§4.6.1περὶ δὲ Πριάπου καὶ τῶν μυθολογουμένων περὶ αὐτοῦ νῦν διέξιμεν, οἰκεῖον ὁρῶντες τὸν περὶ τούτου λόγον ταῖς Διονυσιακαῖς ἱστορίαις.
Now we shall treat of Priapus and the myths related about him, seeing that the discussion concerning him is appropriate to the histories of Dionysus.
μυθολογοῦσιν οὖν οἱ παλαιοὶ τὸν Πρίαπον υἱὸν μὲν εἶναι Διονύσου καὶ Ἀφροδίτης, πιθανῶς τὴν γένεσιν ταύτην ἐξηγούμενοι· τοὺς γὰρ οἰνωθέντας φυσικῶς ἐντετάσθαι πρὸς τὰς ἀφροδισιακὰς ἡδονάς.
The ancients, then, mythologize that Priapus is the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, explaining this birth plausibly; for those who are drunk are naturally excited toward sexual pleasures.
§4.6.2τινὲς δέ φασι τὸ αἰδοῖον τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοὺς παλαιοὺς μυθωδῶς ὀνομάζειν βουλομένους Πρίαπον προσαγορεῦσαι.
But some say that the ancients, wishing to name the generative organ of men mythologically, called it Priapus.
ἔνιοι δὲ λέγουσι τὸ γεννητικὸν μόριον, αἴτιον ὑπάρχον τῆς γενέσεως τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ διαμονῆς εἰς ἅπαντα τὸν αἰῶνα, τυχεῖν τῆς ἀθανάτου τιμῆς.
And some say that the generative part, being the cause of the birth of men and of their continuation for all eternity, obtained immortal honor.
§4.6.3οἱ δʼ Αἰγύπτιοι περὶ τοῦ Πριάπου μυθολογοῦντές φασι τὸ παλαιὸν τοὺς Τιτᾶνας ἐπιβουλεύσαντας Ὀσίριδι τοῦτον μὲν ἀνελεῖν, τὸ δὲ σῶμα αὐτοῦ διελόντας εἰς ἴσας μερίδας ἑαυτοῖς καὶ λαβόντας ἀπενεγκεῖν ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας λαθραίως, μόνον δὲ τὸ αἰδοῖον εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ῥῖψαι διὰ τὸ μηδένα βούλεσθαι τοῦτο ἀνελέσθαι.
And the Egyptians, telling myths about Priapus, say that in ancient times the Titans, having plotted against Osiris, slew him, and having divided his body into equal parts among themselves, took them and carried them away secretly from their homes, but threw only his generative organ into the river, because no one wished to take this up.
τὴν δὲ Ἶσιν τὸν φόνον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀναζητοῦσαν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν Τιτᾶνας ἀνελοῦσαν, τὰ δὲ τοῦ σώματος μέρη περιπλάσασαν εἰς ἀνθρώπου τύπον, ταῦτα μὲν δοῦναι θάψαι τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τιμᾶν προστάξαι ὡς θεὸν τὸν Ὄσιριν, τὸ δὲ αἰδοῖον μόνον οὐ δυναμένην ἀνευρεῖν καταδεῖξαι τιμᾶν ὡς θεὸν καὶ ἀναθεῖναι κατὰ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐντεταμένον.
But Isis, searching for the murder of her husband, and having slain the Titans, molded the parts of the body into the form of a man, and gave these to the priests to bury, commanding them to honor Osiris as a god; but since she was unable to find the generative organ alone, she established that they should honor it as a god and dedicate it in the temple in an erect state.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς γενέσεως τοῦ Πριάπου καὶ τῆς τιμῆς τοιαῦτα μυθολογεῖται παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων.
Concerning the birth of Priapus, then, and his honor, such are the myths told among the ancient Egyptians.
§4.6.4τοῦτον δὲ τὸν θεὸν τινὲς μὲν Ἰθύφαλλον ὀνομάζουσι, τινὲς δὲ Τύχωνα.
And some name this god 'Ithyphallos', and some 'Tychon'.
τὰς δὲ τιμὰς οὐ μόνον κατὰ πόλιν ἀπονέμουσιν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἀγροικίας ὀπωροφύλακα τῶν ἀμπελώνων ἀποδεικνύντες καὶ τῶν κήπων, ἔτι δὲ πρὸς τοὺς βασκαίνοντάς τι τῶν καλῶν τοῦτον κολαστὴν παρεισάγοντες.
And they pay him honors not only in the city, but also in the countryside, appointing him as a guardian of the vineyards and gardens, and moreover introducing him as a punisher against those who cast an evil eye on any of beautiful things.
ἔν τε ταῖς τελεταῖς οὐ μόνον ταῖς Διονυσιακαῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις σχεδὸν ἁπάσαις οὗτος ὁ θεὸς τυγχάνει τινὸς τιμῆς, μετὰ γέλωτος καὶ παιδιᾶς παρεισαγόμενος ἐν ταῖς θυσίαις.
And in the initiatory rites, not only the Dionysiac but also almost all others, this god obtains some honor, being introduced in the sacrifices with laughter and playfulness.
§4.6.5παραπλησίως δὲ τῷ Πριάπῳ τινὲς μυθολογοῦσι γεγενῆσθαι τὸν ὀνομαζόμενον Ἑρμαφρόδιτον, ὃν ἐξ Ἑρμοῦ καὶ Ἀφροδίτης γεννηθέντα τυχεῖν τῆς ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν γονέων συντεθείσης προσηγορίας.
Similarly to Priapus, some say in myth that the one named Hermaphroditus was born, who, being born of Hermes and Aphrodite, obtained the appellation compounded from both parents.
τοῦτον δʼ οἱ μέν φασιν εἶναι θεὸν καὶ κατά τινας χρόνους φαίνεσθαι παρʼ ἀνθρώποις, καὶ γεννᾶσθαι τὴν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν ἔχοντα μεμιγμένην ἐξ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικός· καὶ τὴν μὲν εὐπρέπειαν καὶ μαλακότητα τοῦ σώματος ἔχειν γυναικὶ παρεμφερῆ, τὸ δʼ ἀρρενωπὸν καὶ δραστικὸν ἀνδρὸς ἔχειν· ἔνιοι δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα γένη ταῖς φύσεσιν ἀποφαίνονται τέρατα ὑπάρχειν, καὶ γεννώμενα σπανίως προσημαντικὰ γίνεσθαι ποτὲ μὲν κακῶν ποτὲ δʼ ἀγαθῶν.
And some say that he is a god and appears at certain times among men, and is born having the nature of his body mixed of man and woman; and that he has the beauty and softness of the body resembling a woman, but has the masculinity and activity of a man; but some declare that such kinds are portents in their natures, and, being born rarely, become predictive sometimes of evils, sometimes of good things.
καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν τοιούτων ἅλις ἡμῖν ἐχέτω.
And concerning such matters let what has been said suffice for us.