§37διὰ τί Ταναγραίοις πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἔστιν Ἀχίλλειον, τόπος οὕτω προσαγορευόμενος;
Why is it that the Tanagraeans have an Achilleion, a place so called, before their city?
ἔχθρα γὰρ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ φιλία λέγεται γεγονέναι πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, ἁρπάσαντι μὲν τὴν μητέρα τοῦ Ποιμάνδρου Στρατονίκην, ἀποκτείναντι δʼ υἱὸν Ἐφίππου Ἀκέστορα.
For Achilles is said to have had enmity rather than friendship toward the city, because he carried off Stratonike, the mother of Poimandros, and killed Acestor, the son of Ephippus.
Ποίμανδρος τοίνυν ὁ Ἐφίππου πατήρ, ἔτι τῆς Ταναγρικῆς κατὰ κώμας οἰκουμένης, ἐν τῷ καλουμένῳ Στέφοντι πολιορκούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι συστρατεύειν, ἐξέλιπε τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο νύκτωρ καὶ τὴν Ποιμανδρίαν ἐτείχισε, παρὼν δὲ Πολύκριθος ὁ ἀρχιτέκτων διαφαυλίζων τὰ ἔργα καὶ καταγελῶν ὑπερήλατο τὴν τάφρον.
Now Poimandros, the father of Ephippus, when the territory of Tanagra was still inhabited by villages, being besieged by the Achaeans in the place called Stephon because he did not wish to join the expedition, left that place by night and fortified Poimandria. Polycrithos the architect, being present and disparaging the works and mocking them, leaped over the trench.
ὀργισθεὶς ὁ Ποίμανδρος ὥρμησε λίθον ἐμβαλεῖν αὐτῷ μέγαν, ὃς ἦν αὐτόθι κεκρυμμένος ἐκ παλαιοῦ, νυκτελίοις ἱεροῖς ἀποκείμενος·
Poimandros, having become angry, rushed to throw a large stone at him, which had been hidden there from of old, preserved for the nocturnal rites (Nyctelia).
τοῦτον ἀνασπάσας ὑπʼ ἀγνοίας ὁ Ποίμανδρος ἔβαλε, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Πολυκρίθου διήμαρτε, Λεύκιππον δὲ τὸν υἱὸν ἀπέκτεινεν.
Having pulled this up in ignorance, Poimandros threw it, and missed Polycrithos, but killed his son Leucippus.
ἔδει μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐκ τῆς Βοιωτίας μεταστῆναι, ἐφέστιον καὶ ἱκέτην ξένον γενόμενον· οὐκ ἦν δὲ ῥᾴδιον, ἐμβεβληκότων εἰς τὴν Ταναγρικὴν τῶν Ἀχαιῶν.
It was necessary, therefore, according to the law, for him to depart from Boeotia as an exile and supplicant guest; but this was not easy, since the Achaeans had invaded the territory of Tanagra.
ἔπεμψεν οὖν Ἔφιππον τὸν υἱὸν Ἀχιλλέως δεησόμενον.
He therefore sent his son Ephippus to supplicate Achilles.
ὁ δὲ καὶ τοῦτον εἰσάγει πείσας καὶ Τληπόλεμον τὸν Ἡρακλέους καὶ Πηνέλεων τὸν Ἱππάλκμου, συγγενεῖς ἅπαντας αὑτῶν ὄντας.
And Achilles, having admitted him and persuaded Tlepolemus the son of Heracles and Peneleos the son of Hippalcme (all of whom were their kinsmen), escorted Poimandros out to Chalcis, where he was purified of the murder by Elephenor.
ὑφʼ ὧν ὁ Ποίμανδρος εἰς Χαλκίδα συνεκπεμφθεὶς καὶ καθαρθεὶς παρʼ Ἐλεφήνορι τὸν φόνον, ἐτίμησε τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ τεμένη πᾶσιν ἐξεῖλεν, ὧν τὸ Ἀχιλλέως καὶ τοὔνομα διατετήρηκεν,
He then honored these men and set apart sacred precincts (temene) for all of them, of which the precinct of Achilles has preserved its name.
§38τίνες οἱ παρὰ Βοιωτοῖς Ψολόεις καὶ τίνες αἱ Ὀλεῖαι;
Who are the "Psoloeis" and who are the "Oleiai" among the Boeotians?
τὰς Μινύου θυγατέρας φασὶ Λευκίππην καὶ Ἀρσινόην καὶ Ἀλκαθόην μανείσας ἀνθρωπίνων ἐπιθυμῆσαι κρεῶν καὶ διαλαχεῖν περὶ τῶν τέκνων· Λευκίππης λαχούσης παρασχεῖν Ἵππασον τὸν υἱὸν διασπάσασθαι·
They say that the daughters of Minyas, Leucippe, Arsinoe, and Alcathoe, having gone mad, desired human flesh and cast lots for their children; and when the lot fell on Leucippe, she offered her son Hippasus to be torn to pieces.
κληθῆναι τοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας αὐτῶν δυσειματοῦντας ὑπὸ λύπης καὶ πένθους
ψολόεις,
αὐτὰς δὲ
ὀλείας
οἷον ὀλοάς.
And their husbands, wearing mean clothing because of grief and mourning, were called "Psoloeis" (sooty ones), while the women themselves were called "Oleiai" (destructive ones), as if destructive.
καὶ μέχρι νῦν Ὀρχομένιοι τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους οὕτω καλοῦσι.
Even to this day, the Orchomenians call the women descended from that family by this name.
καὶ γίγνεται παρʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς Ἀγριωνίοις φυγὴ καὶ δίωξις αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ Διονύσου ξίφος ἔχοντος.
And every year at the Agrionia, there takes place a flight and pursuit of them by the priest of Dionysus holding a sword.
ἔξεστι δὲ τὴν καταληφθεῖσαν ἀνελεῖν, καὶ ἀνεῖλεν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν Ζωίλος ὁ ἱερεύς.
It is permitted to kill any woman who is caught, and in our time the priest Zoilus killed one.
ἀπέβη δʼ εἰς οὐδὲν χρηστὸν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλʼ ὅ τε Ζωίλος ἔκ τοῦ τυχόντος ἑλκυδρίου νοσήσας καὶ διασαπεὶς πολὺν χρόνον ἐτελεύτησεν, οἳ τʼ Ὀρχομένιοι δημοσίαις βλάβαις καὶ καταδίκαις περιπεσόντες ἐκ τοῦ γένους τὴν ἱερωσύνην μετέστησαν, ἐκ πάντων αἱρούμενοι τὸν ἄριστον.
But it turned out to no good for them; for Zoilus, having fallen ill from a chance scratch and having rotted for a long time, died, and the Orchomenians, having fallen into public losses and condemnations, transferred the priesthood from that family, choosing the best man from among all the citizens.
§39διὰ τί τοὺς εἰς τὸ Λύκαιον εἰσελθόντας ἑκουσίως καταλεύουσιν οἱ Ἀρκάδες· ἂν δʼ ὑπʼ ἀγνοίας, εἰς Ἐλευθερὰς ἀποστέλλουσι;
Why do the Arcadians stone to death those who enter the Lycaeum voluntarily, but if they do so in ignorance, send them to Eleutherae?
πότερον ὡς ἐλευθερουμένων αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν ἔσχεν ὁ λόγος πίστιν, καὶ τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ
εἰς Ἐλευθεράς,
οἷον τὸ
εἰς Ἀμελοῦς χώραν
καὶ τὸ
ἥξεις εἰς Ἀρέσαντος ἕδος
;
Is it because the story gained credit on the ground that they are set free by being released, and "to Eleutherae" is such an expression as "to the land of Carelessness" and "you shall come to the seat of the Pleasing One"?
ἢ κατὰ τὸν μῦθον ἐπεὶ μόνοι τῶν Λυκάονος παίδων Ἐλευθὴρ καὶ Λέβαδος οὐ μετέσχον τοῦ περὶ τὸν Δία μιάσματος ἀλλʼ εἰς Βοιωτίαν ἔφυγον, καὶ Λεβαδεῦσιν ἔστιν ἰσοπολιτεία πρὸς Ἀρκάδας, εἰς Ἐλευθερὰς οὖν ἀποπέμπουσι τοὺς ἐν τῷ ἀβάτῳ τοῦ Διὸς ἀκουσίως γενομένους;
Or is it because, according to the myth, since of the sons of Lycaon only Eleuther and Lebadus did not share in the pollution concerning Zeus but fled to Boeotia, and the Lebadians have equal citizenship with the Arcadians, they therefore send back to Eleutherae those who have unwillingly come into the forbidden precinct of Zeus?
ἢ ὡς Ἀρχίτιμος ἐν τοῖς Ἀρκαδικοῖς ἐμβάντας τινὰς κατʼ ἄγνοιαν φησιν ὑπʼ Ἀρκάδων παραδοθῆναι Φλιασίοις, ὑπὸ δὲ Φλιασίων Μεγαρεῦσιν, ἐκ δὲ Μεγαρέων εἰς Θήβας κομιζομένους περὶ τὰς Ἐλευθερὰς ὕδατι καὶ βρονταῖς καὶ διοσημίαις ἄλλαις κατασχεθῆναι;
Or is it because, as Architimus says in his Arcadian history, some who had entered in ignorance were delivered by the Arcadians to the Phliasians, and by the Phliasians to the Megarians, and while being conveyed from the Megarians to Thebes, they were overtaken near Eleutherae by rain and thunder and other signs from heaven?
ἀφʼ οὗ δὴ καὶ τὸν τόπον Ἐλευθερὰς ἔνιοί φασι προσαγορεύεσθαι.
From which circumstance some say that the place was called Eleutherae.
τὸ μέντοι σκιὰν μὴ πίπτειν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐμβάντος εἰς τὸ Λύκαιον λέγεται μὲν οὐκ ἀληθῶς, ἔσχηκε δὲ πίστιν ἰσχυράν.
However, the story that no shadow falls from the person who enters the Lycaeum is indeed untrue, but it has gained strong belief.
πότερον τοῦ ἀέρος εἰς νέφη τρεπομένου καὶ σκυθρωπάζοντος ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰσιοῦσιν;
Is it because the air, turning into clouds, becomes dark for those who enter?
ἢ ὅτι θανατοῦται μὲν ὁ ἐμβάς, τῶν δʼ ἀποθανόντων οἱ Πυθαγορικοὶ λέγουσι τὰς ψυχὰς μὴ ποιεῖν σκιὰν μηδὲ σκαρδαμύττειν;
Or is it because he who enters is put to death, and the Pythagoreans say of the dead that their souls do not make a shadow nor blink?
ἢ σκιὰν μὲν ὁ ἥλιος ποιεῖ, τὸν δʼ ἥλιον ἀφαιρεῖται τοῦ ἐμβάντος ὁ νόμος;
Or is it because the sun does make a shadow, but the law deprives the enterer of the sun?
καὶ τοῦτʼ αἰνιττόμενοι λέγουσι· καὶ γὰρ ἔλαφος ὁ ἐμβὰς καλεῖται. διὸ καὶ Κανθαρίωνα τὸν Ἀρκάδα πρὸς Ἠλείους αὐτομολήσαντα πολεμοῦντας Ἀρκάσι καὶ διαβάντα μετὰ λείας τὸ ἄβατον, καταλυθέντος δὲ τοῦ πολέμου καὶ φυγόντα εἰς Σπάρτην, ἐξέδοσαν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τοῖς Ἀρκάσι, τοῦ θεοῦ κελεύσαντος ἀποδιδόναι τὸν ἔλαφον.
And they say this enigmatically; for indeed, he who enters is called a "deer." Wherefore also, when Cantharion the Arcadian deserted to the Eleans who were at war with the Arcadians, and crossed the forbidden precinct with plunder, and when the war was ended fled to Sparta, the Lacedaemonians surrendered him to the Arcadians, because the god commanded them to give back the "deer."