μετὰ τὴν Ἰλίου πόρθησιν ἐξεβράσθη Διομήδης εἰς Λιβύην, ἔνθα Λύκος ἦν βασιλεὺς ἔθος ἔχων τοὺς ξένους Ἄρει τῷ πατρὶ θύειν. Καλλιρρόη δὲ ἡ θυγάτηρ ἐρασθεῖσα Διομήδους τὸν πατέρα προύδωκε, καὶ τὸν Διομήδην ἔσῳσε λύσασα τῶν δεσμῶν· ὁ δὲ ἀμελήσας τῆς εὐεργέτιδος ἀπέπλευσεν· ἡ δὲ βρόχῳ ἐτελεύτησεν· ὡς Ἰόβας ἐν τρίτῃ Λιβυκῶν. Καλπούρνιος Κράσσος ἀνὴρ τῶν ἐπισήμων, Ῥηγούλῳ συστρατευόμενος, ἐπέμφθη εἰς Μασσύλους πορθήσων φρούριόν τι δυσάλωτον τοὔνομα Γαραίτιον. αἰχμάλωτος δὲ ληφθεὶς ἔμελλε θύεσθαι τῷ Κρόνῳ. Βισαλτία δέ, τοῦ βασιλέως θυγάτηρ, ἐρασθεῖσα προύδωκε τὸν πατέρα καὶ νικηφόρον ἐκεῖνον ἐποίησεν. ἀναστρέψαντος δʼ αὐτοῦ, ἡ κόρη κατέσφαξεν ἑαυτήν· ὡς Ἡσιάναξ ἐν τρίτῳ Λιβυκῶν.
Diomedes, after the destruction of Troy, was cast by stress of weather upon the coast of Libya, where Lycus the son of Mars was king, whose custom it was to sacrifice all strangers to his father; but his daughter Callirrhoe falling in love with Diomede, betrayed her father and set Diomede at liberty; who presently went his way without any regard to his benefactress, and Callirrhoe hanged herself upon it.—Juba, Book the Third of his Libyan History.
Calpurnius Crassus, a famous man bearing arms with Regulus, was sent to the Massyllians to attack the castle of Garaetius, being a very strong place. He was taken in the enterprise, and designed for a sacrifice to Saturn; but Bisaltia, the king’s daughter, out of a passionate kindness to Calpurnius, betrayed her father. Calpurnius left her, and after his departure Bisaltia cut her own throat.—Hesianax’s Third Book of African History.
Πρίαμος Πολύδωρον ἐξέθετο εἰς Θρᾴκην μετὰ χρυσίου πρὸς Πολυμήστορα τὸν γαμβρόν· ὡς δʼ ἐγγὺς ἦν τοῦ πορθεῖσθαι ἡ πόλις, μετὰ τὴν ἅλωσιν ἀπέκτεινε τὸν παῖδα, ὡς ἂν κερδήσῃ τὸν χρυσόν. Ἑκάβη δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς τόπους παραγενομένη καὶ σοφισαμένη ὡς χρυσὸν δώσουσα ἅμα ταῖς αἰχμαλωτίσι ταῖς χερσὶν ἐξετύφλωσεν· ὡς Εὐριπίδης ὁ τραγῳδοποιός. Ἀννίβᾳ Καμπανοὺς λεηλατοῦντος, Λούκιος Θύμβρις τὸν υἱὸν Ῥούστιον μετὰ χρημάτων ἔθετο πρὸς Οὐαλέριον Γέστιον ὄντα γαμβρόν. ὁ δὲ νενίκηκεν. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Καμπανὸς φιλαργυρίᾳ παρέβη τὰ δίκαια τῆς φύσεως, τὸν παῖδα φονεύσας. ὁ δὲ Θύμβρις διὰ τῆς ἀγροικίας πορευόμενος καὶ τῷ σώματι τοῦ παιδὸς ἐντυχὼν ἔπεμψεν ἐπὶ τὸν γαμβρὸν ὡς δείξων θησαυρούς· ἐλθόντα δʼ ἐτύφλωσε καὶ ἐσταύρωσεν. ὡς Ἀριστείδης ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
When Priam found that Troy was given for lost, he sent his young son Polydore into Thrace with a vast sum of gold, and put all into the hands of Polymestor his kinsman. So soon as Troy was taken, Polymestor killed the child, and took the gold to himself. Hecuba, being driven upon that quarter, overreached Polymestor by craft, under pretence of giving him a great treasure, at which time she, with the assistance of her fellow-prisoners, tore out his eyes with her nails.—Euripides the Tragedian.
When Hannibal was ravaging the country of Campania, Lucius Thymbris deposited his son Rustius, with a vast sum of money, in the hands of Valerius Gestius his kinsman; who upon intelligence that the enemy carried all before him, out of pure avarice and without any regard to humanity or justice, killed the child. It so fell out that Thymbris, as he was walking about the fields, found the dead body of his son; whereupon he called his kinsman under pretence of a treasure that he would show him. He took his opportunity, put out his eyes, and crucified him. —Aristides’s Third Book of his Italic History.
Φώκου ὄντος ἐκ Ψαμάθης Αἰακῷ καὶ στεργομένου, Τελαμὼν ἦγεν ἐπὶ θήραν· καὶ συὸς ἐπιφανέντος κατὰ τοῦ μισουμένου ἐπαφῆκε τὸ δόρυ καὶ ἐφόνευσεν. ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ἐφυγάδευσεν· ὡς Δωρόθεος ἐν πρώτῳ Μεταμορφώσεων. Γάϊος Μάξιμος ἔχων υἱοὺς Σιμίλιον καὶ Ῥῆσον· τοῦτον ἐγέννησεν ἐξ Ἀμερίας Κόνων ὁ Ῥῆσος· οὗτος ἐν κυνηγεσίῳ ἀπέκτεινε τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ ὑποστρέψας τὸ σύμπτωμα τύχης εἶπεν οὐ κρίσεως γεγονέναι. ὁ δὲ γνοὺς τἀληθὲς ἐφυγάδευσεν· ὡς Ἀριστοκλῆς ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Aeacus had two sons by Psamathe, Phocus and Telamon, the former better beloved than the other. Telamon one day took out his brother a hunting; and a boar presenting himself, he threw his lance in pretence at the boar, but in truth at his brother, whom he hated, and so killed him; for which his father banished him.—Dorotheus’s First Book of Transformations.
Caius Maximus had two sons, Rhesus the one, by Ameria, . . . and the other Similius. The brothers were a hunting together, and Rhesus having killed the other, put it off—when he came home—that it was by chance, and far from any design of doing it. But his father, when he came in time to know the truth of it, banished the son.— Aristocles, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
Ἄρης Ἀλθαίᾳ συνῆλθε καὶ Μελέαγρον ποιήσας ὡς Εὐριπίδης ἐν Μελεάγρῳ. Σεπτίμιoς Μάρκελλος γήμας Σιλουίαν τὰ πολλὰ κυνηγίῳ προσέκειτο· τὴν δὲ νεόνυμφον ἐν σχήματι ποιμένος Ἄρης βιασάμενος ἐγκύμονα ἐποίησε, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅστις ἦν καὶ δόρυ ἔδωκε, τὴν γένεσιν τοῦ μέλλοντος τίκτεσθαι φάσκων ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκεῖσθαι. ἀπέκτεινε γοῦν Σεπτίμιος Τουσκῖνον. Μάμερκος δὲ ὑπὲρ εὐκαρπίας θύων θεοῖς μόνης ἠμέλησε Δήμητρος. ἡ δὲ κάπρον ἔπεμψε. συναθροίσας δὲ πολλοὺς ἐκεῖνος κυνηγέτας ἀνεῖλε, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ δέρος τῇ κατηγγυημένῃ γυναικὶ κατεχώρησε, Σκυμβράτης δὲ καὶ Μουθίας οἱ μητράδελφοι περιείλοντο τῆς κόρης. ἀγανακτήσας δʼ ἀνεῖλε τοὺς συγγενεῖς· ἡ δὲ μήτηρ τὸ δόρυ κατέκαυσεν· ὡς Μένυλλος ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Mars is said to have begotten Meleager upon Althaea.—Euripides, in his Meleager.
Septimius Marcellus took to wife one Sylvia, and a great lover of hunting he was. Mars put himself in the habit of a shepherd, whored the new wife and got her with child; which being done, he told her who he was, and gave her a spear, telling her that the fate of the child she went withal was wrapped up in the fate of that spear. . . .
Septimius slew Tuscinus; but Mamercus, in his sacrificing to the Gods for a fruitful season, omitted only Ceres, who in revenge sent a wild boar into his grounds. Whereupon getting a knot of huntsmen together, he killed him, and delivered the head and skin to his sweetheart; but Scymbrates and Muthias, the maid’s uncles, took them away from her. Mamercus in a rage killed them upon it, and the mother burned the spear.—Menyllus, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
Τελαμών ὁ Αἰακοῦ καὶ Ἐνδηίδος ἐλθὼν εἰς Εὔβοιαν καὶ […] νυκτὸς ἔφυγεν. ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αἰσθόμενος καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τινα ὑποπτεύσας ἔδωκε τὴν κόρην καταποντωθῆναί τινι τῶν δορυφόρων. ὁ δʼ ἐλεήσας ἀπημπόλησε· προσσχούσης δὲ τῆς νεὼς Σαλαμῖνι, Τελαμὼν ὠνήσατο· ἡ δʼ ἔτεκεν Αἴαντα· ὡς Ἀρητάδης Κνίδιος ἐν δευτέρῳ Νησιωτικῶν. Λούκιος Τρώσκιος θυγατέρα εἶχε Φλωρεντίαν ἀπὸ τῆς Πατρίδος· ταύτην ἔφθειρε Καλπούρνιος Ῥωμαῖος. ὁ δὲ παρέδωκε τὴν κόρην καταποντίσαι· ἐλεηθεῖσα δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ δορυφόρου πιπράσκεται· κατὰ τύχην τῆς νεὼς προσσχούσης εἰς Ἰταλίαν, Καλπούρνιος ὠνήσατο καὶ ἐποιήσατο ἐξ αὐτῆς Κόντρουσκον· ὡς […]
When Telamon, the son of Aeacus and Endeis, came to Euboea, he debauched Periboea the daughter of Alcathous, and fled away by night. The father understanding this, and suspecting the villany to be done by some of the citizens, he delivered his daughter to one of the guards to be thrown into the sea. But the soldier, in compassion to the woman, rather sold her, and she was carried away by sea to the island of Salamis, where Telamon bought her, and had by her Ajax.—Aretades Cnidius, in his Second Book of Islands.
Lucius Troscius had by Patris a daughter called Florentia, who, being corrupted by Calpurnius a Roman, was delivered by her father to a soldier, with a charge to throw her in the sea and drown her. The man had compassion of her, and rather sold her. And when good fortune brought the ship to Italy, Calpurnius bought her, and had Contruscus by her. . . .
Αἴολος τῶν κατὰ Τυρρηνίαν βασιλεὺς ἔσχεν ἐξ Ἀμφιθέας θυγατέρας ἓξ καὶ ἴσους ἄρρενας· Μακαρεὺς δὲ ὁ νεώτατος ἔρωτι ἔφθειρε μίαν, ἡ δὲ παιδίον ἐκύησεν. ἐμπεσοῦσα δὲ καὶ ξίφους πεμφθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός, ἄνομον κρίνασα ἑαυτὴν διεχρήσατο· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ Μακαρεύς· ὡς Σώστρατος ἐν δευτέρᾳ Τυρρηνικῶν. Παπίριος Τόλουκερ γήμας Ἰουλίαν Ποῦλχραν ἔσχεν ἓξ θυγατέρας καὶ τοὺς ἴσους ἄρρενας. τούτων ὁ πρεσβύτατος Παπίριος Ῥωμᾶνος τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἐρασθεὶς Κανουλίας ἔγκυον ἐποίησε. μαθὼν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ τῇ θυγατρὶ ξίφος ἔπεμψεν· ἡ δὲ ἑαυτὴν ἀνεῖλε· τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ καὶ ὁ Ῥωμᾶνος ἔπραξεν· ὡς Χρύσιππος ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Aeolus, a great king of Etruria, had by Amphithea six daughters, and as many sons. Macareus, the youngest of them, had the carnal knowledge of one of his sisters, who was delivered of a boy. Her father sent her a sword to kill the child with; but that was so impious, that she chose rather to kill herself. And Macareus laid violent hands upon himself too.—Sostratus, in his Second Book of Tuscan History.
Papirius Tolucer married Julia Pulchra, by whom he had six sons and six daughters. Papirius Romanus, the eldest of the six, got Canulia his sister with child. When the father came to the knowledge of it, he sent his daughter a sword, with which she killed herself; and Romanus did the same.—Chrysippus, in his First Book of Italian History.
Ἀριστώνυμος Ἐφέσιος υἱὸς Δημοστράτου ἐμίσει γυναῖκας, ὄνῳ δʼ ἐμίσγετο· ἡ δὲ κατὰ χρόνον ἔτεκε κόρην εὐειδεστάτην Ὀνόσκελιν τοὔνομα· ὡς Ἀριστοτέλης ἐν δευτέρᾳ παραδόξων. Φουλούιος Στέλλος μισῶν γυναῖκας ἵππῳ συνεμίσγετο· ἡ δὲ κατὰ χρόνον ἔτεκε κόρην εὔμορφον καὶ ὠνόμασεν Ἔποναν· ἔστι δὲ θεὸς πρόνοιαν ποιουμένη ἵππων· ὡς Ἀγησίλαος ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Aristonymus, an Ephesian and the son of Demostratus, was a woman-hater; but he had to do with an ass, which brought him forth in the ordinary course of time a most beautiful daughter, which he called Onoscelis.— Aristotle’s Second Book of Paradoxes.
Fulvius Stellus had an aversion to women too; but entertained himself to his satisfaction with a mare, by which he had a very handsome daughter, that he called Hippona; and this is the goddess that has the care of the breed of horses.—According to Agesilaus, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
Σαρδιανοὶ πρὸς Σμυρναίους πόλεμον ἔχοντες περὶ τὰ τείχη ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο, καὶ διὰ πρέσβεων ἔπεμψαν μὴ πρότερον ἀναχωρῆσαι, ἐὰν μὴ τὰς γυναῖκας συνελθεῖν αὐτοῖς συγχωρήσωσι. τῶν δὲ Σμυρναίων διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην μελλόντων πάσχειν κακῶς, θεραπαινὶς ἦν μία τῶν εὐσχημόνων, ἣ προσδραμοῦσα ἔφη τῷ δεσπότῃ Φιλάρχῳ δεῖ τὰς θεραπαίνας κοσμήσαντας ἀντʼ ἐλευθέρων πέμπειν ὃ δὴ καὶ ἔδρασαν. οἱ δὲ κοπωθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν θεραπαινῶν ἑάλωσαν. ὅθεν καὶ νῦν παρὰ Σμυρναίοις ἑορτὴ λέγεται Ἐλευθέρια, ἐν ᾗ αἱ δοῦλαι τὸν κόσμον τῶν ἐλευθέρων φοροῦσιν· ὡς Δοσίθεος ἐν τρίτῳ Λυδιακῶν. Ἀτεπόμαρος Γάλλων βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίοις πολεμῶν ἔφη μὴ πρότερον ἀναχωρῆσαι, ἐὰν μὴ τὰς γυναῖκας εἰς συνουσίαν ἐκδῶσι. τῶν δὲ διὰ συμβουλὴν θεραπαινίδων πεμψάντων τὰς δούλας, κοπωθέντες οἱ βάρβαροι τῇ ἀλήκτῳ συνουσίᾳ ὑπνώθησαν. ἡ δὲ Ῥητᾶνα (αὕτη γὰρ ἦν ἡ τοῦτο συμβουλεύσασα) ἀγρίας ἐπιλαβομένη συκῆς ἀναβαίνει εἰς τὸ τεῖχος καὶ μηνύει τοῖς ὑπάτοις· οἱ δʼ ἐπελθόντες ἐνίκησαν. ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ ἑορτὴ θεραπαινῶν καλεῖται· ὡς Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος ἐν πρώτῃ Ἰταλικῶν.
The Sardians, being engaged in war with the Smyrnaeans, besieged Smyrna, and sent them word by their ambassadors, that they would never raise the siege till the Smyrnaeans should deliver up their wives to their embraces. The men of Smyrna would have been hard put to it upon this pinching necessity, if it had not been for the advice of a pretty wench that was a maid-servant to Phylarchus. Her counsel to her master was this; that instead of sending free women, they should rather dress up the servants and send them. The Smyrnaeans followed their advice; and when the Sardians had wearied themselves with their mistresses, the Smyrnaeans easily overcame them. From whence there is a festival day observed under the name of Eleutheria, which is celebrated among the Smyrnaeans with great solemnity; the servants being dressed up with all the ornaments of the free women.—Dositheus, in the Third Book of his Lydian History.
Atepomarus, a king of the Gauls, being in war with the Romans, made a public declaration, that he would never agree to a peace till the Romans should prostitute their wives to them. The Romans advised with the maid-servants, and sent them in the place of the free women; the barbarians plied the work so hard, that they were soon tired and fell asleep. Retana (who was the authoress of the counsel) climbed a fig-tree, and so got on the wall; and finding how it was, gave notice of it to the consuls. The Romans upon this made a sally and routed the enemy; in memory whereof was instituted the Servants’ Holiday, and this was the rise of it.—Aristides Milesius, in the First Book of his Italian History.
Ἀθηναίων πόλεμον ἐχόντων πρὸς Εὔμολπον καὶ τῆς εὐθηνίας μὴ ἐπαρκούσης, Πύρανδρος ταμίας τῶν δημοσίων ὑπεσπάσατο τὸ μέτρον, φειδωλῶς χρώμενος· οἱ δʼ ἐγχώριοι ὡς προδότην ὑποπτεύσαντες λιθόλευστον ἐποίησαν· ὡς Καλλισθένης ἐν τρίτῳ Θρᾳκικῶν. Ῥωμαίων πρὸς Γάλλους πολεμούντων καὶ τῆς εὐθηνίας μὴ ἀρκούσης, Κίννας τοῦ δήμου τὸ σιτόμετρον ὑπέσπασε· Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ ὡς ἀντιποιούμενον αὐτὸν τῆς βασιλείας λιθόλευστον ἐποίησαν· ὡς Ἀριστείδης ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
In the war betwixt the Athenians and Eumolpus, provisions falling short, the commissary Pyrandrus, upon a point of prudence and good husbandry, made some small abatement in the soldiers’ proportions. The citizens suspected treachery in the case, and stoned him to death.— Callisthenes, Third Book of his History of Thrace.
The Romans being in war with the Gauls, and provisions for the belly being very scarce, Cinna contracted the soldiers’ allowance to a less proportion than they had formerly. The citizens interpreted this abatement to an ambitious design he had upon the government, and so stoned him for it.—Aristides, Book Third of his Italian History.
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