παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ Ἀμμωνίου μᾶλλον ἔφην ἐγώ περὶ τοῦ μαντείου δίελθʼ ἡμῖν, ὦ Κλεόμβροτε· μεγάλη γὰρ ἡ παλαιὰ δόξα τῆς ἐπεῖ θειότητος, τὰ δὲ νῦν ἔοικεν ὑπομαραίνεσθαι. τοῦ δὲ Κλεομβρότου σιωπῶντος καὶ κάτω βλέποντος, ὁ Δημήτριος οὐδέν ἔφη δεῖ περὶ τῶν ἐπεῖ πυνθάνεσθαι καὶ διαπορεῖν τὴν ἐνταῦθα τῶν χρηστηρίων ἀμαύρωσιν, μᾶλλον δὲ πλὴν ἑνὸς ἢ δυεῖν ἁπάντων ἔκλειψιν ὁρῶντας· ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο σκοπεῖν, διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν οὕτως ἐξησθένηκε. τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα τί δεῖ λέγειν, ὅπου τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἕνεκα χρηστηρίων πολύφωνον οὖσαν ἐν τοῖς πρότερον χρόνοις νῦν ἐπιλέλοιπε κομιδῇ καθάπερ νάματα, καὶ πολὺς ἐπέσχηκε μαντικῆς αὐχμὸς τὴν χώραν; οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἀλλαχόθι νῦν ἢ περὶ Λεβάδειαν ἡ Βοιωτία παρέχει τοῖς χρῄζουσιν ἀρύσασθαι μαντικῆς, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τὰ μὲν σιγὴ τὰ δὲ παντελὴς ἐρημία κατέσχηκε. καίτοι γε περὶ τὰ Μηδικὰ μὲν εὐδοκίμησεν […] οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τὸ τοῦ Ἀμφιάρεω καὶ ἀπεπειράθη Μῦς ὡς ἔοικεν ἀμφοτέρων. ὁ μὲν οὖν τοῦ Πτῴου μαντείου προφήτης φωνῇ Αἰολίδι χρώμενος […] τὸ πρὸ τοῦ τότε τῇ τῶν βαρβάρων χρησμὸν ἐξήνεγκεν, ὥστε μηδένα ξυνεῖναι ἁγίων τῶν παρόντων […] ὃν ἐκεῖνον, ὡς […] τοῦ ἐνθουσιασμοῦ […] τι τοῖς βαρβάροις οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲ δέδοται φωνὴν Ἑλληνίδα λαβεῖν τὸ προσταττόμενον ὑπηρετοῦσαν. ὁ δὲ πεμφθεὶς εἰς Ἀμφιάρεω δοῦλος ἔδοξε κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους ὑπηρέτην τοῦ θεοῦ φανέντα, πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ φωνῆς ἐκβάλλειν αὐτόν, ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ παριέντος, ἔπειτα ταῖς χερσὶν ὠθεῖν ἐπιμένοντος δέ, λίθον εὐμεγέθη λαβόντα τὴν κεφαλὴν πατάξαι. ταῦτα δʼ ἦν ὥσπερ ἀντίφωνα τῶν γενησομένων · ἡττήθη γὰρ ὁ Μαρδόνιος, οὐ βασιλέως ἀλλʼ ἐπιτρόπου καὶ διακόνου βασιλέως ἡγουμένου τῶν Ἑλλήνων, καὶ λίθῳ πληγεὶς ἔπεσεν, ὥσπερ ὁ Λυδὸς ἔδοξε πληγῆναι κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους. ἤκμαζε δὲ τότε καὶ τὸ περὶ τὰς Τεγύρας χρηστήριον, ὅπου καὶ γενέσθαι τὸν θεὸν ἱστοροῦσι, καὶ ναμάτων δυεῖν παραρρεόντων τὸ μὲν Φοίνικα θάτερον δʼ Ἐλαίαν ἄχρι νῦν ὡς ἔνιοι λέγουσιν. ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς Μηδικοῖς Ἐχεκράτους προφητεύοντος, ἀνεῖλε νίκην καὶ κράτος πολέμου τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὁ θεός· ἐν δὲ τῷ Πελοποννησιακῷ πολέμῳ Δηλίοις ἐκπεσοῦσι τῆς νήσου φασὶ χρησμὸν ἐκ Δελφῶν κομισθῆναι, προστάττοντα τὸν τόπον ἀνευρεῖν, ἐν ᾧ γέγονεν ὁ Ἀπόλλων, καὶ θυσίας τινὰς ἐκεῖ τελέσαι. θαυμαζόντων δὲ καὶ διαπορούντων, εἰ μὴ παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς ἀλλʼ ἑτέρωθι γεγόνοι, τὴν Πυθίαν προσανελεῖν, ὅτι κορώνη φράσει τὸ χωρίον αὐτοῖς. ἀπιόντας οὖν ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ γενέσθαι, καὶ τῆς πανδοκευτρίας ἀκοῦσαι πρός τινας ξένους βαδίζοντας εἰς Τεγύρας περὶ τοῦ χρηστηρίου διαλεγομένης· τῶν δὲ ξένων, ὡς ἀπῄεσαν, ἀσπαζομένων καὶ προσαγορευόντων τὴν ἄνθρωπον, ὅπερ ὠνομάζετο, Κορώνην, συνεῖναι τὸ λόγιον, καὶ θύσαντας ἐν ταῖς Τεγύραις τυχεῖν καθόδου μετʼ ὀλίγον χρόνον. γεγόνασι δὲ καὶ νεώτεραι τούτων ἐπιφάνειαι περὶ τὰ μαντεῖα ταῦτα, νῦν δʼ ἐκλέλοιπεν ὥστε τὴν αἰτίαν ἄξιον εἶναι παρὰ τῷ Πυθίῳ διαπορῆσαι τῆς μεταβολῆσ.
Ammonius having finished his discourse, I pray, said I, Cleombrotus, give us some account of the oracle; for it ever has been in great esteem in those parts till these times, wherein its divinity and reputation seem to be decayed. Unto which Cleombrotus making no answer, but looking down to the ground, Demetrius took up the discourse, saying: You need not busy yourself in enquiries after the oracles in those parts, seeing we find the oracles in these parts to fail or (to speak better) to be totally silenced, except two or three; so that it would be more to the purpose to search into the cause of this silence. But we are more concerned in Boeotia, which, although formerly famous throughout all the world for oracles, is now like a fountain dried up, so that at present we find them dumb. For at this day there is no place in all Boeotia, unless in the town of Lebadea, where one can draw out any divination, all other parts being become silent and forsaken. Yet in the time of the war against the Persians, the oracle of Apollo Ptoüs was in request, as also that of Amphiaraus; for both of them were tried. The priest of Apollo Ptoüs, who was always wont to return the oracle’s answers in Aeolic Greek, spake to him that was sent from the barbarians in their own barbarous language, so that none of the assistants understood a word; whereby they were given to understand, that it was not lawful for the barbarians to have the use of the Greek tongue to serve their pleasure. And as to that of Amphiaraus, the person that was sent thither, having fallen asleep in the sanctuary, dreamed that he heard the minister of that God bidding him be gone out of the temple and saying that the God forbade him to remain, and that he presently shoved him out thence with both his hands; and seeing he still stopped by the way, he took up a great stone and struck him with it on the head. And what was this but a prediction and denunciation of what was to come to pass? For Mardonius was not long after defeated by Pausanias, who was no king, but only the king of Lacedaemonia’s guardian and minister, and the then lieutenant of the Grecians’ army, and was with a stone flung out of a sling felled to the ground, just as the Lydian servant thought he was struck in his dream. In the same manner also flourished the oracle near Tegyra, where it is said Apollo himself was born; and in effect, there are two sreams that glide near the place, one of which is still called the Palm-tree, and the other the Olive-tree. And at this oracle, in the time of the Medes’ war, Echecrates being then the prophet, the God Apollo answered by his mouth, that the honor and profit of this war would fall to the Greeks’ share. And during the Peloponnesian war, the Delians having been driven out of their island, they had word brought them from the oracle of Delphi, that they should search for the place where Apollo was born, and there make some certain sacrifice. At which they marvelling, and demanding whether Apollo was born elsewhere than in their parts, the prophetess Pythia moreover told them that a crow would show them the place. These deputies from the Delians, in their return home, passed by chance through the city of Chaeronea, where they heard their hostess at the inn talking to some travellers about the oracle of Tegyra, to which they were going, and at their parting they heard them say to her Adieu, Dame Corone. By this they comprehended the meaning of Pythia’s answer; and having offered their sacrifices at Tegyra, they were soon after restored and established in their own country. Yet there have been given later answers from these oracles than those you have mentioned; but now they have wholly ceased, so that it will not be besides the matter, seeing we are near by Apollo Pythius, to enquire after the cause of this change.
ἤδη δέ πως ἀπὸ τοῦ νεὼ προϊόντες ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις τῆς Κνιδίων λέσχης ἐγεγόνειμεν παρελθόντες οὖν εἴσω, τοὺς φίλους πρὸς οὓς ἐβαδίζομεν ἑωρῶμεν καθημένους καὶ περιμένοντας ἡμᾶς· ἦν δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἡσυχία διὰ τὴν ὥραν, ἀλειφομένων ἢ θεωμένων τοὺς ἀθλητάς. καὶ ὁ Δημήτριος διαμειδιάσας ψεύσομαι εἶπεν ἢ ἔτυμον ἐρέω; δοκεῖτέ μοι μηδὲν ἄξιον σκέμμα διὰ χειρῶν ἔχειν· ὁρῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀνειμένως σφόδρα καθημένους καὶ διακεχυμένους τοῖς προσώποις. ὑπολαβὼν οὖν ὁ Μεγαρεὺς Ἡρακλέων οὐ γὰρ ζητοῦμεν ἔφη τὸ βάλλω ῥῆμα πότερον λάμβδα κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα χρόνον ἀπόλλυσιν, οὐδʼ ἀπὸ τίνων ἁπλῶν ὀνομάτων τὸ χεῖρον καὶ τὸ βέλτιον καὶ τὸ χείριστον καὶ τὸ βέλτιστον ἐσχημάτισται. ταῦτα γὰρ ἴσως καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα συντείνει καὶ συνίστησι τὸ πρόσωπον· τὰ δʼ ἄλλʼ ἔξεστι τὰς ὀφρῦς κατὰ χώραν ἔχοντας φιλοσοφεῖν καὶ ζητεῖν, ἀτρέμα μὴ δεινὸν βλέποντας μηδὲ χαλεπαίνοντας τοῖς παροῦσιν δέξασθʼ οὖν ὁ Δημήτριος ἡμᾶς ἔφη καὶ μεθʼ ἡμῶν λόγον, ὃς δὴ προσπέπτωκεν ἡμῖν οἰκεῖος ὢν τοῦ τόπου καὶ διὰ τὸν θεὸν ἅπασι προσήκων· καὶ ὅπως οὐ συνάξετε τὰς ὀφρῦς ἐπιχειροῦντες.
Thus discoursing together, we left the temple, and were come as far as the Cnidian Hall, where entering in, we found our friends which we looked for, being set down in expectation of our coming. All the rest were at leisure, by reason of the time of the day, and did nothing but anoint their bodies, or gaze on the wrestlers who were exercising themselves. Whereupon Demetrius laughing said to them: It seems to me that you are not discoursing of any matter of great consequence, for I see you labor not under deep thoughts. It is true, replied Heracleon the Megarean, we are not a disputing, whether the verb βάλλω in his future tense loses one of his λλ, nor from what positive or primitive are formed or derived these two comparatives, xei=ron and βέλτιον, and these two superlatives, χείριστον and βέλιστον; for such questions as these make people knit their brows. A man may discourse of all other matters, especially of philosophy, without these frowning angry looks that put the by-standers into a fright. Receive us then, said Demetrius, into your company, and, if you please, the question too which has been now agitated amongst us, which does well agree with the place where we are, and, relating to the God Apollo, concerns therefore all that are here; but, however, let us have no knitting of the brows or frowning looks.
ὡς οὖν ἀνεμίχθημεν διακαθεζόμενοι καὶ προύβαλεν εἰς μέσον ὁ Δημήτριος τὸν λόγον, εὐθὺς ἀναπηδήσας ὁ· κυνικὸς Δίδυμος, ἐπίκλησιν Πλανητιάδης, καὶ τῇ βακτηρίᾳ δὶς ἢ τρὶς πατάξας ἀνεβόησεν ἰοὺ ἰού, δύσκριτον πρᾶγμα καὶ ζητήσεως δεόμενον πολλῆς ἣκετε κομίζοντες ἡμῖν. θαυμαστὸν γάρ ἐστιν, εἰ τοσαύτης κακίας ὑποκεχυμένης; μὴ μόνον, ὡς προεῖπεν Ἡσίοδος, Αἰδὼς καὶ Νέμεσις τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον ἀπολελοίπασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρόνοια θεῶν συσκευασαμένη τὰ χρηστήρια πανταχόθεν οἴχεται. τοὐναντίον δʼ ὑμῖν ἐγὼ προβάλλω διαπορῆσαι, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ τότʼ ἀπείρηκεν οὐδʼ Ἡρακλῆς αὖθις ἤ τις ἄλλος θεῶν ὑπέσπακε τὸν τρίποδα καταπιμπλάμενον αἰσχρῶν καὶ ἀθέων ἐρωτημάτων, ἃ τῷ θεῷ προβάλλουσιν οἱ μὲν ὡς σοφιστοῦ διάπειραν λαμβάνοντες οἱ δὲ περὶ θησαυρῶν ἢ κληρονομιῶν ἢ γάμων παρανόμων διερωτῶντες· ὥστε κατὰ κράτος ἐξελέγχεσθαι τὸν Πυθαγόραν εἰπόντα βελτίστους ἑαυτῶν γίγνεσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅταν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς βαδίζωσιν· οὕτως ἄρʼ ἃ καλῶς εἶχεν, ἀνθρώπου πρεσβυτέρου παρόντος, ἀρνεῖσθαι καὶ ἀποκρύπτειν νοσήματα τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ πάθη, ταῦτα γυμνὰ καὶ περιφανῆ κομίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν. ἔτι δʼ αὐτοῦ βουλομένου λέγειν, ὃ θʼ Ἡρακλέων ἐπελάβετο τοῦ τρίβωνος, κἀγὼ σχεδὸν ἁπάντων αὐτῷ συνηθέστατος ὤν παῦʼ ἔφην ὦ φίλε Πλανητιάδη, παροξύνων τὸν θεόν· εὐόργητος γάρ ἐστι καὶ πρᾶος κατεκρίθη δὲ θνατοῖς ἀγανώτατος ἔμμεν ὥς φησιν ὁ Πίνδαρος. καὶ εἴθʼ ἥλιός ἐστιν εἴτε κύριος; ἡλίου καὶ πατὴρ καὶ ἐπέκεινα τοῦ ὁρατοῦ παντός, οὐκ εἰκὸς ἀπαξιοῦν φωνῆς τοὺς νῦν ἀνθρώπους, οἷς αἴτιός ἐστι γενέσεως καὶ τροφῆς καὶ τοῦ εἶναι καὶ φρονεῖν· οὐδʼ ἅμα τὴν πρόνοιαν, ὥσπερ εὐγνώμονα μητέρα καὶ χρηστήν, πάντα ποιοῦσαν ἡμῖν καὶ φυλάττουσαν ἐν μόνῃ μνησίκακον εἶναι τῇ μαντικῇ, καὶ ταύτην ἀφαιρεῖσθαι δοῦσαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς· ὥσπερ οὐχὶ καὶ τότε πλειόνων ὄντων ἐν πλείοσιν ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν, ὅτε πολλαχόθεν τῆς οἰκουμένης χρηστήρια καθειστήκει. δεῦρο δὴ πάλιν καθίσας καὶ πρὸς τὴν κακίαν, ἣν εἴωθας ἀεὶ τῷ λόγῳ κολάζειν, Πυθικὰς ἐκεχειρίας σπεισάμενος, ἑτέραν τινὰ μεθʼ ἡμῶν αἰτίαν ζήτει τῆς λεγομένης ἐκλείψεως τῶν χρηστηρίων. τὸν δὲ θεὸν εὐμενῆ φύλαττε καὶ ἀμήνιτον ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ταῦτʼ εἰπὼν τοσοῦτο διεπραξάμην, ὅσον ἀπελθεῖν διὰ θυρῶν σιωπῇ τὸν Πλανητιάδην.
Being then all set down close together, and Demetrius having proposed the question we were upon, Didymus the Cynic philosopher, surnamed Planetiades, getting upon his feet and striking the ground two or three times with his stick, cried out: O Jupiter! what a hard question do you offer! What a difficult matter do you propose! For is it any wonder, the whole world wallowing in wickedness, and Shame and Retributive Justice having departed from men (as Hesiod long ago predicted), that the Gods should no longer suffer their oracles to be among them, as heretofore? For my part, I wonder there is so much as one left, and that Hercules or some other of the Gods has not long since plucked up and carried away the tripod whereon are offered such base and villainous questions to Apollo; some coming to him as a mere paltry astrologer, to try his skill and impose on him by subtle questions, others asking him about treasures buried under ground, others about incestuous marriages. So that Pythagoras is here soon convinced of his mistake, when he affirmed that the time when men are honestest is when they present themselves before the Gods; for those filthy passions, which they dare not discover before a grave mortal man, they scruple not to utter to Apollo. He had gone further, if Heracleon had not pulled him by the sleeve; and myself, who was better acquainted than any in the company besides, thus spake to him: Cease, friend Planetiades, from angering Apollo against thee, seeing he is sharp and choleric and not easily reconciled; although, as Pindar says, Mortals to favor, Heaven has him enjoined. And whether he be the sun, or the master of the sun and father of it, being above all visible natures, it is not to be supposed he disdains to hold any further intercourse with men at this time, seeing he gives them their birth, nourishment, subsistence, and reason. Neither is it credible that the Divine Providence (who, like a kind and indulgent mother, produces and conserves all things for our use) should show herself malevolent only in the matter of divination, or deprive us of it having once given it us; as if, when there were more oracles than there are now in the world, men were not then as wicked. But let us make a Pythian truce (as they say) with vice, which you are always sharply reprehending, and sit down here together to try whether we can find out any other cause of the ceasing of oracles; and let me only advise you, by the way, to remember that you keep this God propitious and move him not to wrath. Planetiades was so moved with these speeches, that he went away immediately, without speaking a word.
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