Βρέννος Γαλατῶν βασιλεὺς λεηλατῶν τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐπὶ Ἔφεσον ἦλθε, καὶ ἠράσθη παρθένου Δημονίκης ἡ δὲ συνελθεῖν ὑπέσχετο, ἐὰν τὰ ψέλλια καὶ τὸν κόσμον τῶν γυναικῶν δῷ αὐτῇ, καὶ τὴν Ἔφεσον προδοῦναι ὁ δʼ ἠξίωσε τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὸν κόλπον ὃν εἶχον χρυσὸν τῆς φιλαργύρου. ποιησάντων δέ, ὑπὸ τῆς δαψιλείας τοῦ χρυσοῦ ζῶσα κατεχώσθη· καθάπερ ἱστορεῖ Κλειτοφῶν ἐν πρώτῳ Γαλατικῶν. Ταρπηΐα τῶν εὐσχημόνων παρθένων τοῦ Καπιτωλίου φύλαξ, Ῥωμαίων πρὸς Σαβίνους πολεμούντων, ὑπέσχετο τῷ Τατίῳ δώσειν εἴσοδον εἰς τὸ Ταρπήιον ὄρος, ἐὰν μισθὸν λάβῃ τοὺς ὅρμους, οὓς ἐφόρουν κόσμου χάριν. Σαβῖνοι δὲ ποιήσαντες ζῶσαν κατέχωσαν· ὡς Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος ἐν Ἰταλικοῖς.
Brennus, a king of the Gauls, after the wasting of Asia, came to Ephesus, and there fell in love with a country girl, who promised him that for such a certain reward in bracelets and other curiosities of value he should have the use of her body, and that she would further undertake to deliver up Ephesus into his hands. Brennus ordered his soldiers to throw all the gold they had into the lap of this avaricious wretch, which they did, till she perished under the weight of it.—Clitophon in the First Book of his Gallican History.
Tarpeia, a virgin that was well born, and had the keeping of the Capitol in the war betwixt the Sabines and the Romans, passed a promise unto Tatius, that she would open him a passage into the Tarpeian Mount, provided that he would give her all the jewels that the Sabines wore, for a reward. The Sabines hearing this crushed her to death— Aristides’s Milesius, in his Italic History.
Τεγεάταις καὶ Φενεάταις χρονίου πολέμου γενομένου, ἔδοξε τριδύμους ἀδελφοὺς πέμψαι τοὺς μαχησομένους περὶ τῆς νίκης. καὶ Τεγεᾶται μὲν οὖν τοὺς Ῥηξιμάχου παῖδας, Φενεᾶται δὲ τοὺς Δημοστράτου προυβάλοντο. συμβληθείσης δὲ τῆς μάχης, ἐφονεύθησαν τῶν Ῥηξιμάχου δύο· ὁ δὲ τρίτος τοὔνομα Κριτόλαος στρατηγήματι περιεγένετο τῶν δύο· προσποιητὴν γὰρ φυγὴν σκηψάμενος καθʼ ἕνα τῶν διωκόντων ἀνεῖλε. καὶ ἐλθόντος, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι συνεχάρησαν, μόνη δʼ οὐκ ἐχάρη ἡ ἀδελφὴ Δημοδίκη· πεφονεύκει γὰρ αὐτῆς τὸν κατηγγυημένον ἄνδρα Δημόδικον. ἀναξιοπαθήσας δʼ ὁ Κριτόλαος ἀνεῖλεν αὐτήν. φόνου δʼ ἀγόμενος ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ἀπελύθη τῶν ἐγκλημάτων· ὡς Δημάρατος ἐν δευτέρῳ Ἀρκαδικῶν. Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Ἀλβανοὶ πολεμοῦντες τριδύμους προμάχους εἵλοντο, καὶ Ἀλβανοὶ μὲν Κουριατίους, Ῥωμαῖοι δʼ Ὡρατίους. συμβληθείσης δὲ τῆς μάχης, οἱ Κουριάτιοι δύο τῶν ἐναντίων ἀνεῖλον· ὁ δὲ περίλοιπος φυγῇ προσποιητῇ συμμάχῳ χρώμενος ἐφόνευσε καθʼ ἕνα τῶν ἐπιδιωκόντων. χαρέντων δὲ πάντων, μόνη ἡ ἀδελφὴ οὐ συνεχάρη Ὡρατία τὸν κατηγγυημένον ἄνδρα Κουριάτιον ἀνῃρηκότι· ὁ δʼ ἐφόνευσε τὴν ἀδελφήν· ὥς φησιν Ἀριστείδης ὁ Μιλήσιος ἐν Ἰταλικοῖς.
After a long war betwixt two cities, Tegea and Phenea, they came to an agreement to refer the decision of the controversy, by combat, to three twin-brothers on each side, the sons of Reximachus for Tegea, and the sons of Damostratus for Phenea. Upon the encounter, two of the sons of Reximachus were slain; but Critolaus, the third, had a helper beyond his two brothers; for, under a pretence of running away, he divided his enemies that pursued him, and so taking them one by one, he killed them all. The Tegeans upon his return went all overjoyed to gratulate the victor. Only his sister Demodice was not so well pleased; for she was betrothed, it seems, to Demodicus, one of the brothers, that was now slain. Which Critolaus took so ill that he killed his sister, and being afterwards indicted for murder at the instigation of his mother, he was acquitted.—Demaratus, in his Second Book of the Arcadian History.
In the heat of the war betwixt the Romans and Albans, they came to this agreement, that the cause should be determined by a trial at arms betwixt three and three twins on each side, the Curiatii for the Albans, and the Horatii for the Romans. Upon the encounter, the Curiatii killed two of the others; the third survivor, under the color of flying, destroyed his enemies one by one, as they followed him. All his friends came to joy him of his victory, save only his sister Horatia; for one of the Curiatii, that her brother killed, was her sweetheart. Horatius for this killed his sister.—Aristides Milesius, in his Italian Commentaries.
ἐν Ἰλίῳ τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἐμπρησθέντος, προσδραμὼν Ἶλος τὸ διοπετὲς ἥρπασε παλλάδιον καὶ ἐτυφλώθη· οὐ γὰρ ἐξῆν ὑπʼ ἀνδρὸς βλέπεσθαι· ὕστερον δʼ ἐξιλασάμενος ἀνέβλεψεν· ὡς Δέρκυλλος ἐν πρώτῳ κτίσεων. Ἀντύλος ἀνὴρ τῶν ἐπισήμων πορευόμενος εἰς τὸ προάστειον ὑπὸ κοράκων ἐπεσχέθη παιόντων ταῖς πτέρυξι. φοβηθεὶς δὲ τὸν οἰωνὸν εἰς Ῥώμην ὑπέστρεψεν. ἰδὼν δὲ τὸ τέμενος τῆς Ἑστίας καιόμενον καὶ τὸ παλλάδιον ἁρπάσας ἐτυφλώθη· ὕστερον δʼ ἀνέβλεψεν ἐξιλασάμενος· ὡς Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος ἐν Ἰταλικοῖς.
The temple of Minerva in Ilium happened to be on fire. Ilus ran presently to save the Palladium (an image dropped from heaven); but upon the taking of it up, he was struck blind, it being a thing unlawful for any man to look upon. But upon appeasing the Deity, he was afterwards restored to his sight.—Dercyllus, in his First Book of Foundations.
Metellus, an eminent man, as he was walking out of the city, was interrupted by ravens, that laid hold of him and kept a flapping of him with their wings. This omen surprised him, and back he went into the city again, where he found the temple of Vesta all in a flame. He went and took away the Palladium, and fell blind upon’t. But some time after, the Goddess being pacified gave him the use of his eyes again.—Aristides Milesius, in his Italian History.
Θρᾷκες Ἀθηναίοις πολεμοῦντες χρησμὸν ἔλαβον, ὡς, ἐὰν Κόδρου φείσωνται, νικῆσαι· ὁ δὲ δρέπανον λαβὼν ἧκεν εἰς τοὺς ἐναντίους ἐν εὐτελοῦς σχήματι, καὶ ἕνα φονεύσας ὑπὸ θατέρου ἀνῃρέθη. οὕτω τʼ ἐνίκησαν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι· ὡς Σωκράτης ἐν δευτέρῳ Θρᾳκικῶν. Πούπλιος Δέκιος πρὸς Ἀλβανοὺς πολεμῶν ὄναρ εἶδεν, ἐὰν ἀποθάνῃ, Ῥώμην προσποιήσειν Ῥωμαίοις. ἐλθὼν εἰς μέσους καὶ πολλοὺς φονεύσας ἀνῃρέθη. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Δέκιος ἐν τῷ πρὸς Γάλλους πολέμῳ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους διέσῳσεν· ὡς Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος
Upon a time when the Thracians were engaged in a war against the Athenians, the oracle promised them victory if they would but save the life of Codrus. Codrus upon this puts himself in a coarse disguise, and away he goes into the enemies’ camp with a scythe in his hand, where he killed one, and another killed him, so that the Athenians got the better on’t.—Socrates, in his Second Book of his Thracian History.
Publius Decius, a Roman, at a time when they were in war with the Albans, had a dream that his death would bring a great advantage to the Romans; upon which consideration he charged into the middle of his enemies, where he killed many, and was slain himself: his son Decius did the like in the Gallic war, for the conservation of the Roman State.—Aristides Milesius is my author.
Κυάνιππος γένει Συρακούσιος μόνῳ Διονύσῳ οὐκ ἔθυεν· ὁ δὲ θεὸς ὀργισθεὶς μέθην ἐνέσκηψε, καὶ ἐν τόπῳ σκοτεινῷ τὴν θυγατέρα ἐβιάσατο Κυάνην· ἡ δὲ τὸν δακτύλιον περιελομένη ἔδωκε τῇ τροφῷ, ἐσόμενον ἀναγνώρισμα. λοιμωξάντων δὲ καὶ τοῦ Πυθίου εἰπόντος μὲν δεῖν τὸν ἀσεβῆ τροπαίοις θεοῖς σφαγιάσαι, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἀγνοούντων τὸν χρησμόν, γνοῦσα ἡ Κυάνη καὶ ἐπιλαβομένη τῶν τριχῶν εἷλκε, καὶ αὐτὴ κατασφάξασα τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτὴν ἐπέσφαξε· καθάπερ Δοσίθεος ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ Σικελικῶν. τῶν Διονυσίων ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ ἀγομένων, Ἀρούντιος ἐκ γενετῆς ὑδροπότης ἐξουδένιζε τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν· ὁ δὲ μέθην ἐνέβαλε, καὶ ἐβιάσατο τὴν θυγατέρα Μεδουλλίναν. ἡ δὲ ἐκ δακτυλίου γνοῦσα τὸ γένος καὶ πρεσβύτερα τῆς ἡλικίας φρονήσασα, μεθύσασα τὸν πατέρα καὶ στεφανώσασα ἤγαγεν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν τῆς Ἀστραπῆς καὶ δακρύσασα ἀνεῖλε τὸν ἐπίβουλον τῆς παρθενίας· ὡς Ἀριστείδης ἐν τρίτῃ Ἰταλικῶν.
There was one Cyanippus a Syracusan, that sacrificed to all the Gods but Bacchus; who took the contempt so heinously that he made him drunk, in which fit he got his daughter Cyane into a corner and lay with her. She in the mean time slipped his ring off his finger, and gave it to her nurse to keep, as a circumstance that some time or other might come to be brought in evidence. There brake out a pestilence, and the Pythian oracle advised the sacrificing of an incestuous person to the Gods that are the averters of such calamities, as the only remedy. Cyane, that understood the meaning of the oracle better than other people, took her father by the hair of the head and dragged him forth, first stabbing him and then herself.— Dositheus, in the Third Book of his Sicilian History.
In the time of celebrating the Bacchanalia at Rome, Aruntius, that had never drunk any wine since he was born, did not show such reverence for the power of the God as he ought to have done, so that Bacchus intoxicated him; and in that freak, Aruntius ravished his daughter Medullina. She came to know the ravisher by his ring, and an exploit came into her head, above what from her age could have been expected. She made her father drunk and set a garland upon his head, carrying him to the altar of Thunder, where with tears she killed him for robbing her so treacherously of her virginity.—Aristides, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
Ἐρεχθεύς πρὸς Εὔμολπον πολεμῶν ἔμαθε νικῆσαι, ἐὰν τὴν θυγατέρα προθύσῃ, καὶ συγκοινωνήσας τῇ γυναικὶ Πραξιθέᾳ προέθυσε τὴν παῖδα. μέμνηται Εὐριπίδης ἐν Ἐρεχθεῖ. Μάριος πρὸς Κίμβρους πόλεμον ἔχων καὶ ἡττώμενος ὄναρ εἶδεν, ὅτι νικήσει, ἐὰν τὴν θυγατέρα προθύσῃ· ἦν δʼ αὐτῷ Καλπουρνία· προκρίνας δὲ τῆς φύσεως τοὺς πολίτας ἔδρασε καὶ ἐνίκησε. καὶ ἔτι καὶ νῦν βωμοὶ εἰσὶ δύο ἐν Γερμανίᾳ, οἳ κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἦχον σαλπίγγων ἀποπέμπουσιν· ὡς Δωρόθεος ἐν τετάρτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Erechtheus was told in a war he had with Eumolpus, that he should have the better of his enemy if he would but sacrifice his daughter. He advised upon the matter with his wife Praxithea, and delivered up his daughter after the manner of a common sacrifice.—Euripides, in his Erechtheus.
Marius, finding himself hard put to it in the Cimbrian war, had it revealed to him in a dream, that he should overcome his enemies if he would but sacrifice his daughter Calpurnia. He did it, preferring the common safety before any private bond of Nature, and he got the victory. There are two altars in Germany, where about that time of the year may be heard the sound of trumpets.—Dorotheus, in the Fourth Book of his Italian History.
Κυάνιππος τῷ γένει Θετταλὸς ἐπὶ θήραν συνεχῶς ἐξῄει· ἡ δὲ νεόνυμφος αὐτοῦ ὑπολαβοῦσα διὰ τὸ πολλάκις ἐν ὕλαις μένειν συνήθειαν ἔχειν μεθʼ ἑτέρας, κατʼ ἴχνος ἠκολούθησε τῷ Κυανίππῳ· καὶ ἔν τινι κατακρυβεῖσα συνδένδρῳ, τὸ μέλλον ἀπεκαραδόκει. τῶν δὲ κλάδων σεισθέντων, οἱ κύνες θηρίον εἶναι δόξαντες ὥρμησαν καὶ τὴν φίλανδρον ἀλόγου δίκην ζῴου διεσπάραξαν. ὁ δὲ Κυάνιππος τῆς ἀνελπίστου πράξεως αὐτόπτης γενόμενος ἑαυτὸν ἀπέσφαξεν· ὡς Παρθένιος ὁ ποιητής. ἐν Συβάρει πόλει τῆς Ἰταλίας νέος περίβλεπτος τὸ κάλλος Αἰμίλιος φιλοκύνηγος ἦν· ἡ δὲ νεόνυμφος δόξασα ἑτέρᾳ συνεῖναι εἰσῄει εἰς τὴν νάπην. τῶν δὲ δένδρων σεισθέντων, οἱ κύνες ἐπιδραμόντες διέσπασαν· ὁ δὲ ἐπέσφαξεν ἑαυτόν· ὡς Κλειτώνυμος ἐν δευτέρῳ Συβαριτικῶν.
There was one Cyanippus, a Thessalian, who was a great lover of the chase and was often abroad a hunting. This same Cyanippus was newly married, and his staying out so long and so often in the woods gave his wife a jealousy of an intrigue there with some other woman; insomuch that she followed him one time, and got into a thicket to watch him. The rustling of the boughs in the place where she lay brought the dogs thither in expectation of some game, where they tore this tender-hearted woman to pieces, as if she had been a brute beast. Cyanippus was so surprised with so dismal and unthought-of a spectacle, that he killed himself.—Parthenias the Poet.
Sybaris is a city of Italy, where there was one Aemilius, a very handsome young man, and a lover of hunting. His wife (whom he had lately married) took up a suspicion that, under color of the chase, he carried on an assignation with some other woman. She traced him to the wood, and upon the noise of the boughs in her passage, the dogs ran presently to her and tore her to pieces; and her husband stabbed himself immediately upon this miserable accident.—Clitonymus, in the Second Book of his Sybaritics.
σμύρνα Κινύρου θυγάτηρ διὰ μῆνιν Ἀφροδίτης ἠράσθη τοῦ γεννήσαντος, καὶ τῇ τροφῷ τὴν ἀνάγκην τοῦ ἔρωτος ἐδήλωσεν· ἡ δὲ δόλῳ ὑπῆγε τὸν δεσπότην· ἔφη γὰρ γείτονα παρθένον ἐρᾶν αὐτοῦ καὶ αἰσχύνεσθαι ἐν φανερῷ προσιέναι. ὁ δὲ συνῄει. ποτὲ δὲ θελήσας τὴν ἐρῶσαν μαθεῖν φῶς ᾔτησεν, ἰδὼν δὲ ξιφήρης τὴν ἀσελγεστάτην ἐδίωκεν. ἡ δὲ κατὰ πρόνοιαν Ἀφροδίτης εἰς ὁμώνυμον δένδρον μετεμορφώθη· καθὰ Θεόδωρος ἐν ταῖς Μεταμορφώσεσιν. Οὐαλερία Τουσκλαναρία κατὰ μῆνιν Ἀφροδίτης ἐρασθεῖσα Οὐαλερίου τοῦ πατρὸς τῇ τροφῷ ἀνεκοίνωσεν· ἡ δὲ τὸν δεσπότην δόλῳ ὑπῆλθεν, εἰποῦσα ὡς αἰδεῖται κατʼ ὄψιν μίσγεσθαι, τῶν τε γειτόνων εἶναι τὴν παρθένου. καὶ οἰνωθεὶς ὁ πατὴρ ᾔτει φῶς, ἡ δὲ τροφὸς φθάσασα διήγειρεν, ἥτις ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀγροικίαις ἦν ἐγκύμων τυγχάνουσα· ποτὲ δὲ κατὰ κρημνῶν ἐνεχθείσης τὸ βρέφος ἔζη· κατιοῦσα δʼ ἐγκύμων κατέστη καὶ εἰς τὸν ὡρισμένον χρόνον ἐγέννησεν Αἰγίπανα, κατὰ τὴν Ῥωμαίων φωνὴν Σιλουᾶνον. ὁ δὲ Οὐαλέριος ἀθυμήσας κατὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἔρριψε κρημνῶν· ὡς Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
One Smyrna (to whom Venus owed a shame, it seems) fell passionately in love with her father Cinyras, and made the nurse her confidant. She goes craftily to work with her master, and tells him of a maid there in the neighborhood that loved him above all things in the world, but she could not in modesty appear publicly to him. So the father lay ignorantly with his own daughter. But some time after, having a great mind to see his mistress, he called for a light, and when he saw who it was, he pursued the incestuous wretch with his drawn sword; but by the providence of Venus, she was rescued from that danger, and turned into a myrrh-tree.—Theodorus, in his Transformations.
One Valeria Tusculanaria (for whom Venus had no kindness) fell downright in love with her father Valerius. She told the nurse the secret, who ordered it so that she brought the father and the daughter together, telling him, that a maid there hard by was fallen desperately in love with him, but that she durst not lie with him for fear of being known. The father was got into his cups, and as he was in bed with his daughter, called for a candle. The nurse waked Valeria, and away she goes wandering up and down the country with her great belly. She had at last a fall from a precipice, but escaped without so much as any miscarriage; for she was delivered at her time, and the child’s name was Sylvanus (or goat-footed Pan). Valerius, in the anxiety of his mind, threw himself from the same precipice.—Aristides Milesius, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
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