δʼ οὖν τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἀρχαῖον οὐχ ἥκιστα ἄν τις καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ἀγάλματι τεκμαίροιτο· ἔστι γὰρ δὴ ἀνδρὸς ἔργον Αἰγινήτου Σμίλιδος τοῦ Εὐκλείδου. οὗτος ὁ Σμῖλίς ἐστιν ἡλικίαν κατὰ Δαίδαλον, δόξης δὲ οὐκ ἐς τὸ ἴσον ἀφίκετο·
Δαιδάλῳ μὲν γὰρ γένους τε Ἀθήνῃσιν ὑπῆρχεν εἶναι τοῦ βασιλικοῦ τῶν καλουμένων Μητιονιδῶν καὶ ὁμοῦ τῇ τέχνῃ τῆς πλάνης τε ἕνεκα καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς συμφοραῖς ἐπιφανέστερος ἐγένετο ἐς ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους. ἀποκτείνας μὲν ἀδελφῆς παῖδα καὶ ἐπιστάμενος τὰ οἴκοι νόμιμα ἑκουσίως παρὰ Μίνω ἔφυγεν ἐς Κρήτην, καὶ αὐτῷ τε ἀγάλματα Μίνῳ καὶ τοῦ Μίνω ταῖς θυγατράσιν ἐποίησε, καθότι καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐν Ἰλιάδι ἐδήλωσε·
καταγνωσθεὶς δὲ ἀδικεῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Μίνω καὶ ἐς δεσμωτήριον ὁμοῦ τῷ παιδὶ ἐμβληθεὶς ἐκδιδράσκει τε ἐκ Κρήτης καὶ ἐς Ἴνυκον Σικελῶν πόλιν ἀφικνεῖται παρὰ Κώκαλον, καὶ πολέμου παρέσχε τοῖς Σικελοῖς αἰτίαν πρὸς τοὺς Κρῆτας, ὅτι ἐξαιτοῦντος Μίνω μὴ πρόοιτο αὐτὸν ὁ Κώκαλος· καὶ ἐς τοσοῦτο ὑπὸ τοῦ Κωκάλου τῶν θυγατέρων ἐσπουδάσθη κατὰ τὴν τέχνην, ὡς καὶ θάνατον τῷ Μίνῳ βουλεῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ἐς χάριν Δαιδάλου.
δῆλά τε ὡς ἀνὰ πᾶσαν μὲν τὴν Σικελίαν, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον δὲ καὶ Ἰταλίας ἀφίκετο τοῦ Δαιδάλου τὸ ὄνομα. ὁ δὲ Σμῖλις, ὅτι μὴ παρὰ Σαμίους καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἠλείαν, παρʼ ἄλλους γε οὐδένας φανερός ἐστιν ἀποδημήσας· ἐς τούτους δὲ ἀφίκετο, καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐν Σάμῳ τῆς Ἥρας ὁ ποιήσας ἐστὶν οὗτος.
Ἴωνι δὲ τῷ ποιήσαντι τραγῳδίαν ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ συγγραφῇ τοιάδε εἰρημένα, Ποσειδῶνα ἐς τὴν νῆσον ἔρημον οὖσαν ἀφικέσθαι καὶ νύμφῃ τε ἐνταῦθα συγγενέσθαι καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς ὠδῖνας τῆς νύμφης χιόνα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πεσεῖν ἐς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου Ποσειδῶνα τῷ παιδὶ ὄνομα θέσθαι Χίον· συγγενέσθαι δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἑτέρᾳ νύμφῃ, καὶ γενέσθαι οἱ παῖδας Ἄγελόν τε καὶ Μέλανα· ἀνὰ χρόνον δὲ καὶ Οἰνοπίωνα ἐς τὴν Χίον κατᾶραι ναυσὶν ἐκ Κρήτης, ἕπεσθαι δέ οἱ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας Τάλον καὶ Εὐάνθην καὶ Μέλανα καὶ Σάλαγόν τε καὶ Ἀθάμαντα.
ἀφίκοντο δὲ καὶ Κᾶρες ἐς τὴν νῆσον ἐπὶ τῆς Οἰνοπίωνος βασιλείας καὶ Ἄβαντες ἐξ Εὐβοίας. Οἰνοπίωνος δὲ καὶ τῶν παίδων ἔλαβεν ὕστερον Ἄμφικλος τὴν ἀρχήν· ἀφίκετο δὲ ἐξ Ἱστιαίας ὁ Ἄμφικλος τῆς ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ κατὰ μάντευμα ἐκ Δελφῶν. Ἕκτωρ δὲ ἀπὸ Ἀμφίκλου τετάρτῃ γενεᾷ— βασιλείαν γὰρ ἔσχε καὶ οὗτος—ἐπολέμησεν Ἀβάντων καὶ Καρῶν τοῖς οἰκοῦσιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν ταῖς μάχαις, τοὺς δὲ ἀπελθεῖν ἠνάγκασεν ὑποσπόνδους.
γενομένης δὲ ἀπαλλαγῆς πολέμου Χίοις, ἀφικέσθαι τηνικαῦτα ἐς μνήμην Ἕκτορι ὡς σφᾶς καὶ Ἴωσι δέοι συνθύειν ἐς Πανιώνιον· τρίποδα δὲ ἆθλον λαβεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ ἀνδραγαθίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ φησι τοῦ Ἰώνων. τοσαῦτα εἰρηκότα ἐς Χίους Ἴωνα εὕρισκον· οὐ μέντοι ἐκεῖνό γε εἴρηκε, καθʼ ἥντινα αἰτίαν Χῖοι τελοῦσιν ἐς Ἴωνας.
The Ionian cities in the islands are Samos, opposite Mycale, and Chios over against Mimas.
Asius, son of Amphiptolemus, a Samian, says in his epic poem that Phoenix had two daughters, Astypalaea and Europa, by Perimede, daughter of Oeneus; that Astypalaea had by Poseidon a son Ancaeus, who reigned over the Leleges, as they are called; that Ancaeus married Samia, daughter of the river Maeander, and had by her Perilaus, Enudus, Samus, Alitherses, and also a daughter Parthenope; and that Parthenope, daughter of Ancaeus, had Lycomedes by Apollo. Thus far Asius in his epic.
But at the time I speak of the people of Samos received a body of Ionian settlers, not because they loved them, but because they could not help it. The leader of the Ionians was Procles, son of Pityreus: he was an Epidaurian, and most of the people that he led were also Epidaurians who had been expelled from Epidauria by the Argives under Deiphontes. This Procles was of the lineage of Ion, son of Xuthus. But the Ephesians, under Androclus, made an expedition against Leogorus, son of Procles, who reigned after his father in Samos, and gaining a victory they drove the Samians out of the island. They charged the Samians with having joined the Carians in plotting against the Ionians. Of the banished Samians some settled in an island off Thrace, and in consequence of this settlement the island is known as Samothrace instead of Dardania. Another body of Samians under Leogorus fortified themselves at Anaea on the opposite mainland, and ten years afterwards, crossing over to Samos, expelled the Ephesians and recovered the island.
The sanctuary of Hera at Samos is said by some to have been founded by the Argonauts, who brought the image with them from Argos. But the Samians themselves believe that the goddess was born in the island beside the river Imbrasus, and under the willow which still grows in her sanctuary. That this sanctuary is at all events one of the oldest in existence may be inferred especially from the image, for it is a work of an Aeginetan, Smilis, son of Euclides. This Smilis was a contemporary of Daedalus, though he did not equal him in renown.
For Daedalus came of the royal house of Athens, the Metionids, and was famous all over the world, not only for his art, but for his wanderings and his sorrows. He had slain his sister’s son, and knowing the customs of Athens, he fled of his own accord to the court of Minos in Crete. He made images for Minos and his daughters, as Homer signifies in the Iliad, but being condemned by Minos for some offence, and cast into prison with his son, he escaped from Crete and went to the court of Cocalus at Inycus, a city of Sicily. He was the occasion of war between the Sicilians and the Cretans, because Cocalus refused to surrender him at the demand of Minos. So much was he admired by the daughters of Cocalus for his art that for his sake they even plotted the death of Minos. It is clear that the fame of Daedalus spread all over Sicily and over a great part of Italy. But it does not appear that Smilis travelled anywhere except to Samos and Elis. But he did go to these places, and it was he who made the image of Hera in Samos. 6. . . . Ion, the tragic poet, says in his history that Poseidon came to the island, which was then uninhabited, and there he loved a nymph, and when she was in labour snow (chion) fell on the ground, and therefore Poseidon named the boy Chios. He also states that Poseidon loved yet another nymph, by whom he had two sons, Agelus and Melas, and that in course of time Oenopion sailed with some ships from Crete to Chios, followed by his sons Talus, Euanthes, Melas, Salagus, and Athamas. Carians, too, came to the island in the reign of Oenopion, and also Abantes from Euboea. Oenopion and his sons were succeeded on the throne by Amphiclus, who came from Histiaea in Euboea at the command of the Delphic oracle. In the third generation after Amphiclus, Hector, who also had made himself king, waged war on those Abantes and Carians who dwelt in the island ; and some of them he slew in battle, and the rest he obliged to capitulate and withdraw. When the Chians had rest from war, Hector bethought him that they ought to join with the Ionians in the sacrifice at Panionium; and he received from the Ionian confederacy a tripod as a meed of valour. Such is the account which I find given of the Chians by Ion. He does not, however, say why the Chians are reckoned among the Ionians.
Cite This Text