§4.73.1τούτων δʼ ἡμῖν διευκρινημένων πειρασόμεθα διελθεῖν περὶ Πέλοπος καὶ Ταντάλου καὶ Οἰνομάου· ἀναγκαῖον δὲ τοῖς χρόνοις προσαναδραμόντας ἡμᾶς ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἅπαντα διελθεῖν.
These matters having been clarified by us, we shall attempt to discuss Pelops, Tantalus, and Oenomaus; and it is necessary for us to run back in time and discuss everything in summary from the beginning.
κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Πελοπόννησον ἐν πόλει Πίσῃ Ἄρης Ἁρπίνῃ τῇ Ἀσωποῦ θυγατρὶ μιγεὶς ἐγέννησεν Οἰνόμαον.
For in the Peloponnese, in the city of Pisa, Ares united with Harpina, the daughter of Asopus, and begot Oenomaus.
§4.73.2οὗτος δὲ θυγατέρα μονογενῆ γεννήσας ὠνόμασεν Ἱπποδάμειαν.
And he, having begotten an only daughter, named her Hippodameia.
χρηστηριαζομένῳ δʼ αὐτῷ περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς ἔχρησεν ὁ θεὸς τότε τελευτήσειν αὐτὸν ὅταν ἡ θυγάτηρ Ἱπποδάμεια συνοικήσῃ.
When he consulted the oracle concerning his death, the god declared to him that he would die at that time when his daughter Hippodameia should marry.
εὐλαβούμενον οὖν αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ γάμου τῆς θυγατρὸς κρῖναι ταύτην παρθένον διαφυλάττειν, ὑπολαμβάνοντα μόνως οὕτως ἐκφεύξεσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον.
Therefore, being cautious about his daughter's marriage, he decided to keep her a virgin, supposing that only in this way would he escape the danger.
§4.73.3διόπερ πολλῶν μνηστευομένων τὴν κόρην, ἆθλον προετίθει τοῖς βουλομένοις αὐτὴν γῆμαι τοιοῦτον· ἔδει τὸν μὲν ἡττηθέντα τελευτῆσαι, τὸν δʼ ἐπιτυχόντα γαμεῖν τὴν κόρην.
Therefore, when many courted the girl, he proposed such a contest to those who wished to marry her: it was necessary for the defeated to die, but for the successful to marry the girl.
ὑπεστήσατο δʼ ἱπποδρομίαν ἀπὸ τῆς Πίσης μέχρι τοῦ κατὰ Κόρινθον Ἰσθμοῦ πρὸς τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος, τὴν δʼ ἄφεσιν τῶν ἵππων ἐποίησε τοιαύτην.
And he established a chariot race from Pisa as far as the Isthmus of Corinth to the altar of Poseidon, and he made the starting of the horses as follows.
§4.73.4ὁ μὲν Οἰνόμαος ἔθυε κριὸν τῷ Διί, ὁ δὲ μνηστευόμενος ἐξώρμα τέθριππον ἐλαύνων ἅρμα· ἁγισθέντων δὲ τῶν ἱερῶν, τότε ἄρχεσθαι τοῦ δρόμου τὸν Οἰνόμαον καὶ διώκειν τὸν μνηστῆρα, ἔχοντα δόρυ καὶ ἡνίοχον τὸν Μυρτίλον· εἰ δʼ ἐφίκοιτο καταλαβεῖν τὸ διωκόμενον ἅρμα, τύπτειν τῷ δόρατι καὶ διαφθείρειν τὸν μνηστῆρα.
While Oenomaus sacrificed a ram to Zeus, the suitor set out driving a four-horse chariot; when the sacred rites had been performed, only then did Oenomaus begin the race and pursue the suitor, having a spear and Myrtilus as his charioteer; and if he should succeed in catching up with the pursued chariot, he would strike the suitor with his spear and kill him.
τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ τοὺς ἀεὶ μνηστευομένους καταλαμβάνων διὰ τὴν ὀξύτητα τῶν ἵππων πολλοὺς ἀνῄρει.
In this manner, catching up with successive suitors because of the swiftness of his horses, he put many to death.
§4.73.5Πέλοψ δʼ ὁ Ταντάλου καταντήσας εἰς Πῖσαν, καὶ θεασάμενος τὴν Ἱπποδάμειαν, ἐπεθύμησε τοῦ γάμου· φθείρας δὲ τὸν ἡνίοχον τοῦ Οἰνομάου Μυρτίλον, καὶ λαβὼν συνεργὸν πρὸς τὴν νίκην, ἔφθασε παραγενόμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσθμὸν πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος βωμόν.
But Pelops, the son of Tantalus, having arrived at Pisa and having beheld Hippodameia, desired the marriage; and having corrupted Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaus, and having obtained him as a helper for the victory, he anticipated him by arriving at the Isthmus to the altar of Poseidon.
§4.73.6ὁ δʼ Οἰνόμαος τὸ λόγιον τετελέσθαι νομίζων, καὶ διὰ τὴν λύπην ἀθυμήσας, αὑτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ζῆν μετέστησε.
And Oenomaus, believing that the oracle had been fulfilled, and losing heart because of his grief, removed himself from life.
τούτῳ δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ Πέλοψ γήμας τὴν Ἱπποδάμειαν παρέλαβε τὴν ἐν Πίσῃ βασιλείαν, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀνδρείαν καὶ σύνεσιν ἀεὶ μᾶλλον αὐξόμενος τοὺς πλείστους τῶν κατὰ τὴν Πελοπόννησον οἰκούντων προσηγάγετο, καὶ τὴν χώραν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ Πελοπόννησον προσηγόρευσεν.
In this manner Pelops, having married Hippodameia, took over the kingship in Pisa, and growing ever greater because of his bravery and understanding, won over most of those dwelling in the Peloponnese, and called the country Peloponnese after himself.