Humanitext Reader

Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §1.6.1-1.6.3

Treatment of Myths and Two Views on the Origin of Mankind

Passage 7 of 406 · Greek

Summary

The author states his policy on treating mythology concerning the gods, and then introduces two views on the origin of mankind: one that the universe and humanity are eternal, and another that they had a beginning.

§1.6.1καταδείξαντες τιμᾶν τὸ θεῖον, καὶ τῶν μυθολογουμένων περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν ἀθανάτων, τὰ μὲν πολλὰ συντάξασθαι παρήσομεν κατʼ ἰδίαν διὰ τὸ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ταύτην πολλοῦ λόγου προσδεῖσθαι, ὅσα δʼ ἂν ταῖς προκειμέναις ἱστορίαις οἰκεῖα δόξωμεν ὑπάρχειν, παραθήσομεν ἐν κεφαλαίοις, ἵνα μηδὲν τῶν ἀκοῆς ἀξίων ἐπιζητῆται.
(what conceptions) those who first showed how to honor the divine (held), and of the mythological stories told about each of the immortals, we shall pass over compiling the greater part individually, because this subject requires much discussion; but as many as we may deem to be appropriate for the history before us, we shall set forth in summary, so that nothing worthy of hearing may be left to be sought after.
§1.6.2περὶ δὲ τοῦ γένους τῶν ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν πραχθέντων ἐν τοῖς γνωριζομένοις μέρεσι τῆς οἰκουμένης, ὡς ἂν ἐνδέχηται περὶ τῶν οὕτω παλαιῶν, ἀκριβῶς ἀναγράψομεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχαιοτάτων χρόνων ἀρξάμενοι.
And concerning the origin of all mankind, and the deeds done in the known parts of the inhabited world, we shall record them precisely as far as is possible for things so ancient, beginning from the earliest times.
§1.6.3περὶ τῆς πρώτης τοίνυν γενέσεως τῶν ἀνθρώπων διτταὶ γεγόνασιν ἀποφάσεις παρὰ τοῖς νομιμωτάτοις τῶν τε φυσιολόγων καὶ τῶν ἱστορικῶν·
Now concerning the first generation of mankind, two opinions have arisen among the most authoritative of both the natural philosophers and the historians.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀγέννητον καὶ ἄφθαρτον ὑποστησάμενοι τὸν κόσμον, ἀπεφήναντο καὶ τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξ αἰῶνος ὑπάρχειν, μηδέποτε τῆς αὐτῶν τεκνώσεως ἀρχὴν ἐσχηκυίας· οἱ δὲ γεννητὸν καὶ φθαρτὸν εἶναι νομίσαντες ἔφησαν ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τυχεῖν τῆς πρώτης γενέσεως ὡρισμένοις χρόνοις.
For some of them, having assumed that the universe is unbegotten and indestructible, declared that the race of humans also has existed from eternity, their procreation having never had a beginning; while others, believing that it is begotten and destructible, said that, similarly to it, humans obtained their first generation at definite times.

Notes

  1. 1.6.1καταδείξαντες — A participle modifying οἱ πρῶτοι ("the first men") from the end of the previous chunk. It belongs to the clause "what conceptions the first men held", forming the structure "the first men who showed how to honor the divine".
  2. 1.6.1ἵνα μηδὲν τῶν ἀκοῆς ἀξίων ἐπιζητῆται — ἐπιζητῆται (present passive subjunctive of ἐπιζητέω) means "to be sought after (because of being missing)". The clause expresses purpose: "so that no matter worthy of hearing may be found missing and thus sought after by the reader" (i.e., that everything is fully covered).
  3. 1.6.3μηδέποτε τῆς αὐτῶν τεκνώσεως ἀρχὴν ἐσχηκυίας — A genitive absolute construction with the feminine noun τεκνώσεως as the subject, accompanied by the perfect participle ἐσχηκυίας (from ἔχω), expressing an attendant circumstance or reason: "their procreation having never had a beginning".
  4. 1.6.3ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ — An adverbial phrase taking the dative case. The demonstrative pronoun ἐκείνῳ (neuter singular dative) refers to the previously mentioned τὸν κόσμον ("the universe"), meaning "similarly to it".

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §1.6.1-1.6.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:1.6.1-1.6.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.