§3.61.1Κρόνον δὲ μυθολογοῦσιν, ἀδελφὸν μὲν Ἄτλαντος ὄντα, διαφέροντα δʼ ἀσεβείᾳ καὶ πλεονεξίᾳ, γῆμαι τὴν ἀδελφὴν Ῥέαν, ἐξ ἧς γεννῆσαι Δία τὸν Ὀλύμπιον ὕστερον ἐπικληθέντα.
They mythologize that Cronus, who was the brother of Atlas, but distinguished for his impiety and greed, married his sister Rhea, from whom he begot Zeus, who was later called the Olympian.
γεγονέναι δὲ καὶ ἕτερον Δία, τὸν ἀδελφὸν μὲν Οὐρανοῦ, τῆς δὲ Κρήτης βασιλεύσαντα, τῇ δόξῃ πολὺ λειπόμενον τοῦ μεταγενεστέρου.
And that there was also another Zeus, the brother of Uranus, who ruled over Crete, but fell far short of the later one in reputation.
§3.61.2τοῦτον μὲν οὖν βασιλεῦσαι τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου, τὸν δὲ προγενέστερον, δυναστεύοντα τῆς προειρημένης νήσου, δέκα παῖδας γεννῆσαι τοὺς ὀνομασθέντας Κούρητας· προσαγορεῦσαι δὲ καὶ τὴν νῆσον ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς Ἰδαίαν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τελευτήσαντα ταφῆναι, δεικνυμένου τοῦ τὴν ταφὴν δεξαμένου τόπου μέχρι τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς χρόνων.
This one, then, ruled over the entire cosmos, but the elder one, ruling over the aforementioned island, begat ten children who were named Curetes; and he also called the island Idaea after his wife, where he died and was buried, the place which received his grave being pointed out down to our own times.
§3.61.3οὐ μὴν οἵ γε Κρῆτες ὁμολογούμενα τούτοις μυθολογοῦσι, περὶ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐν τοῖς περὶ Κρήτης τὰ κατὰ μέρος ἀναγράψομεν· δυναστεῦσαι δέ φασι τὸν Κρόνον κατὰ Σικελίαν καὶ Λιβύην, ἔτι δὲ τὴν Ἰταλίαν, καὶ τὸ σύνολον ἐν τοῖς πρὸς ἑσπέραν τόποις συστήσασθαι τὴν βασιλείαν· παρὰ πᾶσι δὲ φρουραῖς διακατέχειν τὰς ἀκροπόλεις καὶ τοὺς ὀχυροὺς τῶν τόπων· ἀφʼ οὗ δὴ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν χρόνου κατά τε τὴν Σικελίαν καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν νεύοντα μέρη πολλοὺς τῶν ὑψηλῶν τόπων ἀπʼ ἐκείνου Κρόνια προσαγορεύεσθαι.
However, the Cretans do not relate myths in agreement with these things, concerning which we shall write in detail in our account of Crete; but they say that Cronus ruled over Sicily and Libya, and also Italy, and in general established his kingdom in the regions toward the west; and that he held the acropolises and the strongholds of these places everywhere with garrisons; from which circumstance indeed, down to the present time, throughout Sicily and the parts inclining toward the west, many of the high places are called Cronia after him.
§3.61.4Κρόνου δὲ γενόμενον υἱὸν Δία τὸν ἐναντίον τῷ πατρὶ βίον ζηλῶσαι, καὶ παρεχόμενον ἑαυτὸν πᾶσιν ἐπιεικῆ καὶ φιλάνθρωπον ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους πατέρα προσαγορευθῆναι.
And they say that Zeus, the son born of Cronus, emulated a life opposite to that of his father, and showing himself gentle and benevolent to all, was called "father" by the multitude.
διαδέξασθαι δʼ αὐτόν φασι τὴν βασιλείαν οἱ μὲν ἑκουσίως τοῦ πατρὸς παραχωρήσαντος, οἱ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν ὄχλων αἱρεθέντα διὰ τὸ μῖσος τὸ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα· ἐπιστρατεύσαντος δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τοῦ Κρόνου μετὰ τῶν Τιτάνων κρατῆσαι τῇ μάχῃ τὸν Δία, καὶ κύριον γενόμενον τῶν ὅλων ἐπελθεῖν ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, εὐεργετοῦντα τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
And they say that he succeeded to the kingdom, some because his father voluntarily yielded it, others because he was chosen by the crowds due to their hatred toward his father; and when Cronus made war against him with the Titans, Zeus prevailed in the battle, and becoming master of all, visited the whole inhabited world, conferring benefits upon the race of mankind.
§3.61.5διενεγκεῖν δʼ αὐτὸν καὶ σώματος ῥώμῃ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ἁπάσαις ἀρεταῖς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ταχὺ κύριον γενέσθαι τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου.
And that he excelled both in bodily strength and in all other virtues, and for this reason quickly became master of the entire cosmos.
καθόλου δʼ αὐτὸν τὴν ἅπασαν σπουδὴν ἔχειν εἰς κόλασιν μὲν τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ πονηρῶν, εὐεργεσίαν δὲ τῶν ὄχλων.
And in general, he directed his whole endeavor toward the punishment of the impious and wicked, and the benefit of the crowds.
§3.61.6ἀνθʼ ὧν μετὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων μετάστασιν ὀνομασθῆναι μὲν Ζῆνα διὰ τὸ δοκεῖν τοῦ καλῶς ζῆν αἴτιον γενέσθαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καθιδρυθῆναι δʼ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τῇ τῶν εὖ παθόντων τιμῇ, πάντων προθύμως ἀναγορευόντων θεὸν καὶ κύριον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου.
In return for these things, after his departure from among men, he was named Zena because he was thought to have been the cause of living well for mankind, and was established in the cosmos by the honor of those who had received his benefits, all men eagerly proclaiming him god and lord forever of the entire cosmos.
τῶν μὲν οὖν παρὰ τοῖς Ἀτλαντίοις θεολογουμένων τὰ κεφάλαια ταῦτʼ ἔστιν.
These, then, are the main points of the mythology concerning the gods among the Atlantians.