ἑξῆς δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ Βοιωτία, περὶ ἧς λέγοντα καὶ περὶ τῶν συνεχῶν ἐθνῶν ἀνάμνησιν ποιήσασθαι χρὴ τοῦ σαφοῦς χάριν ὧν εἴπομεν πρότερον. εν δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ Σουνίου παραλίαν μέχρι Θετταλο ἐπὶ τὰς ἄρκτους τετάσθαι, μικρὸν ἐκκλίνουσαν ἔχουσαν τὴν θάλατταν πρὸς ἕω, τὰ δʼ ὑπερη πρὸς δύσιν ὡς ἂν ταινίας τινὰς διὰ τῆς τεταμένας παραλλήλους· ὧν πρώτη ἐστὶν Μεγαρίδι ὡς ἂν ταινία τις, τὸ μὲν ἑωθισα τὴν ἀπὸ Σουνίου μέχρι Ὠρωποῦ καὶ […] ίας, τὸ δʼ ἑσπέριον τόν τε Ἰσθμὸν καὶ τὴν ατταν τὴν κατὰ Παγὰς μέχρι τῶν ας τῶν περὶ Κρέουσαν· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ μέχρι Ἰσθμοῦ παραλίαν καὶ τὴν ὡς ἂν […] ς ὀρεινὴν τὴν διείργουσαν ἀπὸ τῆς ττικήν. δευτέρα δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ Βοιωτία ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω ἐπὶ δύσιν τεταμένη ταινία τις ἀπὸ τῆς κατʼ Εὔβοιαν θαλάττης ἐπὶ θάλατταν τὴν κατὰ τὸν Κρισαῖον κόλπον, ἰσομήκης πως τῇ Ἀττικῇ ἢ καὶ ἐλάττων κατὰ μῆκος· ἀρετῇ μέντοι τῆς χώρας πάμπολυ διαφέρει.
NEXT in order is Boeotia. When I speak of this country, and of the contiguous nations, I must, for the sake of perspicuity, repeat what I have said before.
We have said, that the sea-coast stretches from Sunium to the north as far as Thessalonica, inclining a little toward the west, and having the sea on the east, that parts situated above this shore towards the west extend like belts parallel to one another through the whole country. The first of these belts is Attica with Megaris, the eastern side of which extends from Sunium to Oropus, and Boeotia; on the western side is the isthmus, and the Alcyonian sea commencing at Pagae and extending as far as the boundaries of Boeotia near Creusa, the remaining two sides are formed by the sea-shore from Sunium to the Isthmus, and the mountain tract nearly parallel with this, which separates Attica from Boeotia.
The second belt is Boeotia, stretching from east to west from the Euboean sea to the Crisaean Gulf, nearly of equal length with Attica, or perhaps somewhat less; in quality of soil however it greatly surpasses Attica.
Ἔφορος δὲ καὶ ταύτῃ κρείττω τὴν Βοιωτίαν ἀποφαίνει τῶν ὁμόρων ἐθνῶν καὶ ὅτι μόνη τριθάλαττός ἐστι καὶ λιμένων εὐπορεῖ πλειόνων, ἐπὶ μὲν τῷ Κρισαίῳ κόλπῳ καὶ τῷ Κορινθιακῷ τὰ ἐκ τῆς Ἰταλίας καὶ Σικελίας καὶ Λιβύης δεχομένη, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν πρὸς Εὔβοιαν μερῶν ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα τοῦ Εὐρίπου σχιζομένης τῆς παραλίας τῇ μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν Αὐλίδα καὶ τὴν Ταναγρικὴν τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ τὸν Σαλγανέα καὶ τὴν Ἀνθηδόνα, τῇ μὲν εἶναι συνεχῆ τὴν κατʼ Αἴγυπτον καὶ Κύπρον καὶ τὰς νήσους θάλατταν τῇ δὲ τὴν κατὰ Μακεδόνας καὶ τὴν Προποντίδα καὶ τὸν Ἑλλήσποντον. προστίθησι δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὴν Εὔβοιαν τρόπον τινὰ μέρος αὐτῆς πεποίηκεν ὁ Εὔριπος οὕτω στενὸς ὢν καὶ γεφύρᾳ συνεζευγμένος πρὸς αὐτὴν διπλέθρῳ. τὴν μὲν οὖν χώραν ἐπαινεῖ διὰ ταῦτα, καί φησι πρὸς ἡγεμονίαν εὐφυῶς ἔχειν, ἀγωγῇ δὲ καὶ παιδείᾳ μὴ χρησαμένους ἐπιμελεῖ τοὺς ἀεὶ προϊσταμένους αὐτῆς, εἰ καί ποτε κατώρθωσαν, ἐπὶ μικρὸν τὸν χρόνον συμμεῖναι, καθάπερ Ἐπαμεινώνδας ἔδειξε· τελευτήσαντος γὰρ ἐκείνου τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἀποβαλεῖν εὐθὺς τοὺς Θηβαίους γευσαμένους αὐτῆς μόνον· αἴτιον δὲ εἶναι τὸ λόγων καὶ ὁμιλίας τῆς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὀλιγωρῆσαι, μόνης δʼ ἐπιμεληθῆναι τῆς κατὰ πόλεμον ἀρετῆς. ἔδει δὲ προσθεῖναι διότι τοῦτο πρὸς Ἕλληνας μάλιστα χρήσιμόν ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ πρός γε τοὺς βαρβάρους βία λόγου κρείττων ἐστί. καὶ Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ τὸ παλαιὸν μὲν ἀγριωτέροις ἔθνεσι πολεμοῦντες οὐδὲν ἐδέοντο τῶν τοιούτων παιδευμάτων, ἀφʼ οὗ δὲ ἤρξαντο πρὸς ἡμερώτερα ἔθνη καὶ φῦλα τὴν πραγματείαν ἔχειν, ἐπέθεντο καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἀγωγῇ καὶ κατέστησαν πάντων κύριοι.
Ephorus declares the superiority of Boeotia over the bordering nations not only in this respect, but also because it alone has three seas adjoining it, and a great number of harbours. At the Crissaean and Corinthian Gulfs it received the commodities of Italy, Sicily, and Africa. Towards Euboea the sea-coast branches off on each side of the Euripus; in one direction towards Aulis and Tanagrica, in the other, to Salganeus and Anthedon; on one side there is an open sea to Egypt, and Cyprus, and the islands; on the other to Macedonia, the Propontis, and the Hellespont. He adds also that Euboea is almost a part of Boeotia, because the Euripus is very narrow, and the opposite shores are brought into communication by a bridge of two plethra in length.
For these reasons he praises the country, and says, that it has natural advantages for obtaining supreme command, but that from want of careful education and learning, even those who were from time to time at the head of affairs did not long maintain the ascendency they had acquired, as appears from the example of Epaminondas; at his death the Thebans immediately lost the supremacy they had just acquired. This is to be attributed, says Ephorus, to their neglect of learning, and of intercourse with mankind, and to their exclusive cultivation of military virtues. It must be added also, that learning and knowledge are peculiarly useful in dealing with Greeks, but in the case of Barbarians, force is preferable to reason. In fact the Romans in early times, when carrying on war with savage nations, did not require such accomplishments, but from the time that they began to be concerned in transactions with more civilized people, they applied themselves to learning, and so established universal dominion.
ἡ δʼ οὖν Βοιωτία πρότερον μὲν ὑπὸ βαρβάρων ᾠκεῖτο Ἀόνων καὶ Τεμμίκων ἐκ τοῦ Σουνίου πεπλανημένων καὶ Λελέγων καὶ Ὑάντων· εἶτα Φοίνικες ἔσχον οἱ μετὰ Κάδμου, ὃς τήν τε Καδμείαν ἐτείχισε καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῖς ἐκγόνοις ἀπέλιπεν. ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὰς Θήβας τῇ Καδμείᾳ προσέκτισαν, καὶ συνεφύλαξαν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἡγούμενοι τῶν πλείστων Βοιωτῶν ἕως τῆς τῶν Ἐπιγόνων στρατείας. κατὰ δὲ τούτους ὀλίγον χρόνον ἐκλιπόντες τὰς Θήβας ἐπανῆλθον πάλιν· ὡς δʼ αὕτως ὑπὸ Θρᾳκῶν καὶ Πελασγῶν ἐκπεσόντες ἐν Θετταλίᾳ συνεστήσαντο τὴν ἀρχὴν μετὰ Ἀρναίων ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον, ὥστε καὶ Βοιωτοὺς κληθῆναι πάντας. εἶτʼ ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν, ἤδη τοῦ Αἰολικοῦ στόλου παρεσκευασμένου περὶ Αὐλίδα τῆς Βοιωτίας, ὃν ἔστελλον εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν οἱ Ὀρέστου παῖδες. προσθέντες δὲ τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ τὴν Ὀρχομενίαν (οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν κοινῇ πρότερον, οὐδʼ Ὅμηρος μετὰ Βοιωτῶν αὐτοὺς κατέλεξεν ἀλλʼ ἰδίᾳ, Μινύας προσαγορεύσας) μετʼ ἐκείνων ἐξέβαλον τοὺς μὲν Πελασγοὺς εἰς Ἀθήνας, ἀφʼ ὧν ἐκλήθη μέρος τι τῆς πόλεως Πελασγικόν (ᾤκησαν δὲ ὑπὸ τῷ Ὑμηττῷ), τοὺς δὲ Θρᾷκας ἐπὶ τὸν Παρνασσόν. Ὕαντες δὲ τῆς Φωκίδος Ὕαν πόλιν ᾤκισαν.
Boeotia was first occupied by Barbarians, Aones, and Temmices, a wandering people from Sunium, by Leleges, and Hyantes. Then the Phoenicians, who accompanied Cadmus, possessed it. He fortified the Cadmeian land, and transmitted the government to his descendants. The Phoenicians founded Thebes, and added it to the Cadmeian territory. They preserved their dominion, and exercised it over the greatest part of the Boeotians till the time of the expedition of the Epigoni. At this period they abandoned Thebes for a short time, but returned again. In the same manner when they were ejected by Thracians and Pelasgi, they established their rule in Thessaly together with the Arnoei for a long period, so that all the inhabitants obtained the name of Boeotians. They returned afterwards to their own country, at the time the Aeolian expedition was preparing at Aulis in Boeotia which the descendants of Orestes were equipping for Asia. After having united the Orchomenian tract to Boeotia (for formerly they did not form one community, nor has Homer enumerated these people with the Boeotians, but by themselves, calling them Minyae) with the assistance of the Orchomenians they drove out the Pelasgi, who went to Athens, a part of which city is called from this people Pelasgic. The Pelasgi however settled below Hymettus. The Thracians retreated to Parnassus. The Hyantes founded Hyampolis in Phocis.
φησὶ δʼ Ἔφορος τοὺς μὲν Θρᾷκας ποιησαμένους σπονδὰς πρὸς τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς ἐπιθέσθαι νύκτωρ στρατοπεδεύουσιν ὀλιγωρότερον ὡς εἰρήνης γεγονυίας· διακρουσαμένων αὐτοὺς αἰτιωμένων τε ἅμα ὅτι τὰς σπονδὰς παρέβαινον, μὴ παραβῆναι φάσκειν ἐκείνους· συνθέσθαι γὰρ ἡμέρας, νύκτωρ δʼ ἐπιθέσθαι· ἀφʼ οὗ δὴ καὶ τὴν παροιμίαν εἰρῆσθαι Θρᾳκία παρεύρεσις. τοὺς δὲ Πελασγοὺς μένοντος ἔτι τοῦ πολέμου χρηστηριασομένους ἀπελθεῖν, ἀπελθεῖν δὲ καὶ τοὺς Βοιωτούς· τὸν μὲν οὖν τοῖς Πελασγοῖς δοθέντα χρησμὸν ἔφη μὴ ἔχειν εἰπεῖν, τοῖς δὲ Βοιωτοῖς ἀνελεῖν τὴν προφῆτιν ἀσεβήσαντας εὖ πράξειν· τοὺς δὲ θεωροὺς ὑπονοήσαντας χαριζομένην τοῖς Πελασγοῖς τὴν προφῆτιν κατὰ τὸ συγγενὲς (ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν Πελασγικὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπῆρξεν) οὕτως ἀνελεῖν, ἁρπάσαντας τὴν ἄνθρωπον εἰς πυρὰν ἐμβαλεῖν ἐνθυμηθέντας, εἴτε κακουργήσασαν εἴτε μή, πρὸς ἀμφότερα ὀρθῶς ἔχειν, εἰ μὲν παρεχρηστηρίασε, κολασθείσης αὐτῆς, εἰ δʼ οὐδὲν ἐκακούργησε, τὸ προσταχθὲν αὐτῶν πραξάντων. τοὺς δὲ περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ μὲν ἀκρίτους κτείνειν τοὺς πράξαντας, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν ἱερῷ, μὴ δοκιμάσαι, καθιστάναι δʼ εἰς κρίσιν, καλεῖν δʼ ἐπὶ τὰς ἱερείας, ταύτας δὲ εἶναι τὰς προφήτιδας αἳ λοιπαὶ τριῶν οὐσῶν περιῆσαν· λεγόντων δʼ ὡς οὐδαμοῦ νόμος εἴη δικάζειν γυναῖκας, προσελέσθαι καὶ ἄνδρας ἴσους ταῖς γυναιξὶ τὸν ἀριθμόν· τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἄνδρας ἀπογνῶναι, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας καταγνῶναι, ἴσων δὲ τῶν ψήφων γενομένων τὰς ἀπολυούσας νικῆσαι· ἐκ δὲ τούτων Βοιωτοῖς μόνοις ἄνδρας προθεσπίζειν ἐν Δωδώνῃ. τὰς μέντοι προφήτιδας ἐξηγουμένας τὸ μαντεῖον εἰπεῖν, ὅτι προστάττοι ὁ θεὸς τοῖς Βοιωτοῖς τοὺς παρʼ αὐτοῖς τρίποδας συλήσαντας ἕνα εἰς Δωδώνην πέμπειν κατʼ ἔτος· καὶ δὴ καὶ ποιεῖν τοῦτο· ἀεὶ γάρ τινα τῶν ἀνακειμένων τριπόδων νύκτωρ καθαιροῦντας καὶ κατακαλύπτοντας ἱματίοις ὡς ἂν λάθρᾳ τριποδηφορεῖν εἰς Δωδώνην.
Ephorus relates that the Thracians, after making treaty with the Boeotians, attacked them by night, when encamped in a careless manner during a time of peace. The Thracians when reproached, and accused of breaking the treaty, replied, that they had not broken it, for the conditions were by day, whereas they had made the attack by night, whence the common proverb, a Thracian shuffle.
The Pelasgi and the Boeotians also went during the war to consult the oracle. He cannot tell, he says, what answer was given to the Pelasgi, but the prophetess replied to the Boeotians that they would prosper by committing some act of impiety. The messengers sent to consult the oracle suspecting the prophetess of favouring the Pelasgi on account of their relationship, (for the temple had originally belonged to the Pelasgi,) seized the woman, and threw her upon a burning pile, considering, that whether her conduct bad been right or wrong, in either case they were right; for if she had uttered a deceitful answer she was duly punished; but if not, they had only complied with the command of the oracle. Those in charge of the temple did not like to put to death, particularly in the temple, the perpetrators of this act without a formal judgment, and therefore subjected them to a trial. They were summoned before the priestesses, who were also the prophetesses, being the two survivors out of the three. The Boeotians alleged that there was no law permitting women to act as judges; an equal number of men were therefore chosen. The men acquitted; the women condemned. As the votes were equal, those for acquittal prevailed. Hence at Dodona it is to the Boeotians only that men deliver oracles. The prophetesses however give a different meaning to the answer of the oracle, and say, that the god enjoins the Boeotians to steal the tripods used at home, and to send them annually to Dodona. This they did, for they were in the habit of carrying away by night some of the dedicated tripods, which they concealed in their clothes, in order to convey them clandestinely as offerings to Dodona.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὴν Αἰολικὴν ἀποικίαν συνέπραξαν τοῖς περὶ Πενθίλον, πλείστους ἐξ ἑαυτῶν συμπέμψαντες, ὥστε καὶ Βοιωτικὴν προσαγορευθῆναι. ὕστερον δὲ χρόνοις πολλοῖς ὁ Περσικὸς πόλεμος περὶ Πλαταιὰς γενόμενος διελυμήνατο τὴν χώραν. εἶτʼ ἀνέλαβον σφᾶς πάλιν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστε καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀρχῆς ἀμφισβητῆσαι Θηβαίους δυσὶ μάχαις κρατήσαντας Λακεδαιμονίους. Ἐπαμεινώνδα δὲ πεσόντος ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐλπίδος διεσφάλησαν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὅμως ἐπολέμησαν πρὸς Φωκέας τοὺς τὸ ἱερὸν συλήσαντας τὸ κοινόν. κακωθέντες δʼ ὑπό τε τούτου τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐπιθεμένων τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων καὶ ἀπέβαλον τὴν πόλιν κατασκαφεῖσαν καὶ ἀνέλαβον ἀνακτισθεῖσαν. ἐξ ἐκείνου δʼ ἤδη πράττοντες ἐνδεέστερον ἀεὶ μέχρι εἰς ἡμᾶς οὐδὲ κώμης ἀξιολόγου τύπον σώζουσι· καὶ ἄλλαι δὲ πόλεις ἀνάλογον πλὴν Τανάγρας καὶ Θεσπιῶν· αὗται δʼ ἱκανῶς συμμένουσι πρὸς ἐκείνας κρινόμεναι.
After this they assisted Penthilus in sending out the Aeolian colony, and despatched a large body of their own people with him, so that it was called the Boeotian colony.
A long time afterwards the country was devastated during the war with the Persians at Plataeae. They afterwards so far recovered their power, that the Thebans, having vanquished the Lacedaemonians in two battles, disputed the sovereignty of Greece. Epaminondas, however, was killed, and they were disappointed in their hope of obtaining this supremacy. They, nevertheless, fought in defence of the Greeks against the Phocaeans, who had plundered their common temple. Reduced by this war, and by the Macedonians, at the time they invaded Greece, they lost their city, which was afterwards restored to them, and rebuilt by the Macedonians themselves, who had razed it. From that period to our own times their affairs have continued to decline, nor do they retain the appearance even of a considerable village. Other cities (of Boeotia) have experienced a similar fate, with the exception of Tanagra and Thespiae, which in comparison with Thebes are in a tolerable condition.
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