§3.15.1περὶ πρώτων δὲ τῶν Ἰχθυοφάγων ἐροῦμεν τῶν κατοικούντων τὴν παράλιον τὴν ἀπὸ Καρμανίας καὶ Γεδρωσίας ἕως τῶν ἐσχάτων τοῦ μυχοῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἀράβιον κόλπον ἱδρυμένου, ὃς εἰς τὴν μεσόγειον ἀνήκων ἄπιστον διάστημα δυσὶν ἠπείροις περικλείεται πρὸς τὸν ἔκπλουν, τῇ μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς εὐδαίμονος Ἀραβίας, τῇ δʼ ὑπὸ τῆς Τρωγλοδυτικῆς.
First we shall speak of the Ichthyophagi who inhabit the coast extending from Carmania and Gedrosia to the innermost recess of the gulf situated along the Arabian Gulf, which, extending into the interior for an incredible distance, is enclosed toward its outlet by two continents, on one side by Arabia Felix and on the other by Troglodytica.
§3.15.2τούτων δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων τινὲς μὲν γυμνοὶ τὸ παράπαν βιοῦντες κοινὰς ἔχουσι τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα παραπλησίως ταῖς τῶν θρεμμάτων ἀγέλαις, ἡδονῆς δὲ καὶ πόνου τὴν φυσικὴν μόνον ἀντίληψιν ποιολύμενοι τῶν αἰσχρῶν καὶ καλῶν οὐδεμίαν λαμβάνουσιν ἔννοιαν.
Some of these barbarians, living entirely naked, hold their wives and children in common, very much like herds of beasts, and having only a physical perception of pleasure and pain, they conceive no idea of what is base and what is honorable.
§3.15.3τὰς δὲ οἰκήσεις ἔχουσιν οὐκ ἄπωθεν τῆς θαλάττης παρὰ τὰς ῥαχίας, καθʼ ἅς εἰσιν οὐ μόνον βαθεῖαι κοιλάδες, ἀλλὰ καὶ φάραγγες ἀνώμαλοι καὶ στενοὶ παντελῶς αὐλῶνες σκολιαῖς ἐκτροπαῖς ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως διειλημμένοι.
And they have their dwellings not far from the sea along the rocky shores, where there are not only deep valleys, but also rugged clefts and extremely narrow channels divided by nature with winding detours.
τούτων δὲ τῇ χρείᾳ τῶν ἐγχωρίων πεφυκότων ἁρμοζόντως, τὰς ἐκτροπὰς καὶ διεξόδους συγκεχώκασι λίθοις μεγάλοις, διʼ ὧν ὥσπερ δικτύων τὴν θήραν τῶν ἰχθύων ποιοῦνται.
Since these are naturally suited to the needs of the inhabitants, they have blocked up the detours and outlets with large stones, through which, as if through nets, they carry on the catching of fish.
§3.15.4ὅταν γὰρ ἡ πλημυρὶς τῆς θαλάττης λάττης ἐπὶ τὴν χέρσον φέρηται λάβρως, ὃ ποιεῖ δὶς τῆς ἡμέρας περὶ τρίτην καὶ ἐνάτην μάλιστά πως ὥραν, ἡ μὲν θάλαττα πᾶσαν τὴν ῥαχίαν ἐπικλύζουσα καλύπτει, καὶ λάβρῳ καὶ πολλῷ κύματι συναποκομίζει πρὸς τὴν χέρσον ἄπιστον πλῆθος παντοίων ἰχθύων, οἳ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐν τῇ παραλίῳ μένουσι, νομῆς χάριν πλανώμενοι περὶ τὰς ὑποδύσεις καὶ τὰ κοιλώματα· ἐπὰν δʼ ὁ τῆς ἀμπώτεως ἔλθῃ χρόνος, τὸ μὲν ὑγρὸν ἐκ τοῦ κατʼ ὀλίγον διὰ τῶν κεχωσμένων λίθων καὶ φαράγγων ἀπορρεῖ, οἱ δʼ ἰχθῦς ἐν τοῖς κοιλώμασι καταλείπονται.
For whenever the flood-tide of the sea rushes violently upon the dry land, which it does twice a day, about the third and ninth hours, the sea, flooding, covers the entire rocky shore, and with a violent and massive wave brings along to the land an incredible multitude of all kinds of fish, which at first remain near the coast, wandering about the crevices and hollows for the sake of feeding; but when the time of the ebb-tide comes, the water flows back little by little through the blocked-up stones and clefts, while the fish are left behind in the hollows.
§3.15.5κατὰ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐγχωρίων μετὰ τέκνων καὶ γυναικῶν εἰς τὰς ῥαχίας ἀθροίζεται καθάπερ ἀφʼ ἑνὸς κελεύσματος.
At this time, the multitude of the inhabitants, with their children and wives, gathers at the rocky shores as if by a single command.
σχιζομένων δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων εἰς τὰ κατὰ μέρος συστήματα, πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους ἕκαστοι τόπους μετὰ βοῆς ἐξαισίου φέρονται, καθάπερ αἰφνιδίου τινὸς κυνηγίας ἐμπεπτωκυίας.
And the barbarians, dividing themselves into separate groups, rush each to their own places with an extraordinary shout, as if some sudden hunt had presented itself.
§3.15.6εἶθʼ αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες μετὰ τῶν παίδων τοὺς ἐλάττονας τῶν ἰχθύων καὶ πλησίον ὄντας τῆς χέρσου συλλαμβάνουσαι ῥίπτουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, οἱ δὲ τοῖς σώμασιν ἀκμάζοντες προσφέρουσι τὰς χεῖρας τοῖς διὰ τὸ μέγεθος δυσκαταγωνίστοις· ἐκπίπτουσι γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ πελάγους ὑπερμεγέθεις οὐ μόνον σκορπίοι καὶ μύραιναι καὶ κύνες, ἀλλὰ καὶ φῶκαι καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ξένα καὶ ταῖς ὄψεσι καὶ ταῖς προσηγορίαις·
Then the women with the children, seizing the smaller fish and those near the land, throw them onto the ground, while those in the prime of bodily strength lay hands on those which are difficult to master because of their size; for there are cast up from the deep very large not only scorpion-fish, moray eels, and sharks, but also seals and many other such creatures, strange both in appearance and in name.
§3.15.7ταῦτα δὲ τὰ θηρία καταμάχονται τεχνικῆς μὲν ὅπλων κατασκευῆς οὐδὲν ἔχοντες, κέρασι δὲ αἰγῶν ὀξέσι κατακεντοῦντες καὶ ταῖς ἀπορρῶξι πέτραις ἐπιτέμνοντες· πάντα γὰρ ἡ χρεία διδάσκει τὴν φύσιν, οἰκείως τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις καιροῖς ἁρμοζομένην πρὸς τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐλπίδος εὐχρηστίαν.
And they battle these beasts, having no manufactured weapons of art, but piercing them with sharp horns of wild goats and cutting them with jagged stones; for necessity teaches everything to nature, which adapts itself properly to the circumstances at hand for the sake of the utility expected.