Πυραίχμης βασιλεὺς Εὐβοέων ἐπολέμει Βοιωτοῖς. ὃν Ἡρακλῆς ἔτι νέος ὢν ἐνίκησε· πώλοις δὲ προσδήσας καὶ εἰς δύο μέρη διελὼν τὸν Πυραίχμην, ἄταφον ἔρριψεν. ὁ δὲ τόπος προσαγορεύεται πῶλοι Πυραίχμου, κεῖται δὲ παρὰ ποταμὸν Ἡράκλειον, χρεμετισμὸν δʼ ἀναδίδωσι πινόντων ἵππων· ὡς ἐν τρίτῳ περὶ ποταμῶν. Τοῦλλος Ὁστίλιος βασιλεὺς Ῥωμαίων ἐπολέμησεν Ἀλβανοῖς, βασιλέως ὄντος Μετίου Φουφετίου, καὶ τὴν μάχην πολλάκις ὑπερέθετο. οἱ δέ, ἡττωμένου, εἰς εὐωχίαν ἐτράπησαν· οἰνωμένοις δʼ ἐπέθετο, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα δύο πώλοις συζεύξας διεσπάραξεν· ὡς Ἀλέξαρχος ἐν τετάρτῃ Ἰταλικῶν.
Pyraechmes, king of the Euboeans, made war upon Boeotians. Hercules, when he was yet a youth, overcame this king, had him drawn to pieces with horses, and threw away the carcass unburied. The place where this was done is called Pyraechmes’s horses. It lies upon the River Heraclius, and there is heard a neighing whensoever any horse drinks of that river.—This is in the Third Book of Rivers.
Tullus Hostilius, a king of the Romans, waged war against the Albans, whose king’s name was Metius Fufetius; and he many times kept off from fighting. He had the ill luck to be once worsted, upon which the Albans gave themselves up to drinking and making good cheer, till Tullus fell in upon them when they were in their cups, and tore their king to pieces betwixt two horses.—Alexarchus, in the Fourth Book of his Italian History.
Φίλιππος Μεθώνην καὶ Ὄλυνθον βουλόμενος πορθῆσαι καὶ βιαζόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ Σανδάνῳ ποταμῷ διαβῆναι πέραν, ὑπό τινος τῶν Ὀλυνθίων Ἀστέρος ὀνόματι ἐτοξεύθη τὸν ὀφθαλμόν, εἰπόντος ἀστὴρ Φιλίππῳ θανάσιμον πέμπει βέλος ὁ δʼ ὀπίσω διανηξάμενος πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους σῴζεται ἀπολέσας τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ὡς Καλλισθένης ἐν τρίτῳ Μακεδονικῶν. Πορσίνας Τούσκων βασιλεὺς πέραν Θύμβρεος ποταμοῦ στρατεύσας ἐπολέμησε Ῥωμαίοις, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ σιτίων φερομένην εὐθηνίαν μέσην λαβὼν λιμῷ τοὺς προειρημένους ἔτρυχεν. Ὁράτιος δὲ Κάτλος στρατηγὸς χειροτονηθεὶς τὴν ξυλίνην κατελάβετο γέφυραν καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν βαρβάρων διαβῆναι βουλόμενον ἐπεῖχε. πλεονεκτούμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων προσέταξε τοῖς ὑποτεταγμένοις κόπτειν τὴν γέφυραν, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν βαρβάρων διαβῆναι βουλόμενον ἐκώλυσε. βέλει δὲ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν πληγεὶς ῥίψας ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ποταμόν, διενήξατο εἰς τοὺς οἰκείους· ὡς Θεότιμος δευτέρῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Philip had a design to sack Olynthus and Methone, and in trying to pass the River Sandanus, was shot in the eye with an arrow by one Aster, an Olynthian, with these words: It is Aster that sends Philip this mortal shaft. Philip upon this swam back again to his own people, and with the loss of an eye saved his life.—Callisthenes, in his Third Book of the Macedonics.
Porsena made war upon the Romans, and pitched his camp on the further side of the Tiber, where he intercepted all relief, till they were pinched with famine. Horatius Codes, being chosen general, took possession of the wooden bridge, where he opposed himself to the enemy that were pressing to come over; but finding himself overpowered with numbers, he commanded his people to cut down the bridge behind him, by which means he hindered them from coming over. But in the mean time receiving a wound in his eye, he threw himself into the river, and swam over to his own party.—So Theotimus in the Second Book of his Italian History.
ὁ περὶ τοῦ Ἰκαρίου μῦθος, ᾧ Διόνυσος ἐπεξενώθη· ὡς Ἐρατοσθένης ἐν τῇ Ἠριγόνῃ. Κρόνος ἐπιξενωθεὶς γεωργῷ, ᾧ ἦν θυγάτηρ καλὴ Ἐντωρία, ταύτην ἐβιάσατο καὶ ἐτέκνωσεν υἱοὺς Ἰανὸν Ὕμνον Φαῦστον Φήλικα. διδάξας οὖν τὸν τρόπον τῆς τοῦ οἴνου πόσεως καὶ τῆς ἀμπέλου ἠξίωσε καὶ τοῖς γείτοσι μεταδοῦναι. ποιήσαντες δʼ αὐτὸ καὶ πιόντες παρὰ τὸ σύνηθες εἰς ὕπνον κατηνέχθησαν βαρύτερον τοῦ δέοντος· οἱ δὲ πεφαρμακῶσθαι δόξαντες, λίθοις βάλλοντες τὸν Ἰκάριον ἀπέκτειναν· οἱ δὲ θυγατριδαὶ ἀθυμήσαντες βρόχῳ τὸν βίον κατέστρεψαν. λοιμοῦ δὲ κατασχόντος Ῥωμαίους, ἔχρησεν ὁ Πύθιος λωφήσειν, ἐὰν ἐξιλάσωνται τοῦ Κρόνου τὴν μῆνιν καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας τῶν ἀνόμως ἀπολομένων. Λουτάτιος δὲ Κάτλος, ἀνὴρ τῶν ἐπισήμων, κατεσκεύασε τῷ θεῷ τέμενος τὸ κείμενον σύνεγγυς τοῦ Ταρπηίου ὄρους, καὶ τὸν ἄνω βωμὸν ἱδρύσατο τετραπρόσωπον ἢ διὰ τοὺς θυγατριδὰς ἢ ὅτι τετραμερὴς ὁ ἐνιαυτός ἐστι, καὶ μῆνα κατέδειξεν Ἰανουάριον. ὁ δὲ Κρόνος πάντας κατηστέρισεν. καὶ οἱ μὲν καλοῦνται προτρυγητῆρες, ὁ δʼ Ἰανὸς προανατέλλων· δείκνυται δὲ ὁ ἀστὴρ πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν τῆς παρθένου· ὡς Κριτόλαος ἐν τετάρτῃ φαινομένων.
Eratosthenes in Erigone tells a story of Icarius, that entertained Bacchus under his roof; and it runs thus. Saturn, having taken up his lodging with an husbandman who had a very beautiful daughter named Entoria, took her to his bed, and had several sons by her, Janus, Hymnus, Faustus, and Felix. He taught his host Icarius the use of wine and the way of dressing his vines, with a charge that he should likewise instruct his neighbors in the mystery. His acquaintance, hereupon finding that this strange drink had cast them into a deeper sleep than ordinary, took a fancy that they were poisoned, and stoned Icarius in revenge; whereupon his grandchildren hanged themselves for grief.
Upon a time, when the plague was very hot in Rome, the Pythian oracle being consulted gave this answer, that upon the appeasing the wrath of Saturn, and the Manes of those that were unjustly killed, the pestilence would cease. Lutatius Catulus, a man of the first quality, caused a temple upon this occasion to be erected near the Tarpeian Mount, which he dedicated to Saturn, placing an altar in it with four faces; possibly with a respect to Saturn’s four children, or to the four seasons of the year. He also instituted the month of January. But Saturn translated them all to heaven among the stars, some of which are called Protrygeteres, as forerunners of the vintage; only Janus rises first, and has his place at the feet of the Virgin.—Critolaus, in his Fourth Book of Celestial Appearances.
Περσῶν τὴν Ἑλλάδα λεηλατούντων, Παυσανίας ὁ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων στρατηγὸς πεντακόσια χρυσοῦ τάλαντα παρὰ Ξέρξου λαβὼν ἔμελλε προδιδόναι τὴν Σπάρτην. φωραθέντος δὲ τούτου, Ἀγησίλαος ὁ πατὴρ μέχρι τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς Χαλκιοίκου συνεδίωξεν Ἀθηνᾶς, καὶ τὰς θύρας τοῦ τεμένους πλίνθῳ φράξας λιμῷ ἀπέκτεινεν· ἡ δὲ μήτηρ καὶ ἄταφον ἔρριψεν· ὡς Χρύσερμος ἐν δευτέρῳ Ἱστορικῶν. Ῥωμαῖοι πρὸς Λατίνους πολεμοῦντες ἐχειροτόνησαν στρατηγὸν Πόπλιον Δέκιον νεανίσκος δέ τις τῶν ἐπισήμων πένης τοὔνομα Κάσσιος Βροῦτος ἐπὶ ῥητῷ μισθῷ νυκτὸς τὰς πύλας ἀνοῖξαι ἐβουλήθη. φωραθεὶς δὲ εἰς ναὸν ἔφυγεν Ἀθηνᾶς Αὐξιληρίας. Κάσσιος δὲ Σιγνίφερ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ κατέκλεισε καὶ λιμῷ διέφθειρε καὶ ἄταφον ἔρριψεν· ὡς Κλειτώνυμος ἐν Ἰταλικῶν.
In the time of the devastation of Greece by the Persians, Pausanias, the Lacedaemonian commander, took a bribe of 500 talents of Xerxes, to betray Sparta. The treason being discovered, his father Agesilaus pressed him so hard, that he was fain to take sanctuary in the temple of Minerva, called Chalcioecos, where he caused the doors to be bricked up, and his son to be immured till he died of hunger; and his mother after this would not suffer the body to be buried.—Chrysermus, in his Second Book of Histories.
The Romans, being in war with the Latins, made choice of P. Decius for their general. Now there was a certain patrician, a young man and poor (Cassius Brutus by name), who proposed for a certain reward to open the gates to the enemy; but being detected, he fled to the temple of Minerva Auxiliaria. But his father Cassius, an ensign-bearer, shut him up there till he died of famine, and his dead body was not allowed burial.—Clitonymus, in his Italian History.
Δαρεῖος ὁ Πέρσης ἐπὶ Γρανικῷ πολεμήσας Ἀλεξάνδρῳ καὶ ἑπτὰ σατράπας ἀποβαλὼν καὶ ἅρματα δρεπανηφόρα δύο καὶ πεντακόσια, συμβαλεῖν ἔμελλε, τῇ ἑξῆς. Ἀριοβαρζάνης δὲ ὁ υἱὸς συμπαθῶς διακείμενος πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον ὑπισχνεῖτο τὸν πατέρα προδώσειν. ἀγανακτήσας δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ἐτραχηλοκόπησεν· ὡς Ἀρητάδης Κνίδιος ἐν τρίτῳ Μακεδονικῶν. Βροῦτος ὑπὸ πάντων ὕπατος χειροτονηθεὶς ἐφυγάδευσε τὸν Ὑπερήφανον Ταρκύνιον τυραννικῶς ἀναστρεφόμενον. ὁ δʼ ἐλθὼν εἰς Τούσκους ἐπολέμει Ῥωμαίοις. οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τὸν πατέρα προδοῦναι ἐβουλήθησαν. ἐμπεσόντων δὲ […] τραχηλοκοπῆσαι· ὡς Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος ἐν τοῖς Ἰταλικοῖς.
Darius, the Persian, had a battle with Alexander near the River Granicus, where he lost seven satraps, and five hundred and two chariots armed with scythes. And yet he would have tried the fortune of another battle the day following; but his son Ariobarzanes, in favor of Alexander, undertook to betray his father into his hands. The father was so transported with passion at the indignity of the thing, that he cut off his son’s head for it.—Arelades Cnidius, in the Third of his Macedonian History.
Brutus, that was created consul by the unanimous vote of the citizens, forced away Tarquinius Superbus into banishment for his abominable tyranny. He fled to the Tuscans, and by their assistance made war upon the Romans. The sons were treating to betray the father; the business was discovered, and they lost their heads for it.—Aristides Milesius, in his Italian History.
Ἐπαμεινώνδας ὁ τῶν Θηβαίων στρατηγὸς ἔχων πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους πόλεμον καὶ ἀρχαιρεσιῶν ἀγομένων ἧκεν ἐς πατρίδα, παραγγείλας τῷ παιδὶ Στησιμβρότῳ μὴ συμβάλλειν. Λακεδαιμόνιοι μαθόντες τὴν ἀπουσίαν ἐβλασφήμουν τὸν νεανίαν ὡς ἄνανδρον ὁ δʼ ἀγανακτήσας καὶ ἐπιλαθόμενος τοῦ πατρὸς συνέβαλε καὶ ἐνίκησεν· ὁ δὲ πατὴρ βαρέως ἐνέγκας στεφανώσας ἐτραχηλοκόπησεν, ὡς Κτησιφῶν ἱστορεῖ ἐν τρίτῳ Βοιωτιακῶν. Ῥωμαῖοι πρὸς Σαμνίτας πόλεμον ἔχοντες ἐχειροτόνησαν Μάλλιον τὸν Ἐπιτάκτην ἐπικληθέντα. οὗτος διὰ χειροτονίαν ὑπατικὴν εἰς Ῥώμην πορευόμενος τῷ υἱῷ προσέταξε μὴ συμβαλεῖν. οἱ δὲ Σαμνῖται μαθόντες βλασφημίαις ἐξουδένιζον τὸν νεανίαν· ὁ δὲ ταραχθεὶς ἐνίκησεν· Μάλλιος δʼ αὐτὸν ἐτραχηλοκόπησεν· καθάπερ ἱστορεῖ Ἀριστείδης Μιλήσιος.
Epaminondas, a Theban general, managed a war against the Spartans. He went from the army to Thebes, to be present there at a public election of magistrates; but first enjoined his son Stesimbrotus that he should not fight the enemy in his absence upon any terms. The Spartans being informed that Epaminondas was not with the army, reproached the young man with want of courage, and so far provoked him, that without any regard to his father’s command he gave the Spartans battle, and overcame them. His father was so incensed against him for this action, that though he crowned him for the victory, he cut off his head for his disobedience.—Ctesiphon, in his Third Book of the Boeotian History.
In a war that the Romans had against the Samnites, they gave the command to Manlius, surnamed Imperiosus. He had occasion to go to Rome, to be present there at the choice of consuls, and gave his son in charge not to engage the enemy in the mean time. The Samnites, understanding this, irritated the young man with opprobrious words, as if he declined fighting out of cowardice, and in the end provoked him to a battle; upon which action he carried the day; but his father caused his head to be struck off for breaking his order.—This is in Aristides Miesius.
Ἡρακλῆς τοῦ Ἰόλης γάμου ἀποτυχὼν τὴν Οἰχαλίαν ἐπόρθησεν. ἡ δʼ Ἰόλη ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἔρριψεν ἑαυτήν. συνέβη δέ, κολπωθείσης ὑπὸ ἀνέμου τῆς ἐσθῆτος, μηδὲν παθεῖν· καθάπερ ἱστορεῖ Νικίας Μαλλώτης. Ῥωμαῖοι πολεμοῦντες πρὸς Τοῦσκον ἐχειροτόνησαν Βαλέριον Τορκουᾶτον. οὗτος θεασάμενος τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν θυγατέρα τοὔνομα Κλουσίαν ᾐτεῖτο παρὰ τοῦ Τούσκου τὴν θυγατέρα, μὴ τυχὼν δʼ ἐπόρθει τὴν πόλιν. ἡ δὲ Κλουσία ἀπὸ τῶν πύργων ἔρριψεν ἑαυτήν· προνοίᾳ δʼ Ἀφροδίτης κολπωθείσης τῆς ἐσθῆτος, διεσώθη ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· ἣν ὁ στρατηγὸς ἔφθειρε, καὶ τούτων πάντων ἕνεκα ἐξωρίσθη κοινῷ δόγματι ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων εἰς Κόρσικαν νῆσον πρὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας· ὡς Θεόφιλος ἐν τρίτῳ Ἰταλικῶν.
Hercules made love to Iole, but she gave him the repulse, and so he went and assaulted Oechalia. Iole threw herself headlong down from the wall, but the whiffling of the wind under her garments broke the fall, and she had no hurt.—This story is in Nicias Maleotes.
Valerius Torquatus was the Romans’ general in the war they had with the Tuscans; who, upon the sight of Clusia, the daughter of the Tuscan king, fell in love with her, and when he found he could do no good on’t, laid siege to the city. Clusia, upon this, threw herself headlong from a tower; but Venus was so careful of her, that by the playing of the wind in the folds of her garments, she was wafted safe to the ground. Torquatus, however, offered her violence, and for so doing he was banished by a public decree into the isle of Corsica.—Theophilus, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
Ποινῶν καὶ Σικελιωτῶν τὴν κατὰ Ῥωμαίων συμμαχίαν ἑτοιμαζόντων, Μέτελλος στρατηγὸς μόνῃ τῇ Ἑστίᾳ οὐκ ἔθυσεν· ἡ δὲ πνεῦμα ἀντέπνευσε ταῖς ναυσί. Γάιος δὲ Ἰούλιος μάντις εἶπε λωφῆσαι, ἐὰν προθύσῃ τὴν θυγατέρα. ὁ δʼ ἀναγκασθεὶς Μεταλίαν τὴν θυγατέρα προσῆγεν· ἡ δὲ Ἑστία ἐλεήσασα δάμαλιν ὑπέβαλε καὶ αὐτὴν ἐκόμισεν εἰς Λαμούσιον, καὶ ἱέρειαν τοῦ σεβομένου παρʼ αὐτοῖς δράκοντος ἀπέδειξεν ὡς Πυθοκλῆς ἐν τρίτῃ Ἰταλικῶν. ἐν Αὐλίδι τῆς Βοιωτίας τὰ περὶ Ἰφιγένειαν ὁμοίως ἱστορεῖ Μένυλλος ἐν πρώτῳ Βοιωτιακῶν.
While the Carthaginians were treating an alliance with the Sicilians against the Romans, the Roman general Metellus was observed to omit sacrificing only to Vesta, who revenged herself upon him by sending a cross wind to the navy. But Caius Julius, a soothsayer, being consulted in the matter, gave answer, that this obstacle would be removed upon the general’s sacrificing his daughter so that he was forced to produce his daughter Metella for a sacrifice. But Vesta had compassion for her, and so sent her away to Lamusium, substituting a heifer in her stead, and made a priestess of her to the dragon that is worshipped in that place.—So Pythocles, in the Third Book of his Italian History.
Something like this happened to Iphigenia in Aulis, a city of Boeotia.—See Meryllus, in the First Book of his Boeotic History.
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