§4.83.1καὶ περὶ μὲν Ἀρισταίου τοῖς ῥηθεῖσιν ἀρκεσθησόμεθα, περὶ δὲ Δάφνιδος καὶ Ἔρυκος πειρασόμεθα διεθεῖν.
And concerning Aristaeus we shall be satisfied with what has been said, but concerning Daphnis and Eryx we shall endeavor to discuss.
Ἔρυκά φασιν υἱὸν μὲν γενέσθαι Ἀφροδίτης καὶ Βούτα, βασιλέως τινὸς ἐγχωρίου δόξῃ διαφέροντος· τοῦτον δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς εὐγένειαν θαυμασθῆναί τε ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων καὶ βασιλεῦσαι μέρους τῆς νήσου.
They say that Eryx was a son of Aphrodite and Butas, a certain local king distinguished in reputation; and that he, because of his noble birth on his mother's side, was admired by the locals and ruled over a part of the island.
κτίσαι δὲ καὶ πόλιν ἀξιόλογον ὁμώνυμον αὑτῷ, κειμένην ἐπί τινος ὑψηλοῦ τόπου· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἄκραν τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει τῆς μητρὸς ἱερὸν ἱδρύσασθαι, καὶ κοσμῆσαι τῇ τε κατασκευῇ τοῦ νεὼ καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀναθημάτων.
And that he also founded a noteworthy city named after himself, situated upon a certain high place; and on the citadel in the city he established a sanctuary of his mother, and adorned it both with the construction of the temple and with the multitude of votive offerings.
§4.83.2τὴν δὲ θεὸν διά τε τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων εὐσέβειαν καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ τεκνωθέντος υἱοῦ τιμὴν ἀγαπῆσαι περιττότερον τὴν πόλιν· διόπερ αὐτὴν Ἀφροδίτην Ἐρυκίνην ὀνομασθῆναι.
And that the goddess, both because of the piety of the locals and because of the honor shown by the son she had borne, loved the city exceedingly; for which reason she was named Erycinian Aphrodite.
θαυμάσαι δʼ ἄν τις εἰκότως ἀναλογισάμενος τὴν περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο γενομένην δόξαν·
And one might reasonably marvel, reflecting upon the fame that has accrued to this sanctuary.
§4.83.3τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα τεμένη ἀνθήσαντα ταῖς δόξαις πολλάκις διὰ περιστάσεις τινὰς τεταπείνωται, μόνον δὲ τοῦτο τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀρχὴν λαβὸν οὐδέποτε διέλιπε τιμώμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἀεὶ διετέλεσε πολλῆς τυγχάνον αὐξήσεως.
For while other sacred precincts, though having flourished in fame, have often been humbled because of certain circumstances, only this one, having taken its beginning from antiquity, never ceased to be honored, but on the contrary, always continued to receive great increase.
§4.83.4μετὰ γὰρ τὰς προειρημένας ὑπʼ Ἔρυκος τιμὰς ὕστερον Αἰνείας ὁ Ἀφροδίτης πλέων εἰς Ἰταλίαν καὶ προσορμισθεὶς τῇ νήσῳ πολλοῖς ἀναθήμασι τὸ ἱερόν, ὡς ἂν ἰδίας μητρὸς ὑπάρχον, ἐκόσμησε· μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἐπὶ πολλὰς γενεὰς τιμῶντες οἱ Σικανοὶ τὴν θεὸν θυσίαις τε μεγαλοπρεπέσι συνεχῶς καὶ ἀναθήμασιν ἐκόσμουν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Καρχηδόνιοι, μέρους τῆς Σικελίας κυριεύσαντες, οὐ διέλιπον τιμῶντες τὴν θεὸν διαφερόντως.
For after the aforementioned honors by Eryx, later Aeneas, the son of Aphrodite, sailing to Italy and putting in at the island, adorned the sanctuary with many votive offerings, as belonging to his own mother; and after him, for many generations, the Sicanians, honoring the goddess, continually adorned it with magnificent sacrifices and votive offerings; after this, the Carthaginians, having become masters of a part of Sicily, did not cease to honor the goddess exceptionally.
τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον Ῥωμαῖοι, πάσης Σικελίας κρατήσαντες, ὑπερεβάλοντο πάντας τοὺς πρὸ αὐτῶν ταῖς εἰς ταύτην τιμαῖς.
And finally, the Romans, having conquered all of Sicily, surpassed all who came before them in the honors paid to her.
§4.83.5καὶ τοῦτο εἰκότως ἐποίουν· τὸ γὰρ γένος εἰς ταύτην ἀναπέμποντες, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν ἐπιτυχεῖς ὄντες, τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς αὐξήσεως ἠμείβοντο ταῖς προσηκούσαις χάρισι καὶ τιμαῖς.
And they did this reasonably; for tracing their descent back to her, and being successful in their exploits because of this, they requited the cause of their greatness with appropriate thanks and honors.
§4.83.6οἱ μὲν γὰρ καταντῶντες εἰς τὴν νῆσον ὕπατοι καὶ στρατηγοὶ καὶ πάντες οἱ μετά τινος ἐξουσίας ἐπιδημοῦντες, ἐπειδὰν εἰς τὸν Ἔρυκα παραβάλωσι, μεγαλοπρεπέσι θυσίαις καὶ τιμαῖς κοσμοῦσι τὸ τέμενος, καὶ τὸ σκυθρωπὸν τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀποθέμενοι μεταβάλλουσιν εἰς παιδιὰς καὶ γυναικῶν ὁμιλίας μετὰ πολλῆς ἱλαρότητος, μόνως οὕτω νομίζοντες κεχαρισμένην τῇ θεῷ ποιήσειν τὴν ἑαυτῶν παρουσίαν·
For the consuls and generals who arrive on the island, and all who reside there with some authority, whenever they visit Eryx, adorn the sacred precinct with magnificent sacrifices and honors, and putting aside the gravity of their authority, they turn to amusements and the company of women with much gaiety, believing that only in this way will they make their own presence pleasing to the goddess.
§4.83.7ἥ τε σύγκλητος τῶν Ῥωμαίων εἰς τὰς τῆς θεοῦ τιμὰς φιλοτιμηθεῖσα τὰς μὲν πιστοτάτας τῶν κατὰ τὴν Σικελίαν πόλεων οὔσας ἑπτακαίδεκα χρυσοφορεῖν ἐδογμάτισε τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ καὶ στρατιώτας διακοσίους τηρεῖν τὸ ἱερόν.
And the Roman Senate, showing emulation in the honors paid to the goddess, decreed that seventeen of the cities in Sicily, which were the most faithful, should wear gold for Aphrodite and that two hundred soldiers should guard the sanctuary.
καὶ περὶ μὲν Ἐρυκος εἰ καὶ πεπλεονάκαμεν, ἀλλʼ οὖν οἰκείαν πεποιήμεθα τὴν περὶ τῆς θεᾶς
And as for Eryx, even if we have spoken at length, nonetheless we have made the [narrative] concerning the goddess our own.