§3.17.1τῆς μὲν οὖν ξηρᾶς τροφῆς τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον εὐποροῦσι, τῆς δʼ ὑγρᾶς παράδοξον ἔχουσι καὶ παντελῶς ἀπιστουμένην τὴν χρῆσιν.
In this manner, then, they are well supplied with dry food, but for liquid food they have a practice which is wonderful and entirely incredible.
ταῖς μὲν γὰρ θήραις προσκαρτεροῦσιν ἐφʼ ἡμέρας τέτταρας, εὐωχούμενοι πανδημεὶ μεθʼ ἱλαρότητος καὶ ταῖς ἀνάρθροις ᾠδαῖς ἀλλήλους ψυχαγωγοῦντες· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐπιμίσγονται τότε ταῖς γυναιξὶν αἷς ἂν τύχωσι παιδοποιίας ἕνεκα, πάσης ἀσχολίας ἀπολελυμένοι διὰ τὴν εὐκοπίαν καὶ τὴν ἑτοιμότητα τῆς τροφῆς.
For they persist in their hunting for four days, feasting together as a whole community with cheerfulness and entertaining one another with unarticulated songs; and in addition to this, they then couple with whatever women they happen upon for the sake of procreation, being released from all labor because of the ease and readiness with which their food is obtained.
§3.17.2τῇ δὲ πέμπτῃ πρὸς τὴν ὑπώρειαν ἐπείγονται πανδημεὶ ποτοῦ χάριν, ἔνθα συρρύσεις ὑδάτων γλυκέων εἰσί, πρὸς αἷς οἱ νομάδες τὰς ἀγέλας τῶν θρεμμάτων ποτίζουσιν.
But on the fifth day they hasten in a body to the foot of the mountains in quest of drink, where there are confluences of sweet water, beside which the nomads water their flocks of cattle.
§3.17.3ἡ δὲ ὁδοιπορία τούτων παραπλήσιος γίνεται ταῖς ἀγέλαις τῶν βοῶν, πάντων φωνὴν ἀφιέντων οὐκ ἔναρθρον, ἀλλʼ ἦχον μόνον ἀποτελοῦσαν.
And their journeying becomes very similar to that of herds of cattle, everyone uttering a voice which is not articulate, but produces a mere sound.
τῶν δὲ τέκνων τὰ μὲν νήπια παντελῶς αἱ μητέρες ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις φέρουσι, τὰ δὲ κεχωρισμένα τοῦ γάλακτος οἱ πατέρες, τὰ δʼ ὑπὲρ πενταετῆ χρόνον ὄντα προάγει μετὰ τῶν γονέων σὺν παιδιᾷ, πεπληρωμένα χαρᾶς, ὡς ἂν πρὸς τὴν ἡδίστην ἀπόλαυσιν ὁρμώμενα.
Of their children, the mothers carry the infants in their arms, while the fathers carry those that have been weaned from milk, and those who are over five years of age go on ahead with their parents in play, filled with joy, as though they were rushing toward the sweetest enjoyment.
§3.17.4ἡ γὰρ φύσις αὐτῶν ἀδιάστροφος οὖσα τὴν ἀναπλήρωσιν τῆς ἐνδείας ἡγεῖται μέγιστον ἀγαθόν, οὐδὲν τῶν ἐπεισάκτων ἡδέων ἐπιζητοῦσα.
For their nature, being undistorted, considers the satisfaction of their need to be the greatest good, seeking none of those imported pleasures.
ὅταν δὲ ταῖς τῶν νομάδων ποτίστραις ἐγγίσωσι καὶ τοῦ ποτοῦ πληρωθῶσι τὰς κοιλίας, ἐπανέρχονται, μόγις βαδίζοντες διὰ τὸ βάρος.
And when they draw near to the watering-places of the nomads and have filled their bellies with the drink, they return, walking with difficulty because of the weight.
§3.17.5κἀκείνην μὲν τὴν ἡμέραν οὐδενὸς γεύονται, κεῖται δʼ ἕκαστος ὑπεργέμων καὶ δύσπνους καὶ τὸ σύνολον παρεμφερὴς τῷ μεθύοντι.
And on that day they taste of nothing, but each lies stuffed full and short of breath, and on the whole very like a drunken man.
τῇ δʼ ἑξῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἰχθύων πάλιν τροφὴν ἀνακάμπτουσι· καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἡ δίαιτα κυκλεῖται παρʼ αὐτοῖς πάντα τὸν τοῦ ζῆν χρόνον.
But on the next day they return again to their diet of fish; and in this manner their mode of life goes in a circle among them all the time of their living.
οἱ μὲν οὖν τὴν παράλιον τὴν ἐντὸς τῶν στενῶν κατοικοῦντες οὕτω βιοῦσι, νόσοις μὲν διὰ τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς τροφῆς σπανίως περιπίπτοντες, ὀλιγοχρονιώτεροι δὲ πολὺ τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ὄντες.
Now those who inhabit the coast within the straits live in this way, falling rarely into diseases because of the simplicity of their food, but being much shorter-lived than those among us.