ἡ δὲ τῶν Ῥοδίων πόλις κεῖται μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑωθινοῦ ἀκρωτηρίου, λιμέσι δὲ καὶ ὁδοῖς καὶ τείχεσι καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ κατασκευῇ τοσοῦτον διαφέρει τῶν ἄλλων ὥστʼ οὐκ ἔχομεν εἰπεῖν ἑτέραν ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ πάρισον, μή τί γε κρείττω ταύτης τῆς πόλεως. θαυμαστὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ εὐνομία καὶ ἡ ἐπιμέλεια πρός τε τὴν ἄλλην πολιτείαν καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ ναυτικά, ἀφʼ ἧς ἐθαλαττοκράτησε πολὺν χρόνον καὶ τὰ λῃστήρια καθεῖλε καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἐγένετο φίλη καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τοῖς φιλορωμαίοις τε καὶ φιλέλλησιν· ἀφʼ ὧν αὐτόνομός τε διετέλεσε καὶ πολλοῖς ἀναθήμασιν ἐκοσμήθη, ἃ κεῖται τὰ μὲν πλεῖστα ἐν τῷ Διονυσίῳ καὶ τῷ γυμνασίῳ, ἄλλα δʼ ἐν ἄλλοις τόποις. ἄριστα δὲ ὅ τε τοῦ Ἡλίου κολοσσός, ὅν φησιν ὁ ποιήσας τὸ ἰαμβεῖον ὅτι ἑπτάκις δέκα / Χάρης ἐποίει πηχέων ὁ Λίνδιος. / κεῖται δὲ νῦν ὑπὸ σεισμοῦ πεσὼν περικλασθεὶς ἀπὸ τῶν γονάτων· οὐκ ἀνέστησαν δʼ αὐτὸν κατά τι λόγιον. τοῦτό τε δὴ τῶν ἀναθημάτων κράτιστον (τῶν γοῦν ἑπτὰ θεαμάτων ὁμολογεῖται) καὶ αἱ τοῦ Πρωτογένους γραφαί, ὅ τε Ἰάλυσος καὶ ὁ Σάτυρος παρεστὼς στύλῳ, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ στύλῳ πέρδιξ ἐφειστήκει, πρὸς ὃν οὕτως ἐκεχήνεσαν ὡς ἔοικεν οἱ ἄνθρωποι νεωστὶ ἀνακειμένου τοῦ πίνακος, ὥστʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐθαύμαζον, ὁ δὲ Σάτυρος παρεωρᾶτο καίτοι σφόδρα κατωρθωμένος· ἐξέπληττον δʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον οἱ περδικοτρόφοι κομίζοντες τοὺς τιθασοὺς καὶ τιθέντες καταντικρύ· ἐφθέγγοντο γὰρ πρὸς τὴν γραφὴν οἱ πέρδικες καὶ ὠχλαγώγουν. ὁρῶν δὲ ὁ Πρωτογένης τὸ ἔργον πάρεργον γεγονὸς ἐδεήθη τῶν τοῦ τεμένους προεστώτων ἐπιτρέψαι παρελθόντα ἐξαλεῖψαι τὸν ὄρνιν καὶ ἐποίησε. δημοκηδεῖς δʼ εἰσὶν οἱ Ῥόδιοι καίπερ οὐ δημοκρατούμενοι, συνέχειν δʼ ὅμως βουλόμενοι τὸ τῶν πενήτων πλῆθος. σιταρχεῖται δὴ ὁ δῆμος καὶ οἱ εὔποροι τοὺς ἐνδεεῖς ὑπολαμβάνουσιν ἔθει τινὶ πατρίῳ, λειτουργίαι τέ τινές εἰσιν ὀψωνιζόμεναι, ὥσθʼ ἅμα τόν τε πένητα ἔχειν τὴν διατροφὴν καὶ τὴν πόλιν τῶν χρειῶν μὴ καθυστερεῖν καὶ μάλιστα πρὸς τὰς ναυστολίας. τῶν δὲ ναυστάθμων τινὰ καὶ κρυπτὰ ἦν καὶ ἀπόρρητα τοῖς πολλοῖς, τῷ δὲ κατοπτεύσαντι ἢ παρελθόντι εἴσω θάνατος ὥριστο ἡ ζημία. κἀνταῦθα δὲ ὥσπερ ἐν Μασσαλίᾳ καὶ Κυζίκῳ τὰ περὶ τοὺς ἀρχιτέκτονας καὶ τὰς ὀργανοποιίας καὶ θησαυροὺς ὅπλων τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐσπούδασται διαφερόντως, καὶ ἔτι γε τῶν παρʼ ἄλλοις μᾶλλον.
The city of the Rhodians is on the eastern promontory. With regard to harbours, roads, walls, and other buildings, it so much surpasses other cities, that we know of none equal, much less superior to it.
Their political constitution and laws were excellent, and the care admirable with which they administered affairs of state generally, and particularly those relative to their marine. Hence being for a long period masters of the sea, they put an end to piracy, and became allies of the Romans, and of those kings who were well affected to the Romans and the Greeks; hence also the city was suffered to preserve her independence, and was embellished with many votive offerings. These are distributed in various places, but the greatest part of them are deposited in the Dionysium and in the gymnasium. The most remarkable is the Colossus of the Sun, which, the author of the iambics says, was seventy cubits in height, the work of Chares of Lindus. It now lies on the ground, having been thrown down by an earthquake, and is broken off at the knees. An oracle prohibited its being raised again. This is the most remarkable of the votive offerings, and it is allowed to be one of the seven wonders of the world. There were also the pictures by Protogenes, the Ialysus, and the Satyr, who was represented standing by a pillar. On the top of the pillar was a partridge. The bird strongly attracted, as was natural, the gaping admiration of the people, when the picture was first hung up in public, and they were so much delighted, that the Satyr, although executed with great skill, was not noticed. The partridge-breeders were still more struck with the picture of the bird. They brought tame partridges, which, when placed opposite to the picture, made their call, and drew together crowds of people. When Protogenes observed that the principal had become the subordinate part of his work, he obtained permission of the curators of the temple to efface the bird, which he did.
The Rhodians, although their form of government is not democratic, are attentive to the welfare of the people, and endeavour to maintain the multitude of poor. The people receive allowances of corn, and the rich support the needy, according to an ancient usage. There are also public offices in the state, the object of which is to procure and distribute provisions, so that the poor may obtain subsistence, and the city not suffer for want of persons to serve her, especially in manning her fleets.
Some of the dockyards are kept private, and the multitude are prohibited from seeing them. If any person should be found inspecting, or to have entered them, he would be punished with death. As at Massalia and Cyzicus, so here particularly, everything relating to architects, the manufacture of engines, stores of arms, and of other materials, is administered with peculiar care, much more so than in other places.
Δωριεῖς δʼ εἰσὶν ὥσπερ καὶ Ἁλικαρνασεῖς καὶ Κνίδιοι καὶ Κῷοι. οἱ γὰρ Δωριεῖς οἱ τὰ Μέγαρα κτίσαντες μετὰ τὴν Κόδρου τελευτὴν οἱ μὲν ἔμειναν αὐτόθι, οἱ δὲ σὺν Ἀλθαιμένει τῷ Ἀργείῳ τῆς εἰς Κρήτην ἀποικίας ἐκοινώνησαν, οἱ δʼ εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον καὶ τὰς λεχθείσας ἀρτίως πόλεις ἐμερίσθησαν. ταῦτα δὲ νεώτερα τῶν ὑφʼ Ὁμήρου λεγομένων ἐστί· Κνίδος μὲν γὰρ καὶ Ἁλικαρνασὸς οὐδʼ ἦν πω, Ῥόδος δʼ ἦν καὶ Κῶς, ἀλλʼ ᾠκεῖτο ὑφʼ Ἡρακλειδῶν. Τληπόλεμος μὲν οὖν ἀνδρωθεὶς αὐτίκα πατρὸς ἑοῖο φίλον μήτρωα κατέκτα / ἤδη γηράσκοντα, Λικύμνιον. / αἶψα δὲ νῆας ἔπηξε, πολὺν δʼ ὅγε λαὸν ἀγείρας / βῆ φεύγων. / εἶτά φησιν εἰς Ῥόδον ἷξεν ἀλώμενος, / τριχθὰ δὲ ᾤκηθεν καταφυλαδόν. / καὶ τὰς πόλεις ὀνομάζει τὰς τότε Λίνδον Ἰηλυσόν τε καὶ ἀργινόεντα Κάμειρον, / τῆς Ῥοδίων πόλεως οὔπω συνῳκισμένης. οὐδαμοῦ δὴ ἐνταῦθα Δωριέας ὀνομάζει, ἀλλʼ εἰ ἄρα Αἰολέας ἐμφαίνει καὶ Βοιωτούς, εἴπερ ἐκεῖ ἡ κατοικία τοῦ Ἡρακλέους καὶ τοῦ Λικυμνίου· εἰ δʼ ὥσπερ καὶ ἄλλοι φασίν, ἐξ Ἄργους καὶ Τίρυνθος ἀπῆρεν ὁ Τληπόλεμος, οὐδʼ οὕτω Δωρικὴ γίνεται ἡ ἐκεῖθεν ἀποικία· πρὸ γὰρ τῆς Ἡρακλειδῶν καθόδου γεγένηται. καὶ τῶν Κῴων δὲ Φείδιππός τε καὶ Ἄντιφος ἡγησάσθην, / Θεσσαλοῦ υἷε δύω Ἡρακλείδαο ἄνακτος, / καὶ οὗτοι τὸ Αἰολικὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ Δωρικὸν γένος ἐμφαίνοντες.
Like the people of Halicarnasus, Cnidus, and Cos, the Rhodians are of Doric origin. Some of the Dorians, who founded Megara after the death of Codrus, remained there; others associated themselves with the colony which went to Crete under the conduct of Althaemenes the Argive; the rest were distributed at Rhodus, and among the cities just mentioned.
But these migrations are more recent than the events related by Homer. For Cnidus and Halicarnasus were not then in existence. Rhodes and Cos existed, but were inhabited by Heracleidae. Tlepolemus, when he attained manhood, slew the maternal uncle of his father, the aged Licymnius. He immediately built ships, and, collecting a large body of people, fled away with them: and adds afterwards— after many sufferings on the voyage, he came to Rhodes; they settled there according to their tribes, in three bodies: and mentions by name the cities then existing— Lindus, Ialysus, and the white Cameirus, the city of the Rhodians not being yet founded.
Homer does not here mention Dorians by name, but means Aeolians and Boeotians, since Hercules and Licymnius lived in Boeotia. If however, as others relate, Tlepolemus set out from Argos and Tiryns, even so the colony would not be Dorian, for it was settled before the return of the Heracleidae.
And of the Coans also Homer says— their leaders were Pheidippus and Antiphus, two sons of Thessalus the King, an Heracleid; and these names designate rather an Aeolian than a Dorian origin.
ἐκαλεῖτο δʼ ἡ Ῥόδος πρότερον Ὀφιοῦσσα καὶ Σταδία, εἶτα Τελχινὶς ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκησάντων Τελχίνων τὴν νῆσον, οὓς οἱ μὲν βασκάνους φασὶ καὶ γόητας θείῳ καταρραίνοντας τὸ τῆς Στυγὸς ὕδωρ ζώων τε καὶ φυτῶν ὀλέθρου χάριν, οἱ δὲ τέχναις διαφέροντας τοὐναντίον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιτέχνων βασκανθῆναι καὶ τῆς δυσφημίας τυχεῖν ταύτης, ἐλθεῖν δʼ ἐκ Κρήτης εἰς Κύπρον πρῶτον, εἶτʼ εἰς Ῥόδον, πρώτους δʼ ἐργάσασθαι σίδηρόν τε καὶ χαλκόν, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὴν ἅρπην τῷ Κρόνῳ δημιουργῆσαι. εἴρηται μὲν οὖν καὶ πρότερον περὶ αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ ποιεῖ τὸ πολύμυθον ἀναλαμβάνειν πάλιν ἀναπληροῦντας εἴ τι παρελίπομεν.
Rhodes was formerly called Ophiussa and Stadia, then Telchinis, from the Telchines, who inhabited the island.
These Telchines are called by some writers charmers and enchanters, who besprinkle animals and plants, with a view to destroy them, with the water of the Styx, mingled with sulphur. Others on the contrary say, that they were persons who excelled in certain mechanical arts, and that they were calumniated by jealous rivals, and thus acquired a bad reputation; that they came from Crete, and first landed at Cyprus, and then removed to Rhodes. They were the first workers in iron and brass, and were the makers of Saturn’s scythe.
I have spoken of them before, but the variety of fables which are related of them induces me to resume their history, and to supply what may have been omitted.
μετὰ δὲ τοὺς Τελχῖνας οἱ Ἡλιάδαι μυθεύονται κατασχεῖν τὴν νῆσον, ὧν ἑνὸς Κερκάφου καὶ Κυδίππης γενέσθαι παῖδας τοὺς τὰς πόλεις κτίσαντας ἐπωνύμους αὑτῶν Λίνδον Ἰηλυσόν τε καὶ ἀργινόεντα Κάμειρον. / ἔνιοι δὲ τὸν Τληπόλεμον κτίσαι φασί, θέσθαι δὲ τὰ ὀνόματα ὁμωνύμως τῶν Δαναοῦ θυγατέρων τισίν.
After the Telchines, the Heliadae were said, according to fabulous accounts, to have occupied the island. One of these Heliadae, Cercaphus, and his wife Cydippe had children, who founded the cities called after their names— Lindus, Ialysus, and the white Cameirus. Others say, that Tlepolemus founded them, and gave to them the names of some of the daughters of Danaüs.
ἡ δὲ νῦν πόλις ἐκτίσθη κατὰ τὰ Πελοποννησιακὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀρχιτέκτονος, ὥς φασιν, ὑφʼ οὗ καὶ ὁ Πειραιεύς· οὐ συμμένει δʼ ὁ Πειραιεύς, κακωθεὶς ὑπό τε Λακεδαιμονίων πρότερον τῶν τὰ σκέλη καθελόντων καὶ ὑπὸ Σύλλα τοῦ Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμόνος.
The present city was built during the Peloponnesian war, by the same architect, it is said, who built the Piraeus. The Piraeus, however, does not continue to exist, having formerly sustained injuries from the Lacedaemonians, who threw down the walls, and then from Sylla, the Roman general.
ἱστοροῦσι δὲ καὶ ταῦτα περὶ τῶν Ῥοδίων, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἀφʼ οὗ χρόνου συνῴκισαν τὴν νῦν πόλιν εὐτύχουν κατὰ θάλατταν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τῆς Ὀλυμπικῆς θέσεως συχνοῖς ἔτεσιν ἔπλεον πόρρω τῆς οἰκείας ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ μέχρι Ἰβηρίας ἔπλευσαν, κἀκεῖ μὲν τὴν Ῥόδην ἔκτισαν ἣν ὕστερον Μασσαλιῶται κατέσχον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς Ὀπικοῖς τὴν Παρθενόπην, ἐν δὲ Δαυνίοις μετὰ Κῴων Ἐλπίας. τινὲς δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἐκ Τροίας ἄφοδον τὰς Γυμνησίας νήσους ὑπʼ αὐτῶν κτισθῆναι λέγουσιν, ὧν τὴν μείζω φησὶ Τίμαιος μεγίστην εἶναι μετὰ τὰς ἑπτά, Σαρδὼ Σικελίαν Κύπρον Κρήτην Εὔβοιαν Κύρνον Λέσβον, οὐ τἀληθῆ λέγων· πολὺ γὰρ ἄλλαι μείζους. φασὶ δὲ τοὺς γυμνήτας ὑπὸ Φοινίκων βαλεαρίδας λέγεσθαι, διότι τὰς Γυμνησίας Βαλεαρίδας λεχθῆναι. τινὲς δὲ τῶν Ῥοδίων καὶ περὶ Σύβαριν ᾤκησαν κατὰ τὴν Χωνίαν. ἔοικε δὲ καὶ ὁ ποιητὴς μαρτυρεῖν τὴν ἐκ παλαιοῦ παροῦσαν τοῖς Ῥοδίοις εὐδαιμονίαν εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης κτίσεως τῶν τριῶν πόλεων τριχθὰ δὲ ᾤκηθεν καταφυλαδόν, ἠδʼ ἐφίληθεν / ἐκ Διός, ὅστε θεοῖσι καὶ ἀνθρώποισιν ἀνάσσει, / καί σφιν θεσπέσιον πλοῦτον κατέχευε Κρονίων. / οἱ δʼ εἰς μῦθον ἀνήγαγον τὸ ἔπος καὶ χρυσὸν ὑσθῆναί φασιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ κατὰ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶς γένεσιν ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ Διός, ὡς εἴρηκε Πίνδαρος. ἡ δὲ νῆσος κύκλον ἔχει σταδίων ἐνακοσίων εἴκοσιν.
It is related of the Rhodians that their maritime affairs were in a flourishing state, not only from the time of the foundation of the present city, but that many years before the institution of the Olympic festival, they sailed to a great distance from their own country for the protection of sailors. They sailed as far as Spain, and there founded Rhodus, which the people of Marseilles afterwards occupied; they founded Parthenope among the Opici, and Elpiae in Daunia, with the assistance of Coans. Some authors relate, that after their return from Troy they colonized the Gymnasian islands. According to Timaeus, the greater of these islands is the largest known, next the seven following, Sardinia, Sicily, Cyprus, Crete, Euboea, Corsica, and Lesbos; but this is a mistake, for these others are much larger. It is said, that gymnetes (or light-armed soldiers) are called by the Phoenicians balearides, and that from hence the Gymnasian islands were called Balearides.
Some of the Rhodians settled in the neighbourhood of Sybaris, in the Chonian territory. Homer seems to bear evidence of the former prosperity of the Rhodians, from the very foundation of the three cities; they settled according to their tribes, in three companies, and were the favourites of Jupiter, who showered upon them great wealth. Other writers have applied these verses to a fable, according to which, at the birth of Minerva, it rained gold on the island from the head of Jupiter, as Pindar has said.
The island is 920 stadia in circumference.
ἔστι δὲ πρώτη μὲν Λίνδος ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως πλέουσιν ἐν δεξιᾷ ἔχουσι τὴν νῆσον, πόλις ἐπὶ ὄρους ἱδρυμένη, πολὺ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν ἀνατείνουσα καὶ πρὸς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν μάλιστα· ἱερὸν δέ ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς Λινδίας αὐτόθι ἐπιφανὲς τῶν Δαναΐδων ἵδρυμα. πρότερον μὲν οὖν καθʼ αὑτοὺς ἐπολιτεύοντο οἱ Λίνδιοι, καθάπερ καὶ Καμειρεῖς καὶ Ἰαλύσιοι, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ συνῆλθον ἅπαντες εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον. ἐντεῦθεν δʼ ἐστὶν εἷς τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφῶν Κλεόβουλος.
In sailing from the city, and leaving the island on the right hand, the first place we meet with is Lindus, a city situated on a mountain extending far towards the south, and particularly towards Alexandreia (in Egypt). There is here a celebrated temple of the Lindian Diana, built by the Danaides. Formerly, the Lindians, like the inhabitants of Cameirus, and Ialyssus, formed an independent state, but afterwards they all settled at Rhodes.
Cleobulus, one of the seven wise men, was a native of Lindus.
μετὰ δὲ Λίνδον Ἰξία χωρίον καὶ Μνασύριον· εἶθʼ ὁ Ἀτάβυρις, ὄρος τῶν ἐνταῦθα ὑψηλότατον, ἱερὸν Διὸς Ἀταβυρίου· εἶτα Κάμειρος· εἶτʼ Ἰαλυσὸς κώμη, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν ἀκρόπολίς ἐστιν Ὀχύρωμα καλουμένη· εἶθʼ ἡ τῶν Ῥοδίων πόλις ἐν ὀγδοήκοντά που σταδίοις. μεταξὺ δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ Θοάντειον ἀκτή τις, ἧς μάλιστα πρόκεινται αἱ Σποράδες αἱ περὶ τὴν Χαλκίαν, ὧν ἐμνήσθημεν πρότερον.
Next to Lindus is Ixia, a stronghold, and Mnasyrium; then the Atabyris, the highest mountain in the island, sacred to Jupiter Atabyrius; then Cameirus; then Ialysus a village, and above it is an acropolis called Ochyroma (the Fortification); then, at the distance of about 80 stadia, the city of the Rhodians. Between these is the Thoantium, a sort of beach, immediately in front of which are situated the Sporades islands lying about Chalcis, which we have mentioned before.
ἄνδρες δʼ ἐγένοντο μνήμης ἄξιοι πολλοὶ στρατηλάται τε καὶ ἀθληταί, ὧν εἰσι καὶ οἱ Παναιτίου τοῦ φιλοσόφου πρόγονοι· τῶν δὲ πολιτικῶν καὶ τῶν περὶ λόγους καὶ φιλοσοφίαν ὅ τε Παναίτιος αὐτὸς καὶ Στρατοκλῆς καὶ Ἀνδρόνικος ὁ ἐκ τῶν περιπάτων καὶ Λεωνίδης ὁ στωικός, ἔτι δὲ πρότερον Πραξιφάνης καὶ Ἱερώνυμος καὶ Εὔδημος. Ποσειδώνιος δʼ ἐπολιτεύσατο μὲν ἐν Ῥόδῳ καὶ ἐσοφίστευσεν, ἦν δʼ Ἀπαμεὺς ἐκ τῆς Συρίας, καθάπερ καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ μαλακὸς καὶ Μόλων, ἦσαν δὲ Ἀλαβανδεῖς, Μενεκλέους μαθηταὶ τοῦ ῥήτορος. ἐπεδήμησε δὲ πρότερον Ἀπολλώνιος, ὀψὲ δʼ ἧκεν ὁ Μόλων, καὶ ἔφη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνος ὀψὲ μολών ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐλθών· καὶ Πείσανδρος δʼ ὁ τὴν Ἡράκλειαν γράψας ποιητὴς Ῥόδιος, καὶ Σιμμίας ὁ γραμματικὸς καὶ Ἀριστοκλῆς ὁ καθʼ ἡμᾶς· Διονύσιος δὲ ὁ Θρᾷξ καὶ Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ τοὺς Ἀργοναύτας ποιήσας Ἀλεξανδρεῖς μέν, ἐκαλοῦντο δὲ Ῥόδιοι. περὶ μὲν Ῥόδου ἀποχρώντως εἴρηται.
There have been many remarkable persons, natives of Rhodes, both generals and athlete, among whom were the ancestors of Panaetius the philosopher. Among statesmen, orators, and philosophers, were Panaetius, Stratocles, Andronicus the Peripatetic, Leonides the Stoic, and long before the time of these persons, Praxiphanes, Hieronymus, and Eudemus. Poseidonius was concerned in the administration of the affairs of state, and taught philosophy at Rhodes, (but he was a native of Apameia in Syria,) as did Apollonius Malacus, and Molon, who were natives of Alabanda, and disciples of Menecles the rhetorician. Apollonius had resided at Rhodes long before, but Molon came late; whence the former said to him late comer, οψὲ μολών, instead of ἐλθών. Peisander, a Rhodian poet, author of the Heracleia; Simmias the grammarian, and Aristocles, of our time. Dionysius the Thracian, and Apollonius, author of the Argonautics, although natives of Alexandreia, were called Rhodians.
This is sufficient on the subject of the island of Rhodes.
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