§16τί τὸ καλούμενον ὑπὸ Μεγαρέων ἀφάβρωμα;
What is that which is called "aphabroma" by the Megarians?
Νῖσος, ἀφʼ οὗ προσηγορεύθη Νίσαια, βασιλεύων ἐκ Βοιωτίας ἔγημεν Ἀβρώτην, Ὀγχήστου θυγατέρα, Μεγαρέως δʼ ἀδελφήν, γυναῖκα καὶ τῷ φρονεῖν ὡς ἔοικε περιττὴν καὶ σώφρονα διαφερόντως.
Nisus, from whom Nisaea was named, ruling from Boeotia, married Abrote, the daughter of Onchestus and sister of Megareus, a woman who, as it seems, was also extraordinary in understanding and exceptionally prudent.
ἀποθανούσης δʼ αὐτῆς, οἵ τε Μεγαρεῖς ἐπένθησαν ἑκουσίως καὶ ὁ Νῖσος ἀιδίαν τινὰ μνήμην καὶ δόξαν αὐτῆς καταστῆναι βουλόμενος ἐκέλευε τὰς ἀστὰς φορεῖν ἣν ἐκείνη στολὴν ἐφόρει, καὶ τὴν στολὴν
ἀφάβρωμα διʼ
ἐκείνην ὠνόμασε.
And when she died, both the Megarians mourned for her voluntarily, and Nisus, wishing to establish a lasting memory and glory for her, ordered the female citizens to wear the robe which she used to wear, and he named the robe "aphabroma" after her.
δοκεῖ δὲ τῇ δόξῃ τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ὁ θεὸς βοηθῆσαι· πολλάκις γὰρ τὰς ἐσθῆτας ἀλλάξαι βουλομένας τὰς Μεγαρίδας χρησμῷ διεκώλυσε.
And the god also seems to have assisted the glory of the woman; for many times, when the Megarian women wished to change their clothes, he prevented them by an oracle.
§17τίς ὁ δορίξενος;
Who is the "doryxenos"?
τὸ παλαιὸν ἡ Μεγαρὶς ᾠκεῖτο κατὰ κώμας, εἰς πέντε μέρη νενεμημένων τῶν πολιτῶν.
In ancient times the Megarid was inhabited by villages, the citizens being distributed into five parts.
ἐκαλοῦντο δὲ Ἡραεῖς καὶ Πιραεῖς καὶ Μεγαρεῖς καὶ Κυνοσουρεῖς καὶ Τριποδίσκιοι.
And they were called Heraeis, Piraeis, Megareis, Cynosureis, and Tripodiscioi.
τῶν δὲ Κορινθίων πόλεμον αὐτοῖς ἐξεργασαμένων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐπεβούλευον ὑφʼ αὑτοῖς ποιήσασθαι τὴν Μεγαρικήν, ὅμως διʼ ἐπιείκειαν ἡμέρως ἐπολέμουν καὶ συγγενικῶς.
And when the Corinthians brought about war among them—for they were always plotting to bring the Megarid under their own subjection— nevertheless, because of their fairness, they waged war mildly and in a kinsmanlike manner.
τούς μὲν γὰρ γεωργοῦντας οὐδεὶς ἠδίκει τὸ παράπαν, τοὺς δʼ ἁλισκομένους λύτρον τι τεταγμένον ἔδει καταβαλεῖν, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἐλάμβανον ἀφέντες, πρότερον δʼ οὐκ εἰσέπραττον, ἀλλʼ ὁ λαβὼν αἰχμάλωτον ἀπῆγεν οἴκαδε, καὶ μεταδοὺς ἁλῶν καὶ τραπέζης ἀπέπεμπεν οἴκαδε.
For no one harmed those who tilled the soil at all, and those who were captured had to pay a fixed ransom, and they received this and let them go; but they did not demand it beforehand; instead, the one who took a captive led him home, and having shared salt and table with him, sent him home.
ὁ μὲν οὖν τὰ λύτρα κομίσας ἐπῃνεῖτο καὶ φίλος ἀεὶ διετέλει τοῦ λαβόντος ἐκ δοριαλώτου
δορίξενος
προσαγορευόμενος· ὁ δʼ ἀποστερήσας οὐ μόνον παρὰ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πολίταις ὡς ἄδικος καὶ ἄπιστος ἠδόξει.
So the one who brought the ransom was praised and remained a friend forever of the one who captured him, being addressed, instead of a captive of the spear, as a "doryxenos"; but the one who defaulted was held in disrepute not only among his enemies but also among his fellow-citizens as unjust and untrustworthy.
§18τίς ἡ παλιντοκία;
What is the "palintokia"?
Μεγαρεῖς Θεαγένη τὸν τύραννον ἐκβαλόντες, ὀλίγον χρόνον ἐσωφρόνησαν κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν εἶτα πολλὴν κατὰ Πλάτωνα καὶ ἄκρατον αὐτοῖς ἐλευθερίαν τῶν δημαγωγῶν οἰνοχοούντων, διαφθαρέντες παντάπασι τὰ τά ἄλλα τοῖς πλουσίοις ἀσελγῶς προσεφέροντο, καὶ παριόντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας αὐτῶν οἱ πένητες ἠξίουν ἑστιᾶσθαι καὶ δειπνεῖν πολυτελῶς· εἰ δὲ μὴ τυγχάνοιεν, πρὸς βίαν καὶ μεθʼ ὕβρεως ἐχρῶντο πᾶσι.
The Megarians, having expelled the tyrant Theagenes, were prudent in their government for a short time; but then, because the demagogues poured out for them a great and unmixed freedom, according to Plato, being completely corrupted, they behaved insolently towards the rich in other ways, and the poor, entering into their houses, demanded to be feasted and to dine sumptuously; and if they did not obtain this, they treated everyone with violence and insolence.
τέλος δὲ δόγμα θέμενοι, τοὺς τόκους ἀνεπράττοντο παρὰ τῶν δανειστῶν οὓς δεδωκότες ἐτύγχανον,
παλιντοκίαν τὸ
γινόμενον προσαγορεύσαντες. §19τίς ἡ Ἀνθηδών, περὶ ἧς ἡ Πυθιὰς εἶπε
"πῖνʼ οἶνον τρυγίαν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ Ἀνθηδόνα ναίεις ʼ"
ἡ γὰρ ἐν Βοιωτοῖς οὐκ ἔστι πολύοινος;
And finally, having passed a decree, they exacted back from the money-lenders the interest which they happened to have paid, calling the practice "palintokia." Who is Anthedon, about whom the Pythia said ¦295e "Drink dreggy wine, since you do not dwell in Anthedon" For the one in Boeotia is not lacking in wine, is she?
Τὴν Καλαύρειαν Εἰρήνην τὸ παλαιὸν ὠνόμαζον ἀπὸ γυναικὸς Εἰρήνης, ἣν ἐκ Ποσειδῶνος καὶ Μελανθείας τῆς Ἀλφειοῦ γενέσθαι μυθολογοῦσιν.
They used to call Calaureia "Eirene" in ancient times from a woman Eirene, whom they mythologize to have been born of Poseidon and Melantheia the daughter of Alpheus.
ὕστερον δὲ τῶν περὶ Ἄνθον καὶ Ὑπέραν αὐτόθι κατοικούντων, Ἀνθηδονίαν καὶ Ὑπέρειαν ἐκάλουν τὴν νῆσον.
But later, when those around Anthus and Hypera inhabited there, they called the island Anthedonia and Hypereia.
εἶχε δὲ ὁ χρησμὸς οὕτως, ὡς Ἀριστοτέλης φησί,
"
πῖνʼ οἶνον τρυγίαν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ Ἀνθηδόνα ναίεις
οὐδʼ ἱερὰν Ὑπέραν, ὅθι γʼ ἄτρυγον οἶνον ἔπινες.
And the oracle was as follows, as Aristotle says: "Drink dreggy wine, since you do not dwell in Anthedon nor in sacred Hypera, where indeed you used to drink wine without dregs.
"
ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Ἀριστοτέλης.
"These things indeed Aristotle says.
ὁ σε Μνασιγείτων φησὶν Ὑπέρας ἀδελφὸν ὄντα τὸν Ἄνθον ἔτι νήπιον ἀπολέσθαι, καὶ τὴν Ὑπέραν κατὰ ζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πλανώμενον εἰς Φερὰς πρὸς Ἄκαστον ἐλθεῖν, ὅπου κατὰ τύχην ὁ Ἄνθος ἐδούλευεν οἰνοχοεῖν τεταγμένος.
But Mnasigeiton says that Anthus, who was the brother of Hypera, was lost while still an infant, and Hypera, wandering in search of him, came to Pherae to Acastus, where by chance Anthus was serving as a slave, being appointed to pour wine.
ὡς οὖν εἱστιῶντο, τὸν παῖδα προσφέροντα τῇ ἀδελφῇ τὸ ποτήριον ἐπιγνῶναι καὶ εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτὴν ἡσυχῆ
"πῖνʼ οἶνον τρυγίαν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ Ἀνθηδόνα ναίεις. "
So when they were feasting, the boy, as he offered the cup to his sister, recognized her and said to her quietly: "Drink dreggy wine, since you do not dwell in Anthedon." What is that which is called in Priene "darkness at the oak"?
§20τίς ὁ λεγόμενος ἐν Πριήνῃ παρὰ δρυῒ σκότος; Σάμιοι καὶ Πριηνεῖς πολεμοῦντες ἀλλήλοις, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα μετρίως ἐβλάπτοντο καὶ ἔβλαπτον, μάχης δὲ μεγάλης γενομένης, χιλίους Σαμίων οἱ Πριηνεῖς ἀπέκτειναν·
The Samians and Prienians, waging war against each other, in other respects suffered and inflicted moderate damage; but when a great battle took place, the Prienians killed a thousand of the Samians.
ἑβδόμῳ δʼ ὕστερον ἔτει Μιλησίοις συμβαλόντες παρὰ τὴν καλουμένην δρῦν τοὺς ἀρίστους ὁμοῦ τι καὶ πρώτους ἀπέβαλον τῶν πολιτῶν· ὅτε καὶ Βίας ὁ σοφὸς εἰς Σάμον ἐκ Πριήνης πρεσβεύσας εὐδοκίμησε.
But in the seventh year afterwards, having joined battle with the Milesians near the so-called oak, they lost almost all the best and foremost of their citizens; at which time also Bias the wise, having gone as an ambassador from Priene to Samos, won great repute.
ταῖς δὲ Πριηνέων γυναιξὶν ὠμοῦ τοῦ πάθους τούτου καὶ τῆς συμφορᾶς ἐλεεινῆς γενομένης, ἀρὰ κατέστη καὶ ὅρκος περὶ τῶν μεγίστων
ὁ παρὰ δρυῒ σκότος
διὰ τὸ παῖδας αὐτῶν καὶ πατέρας καὶ ἄνδρας ἐκεῖ φονευθῆναι.
And because this suffering was cruel and the calamity pitiable to the women of the Prienians, "the darkness at the oak" became an imprecation and an oath concerning the greatest matters, ¦296b "the darkness at the oak" because their children and fathers and husbands were slaughtered there.