§4.7.1περὶ δὲ τῶν Μουσῶν, ἐπειδήπερ ἐμνήσθημεν ἐν ταῖς τοῦ Διονύσου πράξεσιν, οἰκεῖον ἂν εἴη διελθεῖν ἐν κεφαλαίοις.
Now, concerning the Muses, since we made mention of them in the deeds of Dionysus, it would be appropriate to treat of them in summary.
ταύτας γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν μυθογράφων καὶ μάλιστα δεδοκιμασμένοι φασὶ θυγατέρας εἶναι Διὸς καὶ Μνημοσύνης· ὀλίγοι δὲ τῶν ποιητῶν, ἐν οἷς ἐστι καὶ Ἀλκμάν, θυγατέρας ἀποφαίνονται Οὐρανοῦ καὶ Γῆς.
For the majority of mythographers, and especially the most esteemed, say that they are daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; but a few of the poets, among whom is also Alcman, declare them to be daughters of Ouranos and Ge.
§4.7.2ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν διαφωνοῦσιν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ τρεῖς λέγουσιν, οἱ δʼ ἐννέα, καὶ κεκράτηκεν ὁ τῶν ἐννέα ἀριθμὸς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων ἀνδρῶν βεβαιούμενος, λέγω δὲ Ὁμήρου τε καὶ Ἡσιόδου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων.
Likewise, they also disagree regarding their number; for some say they are three, and others nine, and the number of nine has prevailed, being confirmed by the most illustrious men, I mean both Homer and Hesiod and others of such kind.
Ὅμηρος μὲν γὰρ λέγει
"Μοῦσαι δʼ ἐννέα πᾶσαι ἀμειβόμεναι ὀπὶ καλῇ· "
Ησίοδος δὲ καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἀποφαίνεται λέγων
"Κλειώ τʼ Εὐτέρπη τε Θάλειά τε Μελπομένη τε Τερψιχόρη τʼ Ἐρατώ τε Πολύμνιά τʼ Οὐρανίη τε Καλλιόπη θʼ, ἥ σφεων προφερεστάτη ἐστὶν ἁπασέων. " §4.7.3τούτων δʼ ἑκάστῃ προσάπτουσι τὰς οἰκείας διαθέσεις τῶν περὶ μουσικὴν ἐπιτηδευμάτων, οἷον ποιητικήν, μελῳδίαν, ὀρχήσεις καὶ χορείας, ἀστρολογίαν τε καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων.
For Homer says: "And all nine Muses replying with beautiful voice;" and Hesiod also declares their names, saying: "Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, and Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, and Urania, and Calliope, who is the most excellent of them all." To each of these they assign the appropriate disposition of the pursuits concerning music, such as poetry, song, dances and choral performances, astronomy, and the rest of the pursuits.
παρθένους δʼ αὐτὰς οἱ πλεῖστοι μυθολογοῦσι διὰ τὸ τὰς κατὰ τὴν παιδείαν ἀρετὰς ἀφθόρους δοκεῖν εἶναι.
And most mythologize them as virgins, because the virtues of education seem to be undefiled.
§4.7.4Μούσας δʼ αὐτὰς ὠνομάσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μυεῖν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ διδάσκειν τὰ καλὰ καὶ συμφέροντα καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπαιδεύτων ἀγνοούμενα.
And they say that the Muses themselves were named from initiating men, which means from teaching beautiful and beneficial things that are unknown by the uneducated.
ἑκάστῃ δὲ προσηγορίᾳ τὸν οἰκεῖον λόγον ἀπονέμοντές φασιν ὠνομάσθαι τὴν μὲν Κλειὼ διὰ τὸ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ποιήσεως τῶν ἐγκωμιαζομένων ἔπαινον μέγα κλέος περιποιεῖν τοῖς ἐπαινουμένοις, Εὐτέρπην δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέρπειν τοὺς ἀκροωμένους τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς παιδείας ἀγαθοῖς, Θάλειαν δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ θάλλειν ἐπὶ πολλοὺς χρόνους τοὺς διὰ τῶν ποιημάτων ἐγκωμιαζομένους, Μελπομένην δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς μελῳδίας, διʼ ἧς τοὺς ἀκούοντας ψυχαγωγεῖσθαι, Τερψιχόρην δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέρπειν τοὺς ἀκροατὰς τοῖς ἐκ παιδείας περιγινομένοις ἀγαθοῖς, Ἐρατὼ δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ τοὺς παιδευθέντας ποθεινοὺς καὶ ἐπεράστους ἀποτελεῖν, Πολύμνιαν δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ διὰ πολλῆς ὑμνήσεως ἐπιφανεῖς κατασκευάζειν τοὺς διὰ τῶν ποιημάτων ἀπαθανατιζομένους τῇ δόξῃ, Οὐρανίαν δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ τοὺς παιδευθέντας ὑπʼ αὐτῆς ἐξαίρεσθαι πρὸς οὐρανόν· τῇ γὰρ δόξῃ καὶ τοῖς φρονήμασι μετεωρίζεσθαι τὰς ψυχὰς εἰς ὕψος οὐράνιον· Καλλιόπην δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ καλὴν ὄπα προΐεσθαι, τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ τῇ εὐεπείᾳ διάφορον οὖσαν ἀποδοχῆς τυγχάνειν ὑπο τῶν ἀκουόντων.
And assigning the appropriate explanation to each appellation, they say that Clio was so named because the praise arising from the poetry of those who are lauded procures great glory for those who are praised; Euterpe, from delighting the hearers with the good things derived from education; Thalia, from making those who are lauded through poems flourish for a long time; Melpomene, from the song by which the hearers are captivated; Terpsichore, from delighting the hearers with the good things obtained from education; Erato, from rendering those who have been educated desirable and lovely; Polyhymnia, from making those who are immortalized in glory through poems illustrious by means of much singing; Urania, from those who have been educated by her being raised to heaven, for the souls are elevated to the heavenly height by glory and high thoughts; and Calliope, from uttering a beautiful voice, which means that by being distinguished in eloquence she meets with acceptance by the hearers.
τούτων δʼ ἡμῖν ἀρκούντως εἰρημένων μεταβιβάσομεν τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὰς Ἡρακλέους πράξεις.
Since these things have been sufficiently spoken of by us, we shall transfer our discourse to the deeds of Heracles.