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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §1.18.1-1.18.6

Companions of Osiris on His Campaign and in Ethiopia

Passage 19 of 406 · Greek

Summary

The text describes how Anubis, Macedon, Pan, Maron, Triptolemus, and the Satyrs joined Osiris's campaign, explaining his activities in Ethiopia and the origin of the Egyptian custom of growing hair.

§1.18.1τῷ δʼ οὖν Ὀσίριδι συνεστρατεῦσθαι δύο λέγουσιν υἱοὺς Ἄνουβίν τε καὶ Μακεδόνα, διαφέροντας ἀνδρείᾳ.
They say that two sons of Osiris, Anubis and Macedon, who excelled in courage, campaigned with him.
ἀμφοτέρους δὲ χρήσασθαι τοῖς ἐπισημοτάτοις ὅπλοις ἀπό τινων ζῴων οὐκ ἀνοικείων τῇ περὶ αὐτοὺς εὐτολμίᾳ· τὸν μὲν γὰρ Ἄνουβιν περιθέσθαι κυνῆν, τὸν δὲ Μακεδόνα λύκου προτομήν· ἀφʼ ἧς αἰτίας καὶ τὰ ζῷα ταῦτα τιμηθῆναι παρὰ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις.
And they say that both used highly conspicuous armor derived from certain animals that were not unsuited to their own bravery; for Anubis wore a dog's helmet, while Macedon wore a wolf's head; for which reason these animals also came to be honored among the Egyptians.
§1.18.2παραλαβεῖν δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν στρατείαν καὶ τὸν Πᾶνα, διαφερόντως ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τιμώμενον· τούτῳ γὰρ τοὺς ἐγχωρίους οὐ μόνον ἀγάλματα πεποιηκέναι κατὰ πᾶν ἱερόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόλιν ἐπώνυμον κατὰ τὴν Θηβαΐδα, καλουμένην μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων Χεμμώ, μεθερμηνευομένην δὲ Πανὸς πόλιν. συνέπεσθαι δὲ καὶ τῆς γεωργίας ἐμπειρίαν ἔχοντας, τῆς μὲν περὶ τὴν ἄμπελον φυτείας Μάρωνα, τοῦ δὲ κατὰ τὸν σῖτον σπόρου καὶ τῆς ὅλης συγκομιδῆς Τριπτόλεμον.
And they say that he also took along on the campaign Pan, who is exceptionally honored by the Egyptians; for the inhabitants have not only made statues of him in every temple, but also a city named after him in the Thebaid, called Chemmis by the inhabitants, but translated as 'City of Pan.' And they say that those who had experience in agriculture also accompanied them: Maron for the cultivation of the vine, and Triptolemus for the sowing of wheat and the harvest as a whole.
§1.18.3πάντων δʼ εὐτρεπῶν γενομένων τὸν Ὄσιριν, εὐξάμενον τοῖς θεοῖς θρέψειν τὴν κόμην μέχρι ἂν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀνακάμψῃ, τὴν πορείαν ποιεῖσθαι διʼ Αἰθιοπίας· διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν μέχρι τῶν νεωτέρων χρόνων ἐνισχῦσαι τὸ περὶ τῆς κόμης νόμιμον παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις, καὶ τοὺς ποιουμένους τὰς ἀποδημίας μέχρι τῆς εἰς οἶκον ἀνακομιδῆς κομοτροφεῖν.
When everything was ready, they say that Osiris, having vowed to the gods that he would grow his hair until he should return to Egypt, made his journey through Ethiopia; for which reason the custom concerning hair remained in force among the Egyptians until more recent times, and those who make journeys abroad grow their hair until their return home.
§1.18.4ὄντι δʼ αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν ἀχθῆναι λέγουσι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸ τῶν Σατύρων γένος, οὕς φασιν ἐπὶ τῆς ὀσφύος ἔχειν κόμας.
And they say that while he was in the region of Ethiopia, the race of Satyrs was brought to him, who they say have hair upon their loins.
εἶναι γὰρ τὸν Ὄσιριν φιλογέλωτά τε καὶ χαίροντα μουσικῇ καὶ χοροῖς· διὸ καὶ περιάγεσθαι πλῆθος μουσουργῶν, ἐν οἷς παρθένους ἐννέα δυναμένας ᾅδειν καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἄλλα πεπαιδευμένας, τὰς παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὀνομαζομένας Μούσας· τούτων δʼ ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα λέγουσιν, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ Μουσηγέτην αὐτὸν ὠνομάσθαι. §1.18.5τούς τε Σατύρους πρὸς ὄρχησιν καὶ μελῳδίαν καὶ πᾶσαν ἄνεσιν καὶ παιδιὰν ὄντας εὐθέτους παραληφθῆναι πρὸς τὴν στρατείαν· οὐ γὰρ πολεμικὸν εἶναι τὸν Ὄσιριν οὐδὲ παρατάξεις συνίστασθαι καὶ κινδύνους, ἅτε παντὸς ἔθνους ὡς θεὸν ἀποδεχομένου διὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας.
For Osiris was fond of laughter and delighted in music and dances; for which reason he also took around with him a multitude of musicians, among whom were nine maidens capable of singing and educated in other respects, who are called Muses among the Greeks; and they say that Apollo was the leader of these, from which fact he also received the name 'Leader of the Muses.' And they say that the Satyrs, being well-suited for dancing and singing and all relaxation and play, were taken along on the campaign; for Osiris was not warlike, nor did he organize battle lines and risks, since every nation accepted him as a god because of his benefactions.
§1.18.6κατὰ δὲ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν διδάξαντα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τὰ περὶ τὴν γεωργίαν καὶ πόλεις ἀξιολόγους κτίσαντα καταλιπεῖν τοὺς ἐπιμελησομένους τῆς χώρας καὶ φόρους πραξομένους.
And after teaching the people in Ethiopia the matters concerning agriculture and founding noteworthy cities, he left behind those who would take care of the land and collect the taxes.

Notes

  1. 1.18.1συνεστρατεῦσθαι — The dative Ὀσίριδι depends on the verb συνεστρατεῦσθαι, which contains the prefix συν-. The accusative δύο... υἱούς is the subject of the infinitive, and the entire clause functions as an accusative with infinitive construction (indirect discourse) governed by λέγουσιν.
  2. 1.18.1οὐκ ἀνοικείων — οὐκ ἀνοικείων is a double negation (litotes) meaning 'not unsuited,' i.e., 'well-suited.' The dative τῇ... εὐτολμίᾳ functions as the complement of the adjective ἀνοίκειος.
  3. 1.18.3πάντων δʼ εὐτρεπῶν γενομένων — A genitive absolute construction functioning as a temporal adverbial clause ('when everything had been made ready').
  4. 1.18.4ὄντι δʼ αὐτῷ περὶ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν — The dative present participle ὄντι establishes the situational background ('while he was in...') for the main infinitive ἀχθῆναι, functioning as a dative of reference or interest, even though it is followed by the explicit prepositional phrase πρὸς αὐτόν.
  5. 1.18.6τοὺς ἐπιμελησομένους... καὶ φόρους πραξομένους — The future participles ἐπιμελησομένους and πραξομένους with the definite article τούς are substantivized to express purpose or destination ('those who would take care of... and collect...'), functioning as the direct object of the infinitive καταλιπεῖν.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §1.18.1-1.18.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:1.18.1-1.18.6

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