§5.16.1οἱ δὲ περί τε Πάγγαιον ὄρος καὶ Δόβηρας καὶ Ἀγριᾶνας καὶ Ὀδομάντουςκαὶ αὐτὴν τὴν λίμνην τὴν Πρασιάδα οὐκ ἐχειρώθησαν ἀρχὴν ὑπὸ Μεγαβάζου·
But those around Mount Pangaeum, and the Doberes, the Agrianes, the Odomanti, and Lake Prasias itself were not conquered at all by Megabazus.
ἐπειρήθη δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ κατοικημένους ἐξαιρέειν ὧδε. ἴκρια ἐπὶ σταυρῶν ὑψηλῶν ἐζευγμένα ἐν μέσῃ ἕστηκε τῇ λίμνῃ, ἔσοδον ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου στεινὴν ἔχοντα μιῇ γεφύρῃ.
Yet he attempted to subdue also those who dwelt in the lake, whose dwellings were as follows: platforms joined upon high piles stand in the middle of the lake, having a narrow approach from the mainland by a single bridge.
§5.16.2τοὺς δὲ σταυροὺς τοὺς ὑπεστεῶτας τοῖσι ἰκρίοισι τὸ μέν κου ἀρχαῖον ἔστησαν κοινῇ πάντες οἱ πολιῆται, μετὰ δὲ νόμῳ χρεώμενοι ἱστᾶσι τοιῷδε· κομίζοντες ἐξ ὄρεος τῷ οὔνομα ἐστὶ Ὄρβηλος, κατὰ γυναῖκα ἑκάστην ὁ γαμέων τρεῖς σταυροὺς ὑπίστησι· ἄγεται δὲ ἕκαστος συχνὰς γυναῖκας.
As for the piles that support the platforms, in ancient times all the citizens set them up together in common, but afterwards they set them up according to this custom: bringing them from the mountain called Orbelus, for each wife a man marries, he sets up three piles underneath; and each man marries many wives.
§5.16.3οἰκέουσι δὲ τοιοῦτον τρόπον, κρατέων ἕκαστος ἐπὶ τῶν ἰκρίων καλύβης τε ἐν τῇ διαιτᾶται καὶ θύρης καταπακτῆς διὰ τῶν ἰκρίων κάτω φερούσης ἐς τὴν λίμνην.
They live in this manner, each holding on the platforms both a hut in which he dwells and a trapdoor opening through the platforms down into the lake.
τὰ δὲ νήπια παιδία δέουσι τοῦ ποδὸς σπάρτῳ, μὴ κατακυλισθῇ δειμαίνοντες.
They tie their little children by the foot with a cord, fearing lest they should roll down into the water.
§5.16.4τοῖσι δὲ ἵπποισι καὶ τοῖσι ὑποζυγίοισι παρέχουσι χόρτον ἰχθῦς· τῶν δὲ πλῆθος ἐστὶ τοσοῦτο ὥστε, ὅταν τὴν θύρην τὴν καταπακτὴν ἀνακλίνῃ, κατιεῖ σχοίνῳ σπυρίδα κεινὴν ἐς τὴν λίμνην, καὶ οὐ πολλόν τινα χρόνον ἐπισχὼν ἀνασπᾷ πλήρεα ἰχθύων.
To their horses and beasts of burden they give fish for fodder; and the abundance of these is so great that, when a man opens the trapdoor, he lets down an empty basket by a rope into the lake, and after waiting no long time, he draws it up full of fish.
τῶν δὲ ἰχθύων ἐστὶ γένεα δύο, τοὺς καλέουσι πάπρακάς τε καὶ τίλωνας.
Of these fish there are two kinds, which they call paprakes and tilones.