§31διὰ τί τοῖς θεσμοφορίοις αἱ τῶν Ἐρετριέων γυναῖκες οὐ πρὸς πῦρ ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἥλιον ὀπτῶσι τὰ κρέα, καὶ Καλλιγένειαν οὐ καλοῦσιν;
Why is it that at the Thesmophoria the women of Eretria roast the meat not by fire but by the sun, and do not call upon Kalligeneia?
ἢ ὅτι ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις, ἃς ἦγεν ἐκ Τροίας Ἀγαμέμνων, ἐνταῦθα συνέβη θεσμοφόρια θύειν, πλοῦ δὲ φανέντος ἐξαίφνης ἀνήχθησαν ἀτελῆ τὴν θυσίαν καταλιποῦσαι;
Is it because the female captives whom Agamemnon was bringing from Troy happened to celebrate the Thesmophoria in this place, but when a favorable wind for sailing suddenly appeared, they put to sea, leaving the sacrifice incomplete?
§32τίνες οἱ ἀειναῦται παρὰ Μιλησίοις;
Who are the "aeinautae" (always-voyaging ones) among the Milesians?
τῶν περὶ Θόαντα καὶ Δαμασήνορα τυράννων καταλυθέντων, ἑταιρεῖαι δύο τὴν πόλιν κατέσχον, ὧν ἡ μὲν ἐκαλεῖτο Πλουτὶς ἡ δὲ Χειρομάχα.
After the tyrants associated with Thoas and Damasenor had been overthrown, two factions got control of the city, of which one was called Ploutis (the Wealthy) and the other Cheiromacha (the Manual Laborers).
κρατήσαντες οὖν οἱ δυνατοὶ καὶ τὰ πράγματα περιστήσαντες εἰς τὴν ἑταιρείαν, ἐβουλεύοντο περὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἐμβαίνοντες εἰς τὰ πλοῖα καὶ πόρρω τῆς γῆς ἐπανάγοντες· κυρώσαντες δὲ τὴν γνώμην κατέπλεον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτʼ
ἀειναῦται
προσηγορεύθησαν. §33τί δήποτε Χαλκιδεῖς τὸν περὶ τὸ Πυρσόφιον τόπον
ἀκμαίων λέσχην
καλοῦσι;
Therefore, the powerful men, having got the upper hand and having transferred the administration to their faction, used to deliberate about the most important matters by embarking on boats and putting out far from the land; and when they had ratified their opinion, they would sail back, and for this reason they were addressed as "aeinautae." Why is it that the Chalcidians call the place around Pyrsophion the "Lesche of the Akmaioi" (Clubhouse of the Vigorous)?
τὸν Ναύπλιόν φασιν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν διωκόμενον Χαλκιδεῖς ἱκετεῦσαι, καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ τῆς αἰτίας ἀπολογεῖσθαι, τὰ δʼ αὐτὸν ἀντεγκαλεῖν τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς.
They say that Nauplius, when pursued by the Achaeans, supplicated the Chalcidians, and defended himself against the accusation on one hand, and made counter-charges against the Achaeans on the other.
ἐκδιδόναι μὲν αὐτὸν οἱ Χαλκιδεῖς οὐκ ἐμέλλησαν· δεδιότες δὲ μὴ δόλῳ φονευθῇ, φυλακὴν ἔδοσαν αὐτῷ τοὺς ἀκμάζοντας νεανίσκους καὶ κατέστησαν εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, ὅπου συνῆσαν ἀλλήλοις ἅμα καὶ τὸν Ναύπλιον παρεφύλαττον.
The Chalcidians had no intention of surrendering him; but fearing lest he should be murdered by treachery, they gave him the vigorous young men as a guard and stationed them in this place, where they met together and at the same time kept watch over Nauplius.
§34τίς ὁ βοῦν εὐεργέτῃ θύσας;
Who is the man that sacrificed an ox to his benefactor?
πλοῖον ὥρμει περὶ τὴν Ἰθακησίαν λῃστρικόν ἐν ᾧ πρεσβύτης ἐτύγχανε μετὰ κεραμίων ἐχόντων πίτταν.
A pirate vessel was riding at anchor near Ithaca, in which there happened to be an old man with jars containing pitch.
τούτῳ οὖν κατὰ τύχην προσέσχε πορθμεὺς Ἰθακήσιος ὀνόματι Πυρρίας, καὶ τὸν πρεσβύτην ἐρρύσατο μηδενὸς δεόμενος, ἀλλὰ πεισθεὶς ὑπʼ ἀὐτοῦ καὶ οἰκτίρας· προσέλαβε δὲ καὶ τῶν κεραμίων, τοῦ πρεσβύτου κελεύσαντος.
By chance, an Ithacan ferryman named Pyrrias came alongside this vessel, and rescued the old man, demanding nothing, but being persuaded by him and taking pity on him; and he also took some of the jars, as the old man urged him to do.
ἀπαλλαγέντων δὲ τῶν λῃστῶν καὶ γενομένης ἀδείας, ὁ πρεσβύτης τοῖς κεραμίοις τὸν Πυρρίαν προσαγαγὼν χρυσίον ἐδείκνυεν ἐν αὐτοῖς πολὺ καὶ ἀργύριον τῇ πίττῃ καταμεμειγμένον.
When the pirates had gone and safety was established, the old man led Pyrrias to the jars and showed him a large amount of gold and silver mixed with the pitch inside them.
ἐξαίφνης οὖν ὁ Πυρρίας πλούσιος γενόμενος τὰ τʼ ἄλλʼ εὖ περιεῖπε τὸν γέροντα καὶ βοῦν ἔθυσεν αὐτῷ.
Having thus suddenly become rich, Pyrrias treated the old man well in other respects, and sacrificed an ox to him.
ὃ καὶ παροιμιαζόμενοι λέγουσιν
οὐδεὶς εὐεργέτῃ βοῦν ἔθυσεν ἀλλʼ ἢ Πυρρίας. §35τί δήποτε ταῖς κόραις τῶν Βοττιαίων ἔθος ἦν λέγειν χορευούσαις
ἴωμεν εἰς Ἀθήνας
;
Hence people also say proverbially: "No one has sacrificed an ox to a benefactor except Pyrrias." Why was it a custom for the maidens of the Bottiaeans to say as they danced, "Let us go to Athens"?
Κρῆτάς φασιν εὐξαμένους ἀνθρώπων ἀπαρχὴν εἰς Δελφοὺς ἀποστεῖλαι, τοὺς δὲ πεμφθέντας, ὡς ἑώρων οὐδεμίαν οὖσαν εὐπορίαν, αὐτόθεν εἰς ἀποικίαν ὁρμῆσαι· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐν Ἰαπυγίᾳ κατοικῆσαι, ἔπειτα τῆς Θρᾴκης τοῦτον τὸν τόπον κατασχεῖν, ἀναμεμειγμένων αὐτοῖς Ἀθηναίων.
They say that the Cretans, having vowed to send a first-fruit of men to Delphi, sent some, who, when they saw there was no means of livelihood there, set out from there to find a colony; and first they settled in Iapygia, and afterwards took possession of this place in Thrace, with Athenians mixed among them.
ἔοικε γὰρ μὴ διαφθείρειν ὁ Μίνως οὓς ἔπεμπον Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ τὸν δασμὸν ἠιθέους, ἀλλὰ κατέχειν παρʼ ἑαυτῷ λατρεύοντας.
For it seems that Minos did not destroy the youths whom the Athenians sent as tribute, but kept them with him as servants.
ἐξ ἐκείνων οὖν τινες γεγονότες καὶ νομιζόμενοι Κρῆτες εἰς Δελφοὺς συναπεστάλησαν.
Some, therefore, who were descended from them and were regarded as Cretans, were sent along with the others to Delphi.
ὅθεν αἱ θυγατέρες τῶν Βοττιαίων ἀπομνημονεύουσαι τοῦ γένους ᾖδον ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς
ἴωμεν εἰς Ἀθήνας. ,, §36διὰ τί τὸν Διόνυσον αἱ τῶν Ἠλείων γυναῖκες ὑμνοῦσαι παρακαλοῦσι βοέῳ ποδὶ παραγίγνεσθαι πρὸς αὐτάς;
Hence the daughters of the Bottiaeans, keeping in memory their lineage, used to sing at the festivals, "Let us go to Athens." Why do the women of Elis, when hymning Dionysus, pray him to come to them with "ox-foot"?
ἔχει δʼ οὕτως ὁ ὕμνος. "
ἐλθεῖν, ἥρω Διόνυσε,
Ἀλεῖον ἐς ναὸν
ἁγνὸν σὺν Χαρίτεσσιν
ἐς ναὸν
τῷ βοέῳ ποδὶ θύων ʼ
"
εἶτα δὶς ἐπᾴδουσιν ʼἄξιε ταῦρε. ʼ
πότερον ὅτι καὶ βουγενῆ προσαγορεύουσι καὶ ταῦρον ἔνιοι τὸν θεὸν ἢ τῷ μεγάλῳ ποδὶ
βοέῳ
λέγουσιν, ὡς
βοῶπιν
ὁ ποιητὴς τὴν μεγαλόφθαλμον καὶ
βουγάιον
τὸν μεγάλαυχον;
The hymn runs as follows: "Come, hero Dionysus, to the holy temple of Elis, with the Graces, to the temple, rushing with ox-foot" Then they twice sing: "Worthy bull!" Is it because some address the god also as "ox-born" and as "bull," or do they say "ox-" for "large," just as the poet calls a large-eyed woman "ox-eyed" (boopis) and a loud-boasting man "huge-boasting" (bougaion)?
ἤ μᾶλλον, ὅτι τοῦ βοὸς ὁ ποὺς ἀβλαβής ἐστι τὸ δὲ κερασφόρον ἐπιβλαβές, οὕτω τὸν θεὸν παρακαλοῦσι πρᾶον ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἄλυπον;
Or is it rather because the foot of an ox is harmless, whereas the possessing of horns is harmful, and so they pray that the god may come gentle and without causing pain?
ἢ ὅτι καὶ ἀρότου καὶ σπόρου πολλοὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀρχηγὸν γεγονέναι νομίζουσι;
Or is it because many believe that the god was the beginner of plowing and sowing?