§5.14.1οἱ δʼ ἐγχώριοι τροφαῖς μὲν χρῶνται γάλακτι καὶ μέλιτι καὶ κρέασι, δαψιλῶς πάντα ταῦτα παρεχομένης τῆς χώρας, τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἀλλήλους βιοῦσιν ἐπιεικῶς καὶ δικαίως παρὰ πάντας σχεδὸν τοὺς ἄλλους βαρβάρους· τά τε γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ὀρεινὴν ἐν τοῖς δένδρεσιν εὑρισκόμενα κηρία τῶν πρώτων εὑρισκόντων ἐστί, μηδενὸς ἀμφισβητοῦντος, τά τε πρόβατα σημείοις διειλημμένα, κἂν μηδεὶς φυλάττῃ, σώζεται τοῖς κεκτημένοις, ἔν τε ταῖς ἄλλαις ταῖς ἐν τῷ βίῳ κατὰ μέρος οἰκονομίαις θαυμαστῶς προτιμῶσι τὸ δικαιοπραγεῖν.
The natives use milk, honey, and meat for food, since the land provides all these abundantly, and in their relations with one another they live more reasonably and justly than almost all other barbarians; for the honeycombs found in the trees in the mountainous country belong to those who first find them, without anyone disputing it, and the sheep, which are distinguished by marks, are kept safe for their owners even if no one guards them, and in the other details of life in their individual affairs they marvelously honor upright dealing.
§5.14.2παραδοξότατον δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ παρʼ αὐτοῖς γινόμενον κατὰ τὰς τῶν τέκνων γενέσεις· ὅταν γὰρ ἡ γυνὴ τέκῃ, ταύτης μὲν οὐδεμία γίνεται περὶ τὴν λοχείαν ἐπιμέλεια, ὁ δʼ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ἀναπεσὼν ὡς νοσῶν λοχεύεται τακτὰς ἡμέρας, ὡς τοῦ σώματος αὐτῷ κακοπαθοῦντος·
But the most extraordinary thing that happens among them is in connection with the births of their children; for when the woman gives birth, no care is taken of her regarding her confinement, but her husband, lying down as if he were sick, undergoes confinement for a fixed number of days, as though his own body were suffering.
§5.14.3φύεται δὲ κατὰ τὴν νῆσον ταύτην καὶ πύξος πλείστη καὶ διάφορος, διʼ ἣν καὶ τὸ μέλι τὸ γινόμενον ἐν ταύτῃ παντελῶς γίνεται πικρόν.
There grows on this island also an abundance of boxwood of excellent quality, because of which the honey produced in it becomes entirely bitter.
κατοικοῦσι δʼ αὐτὴν βάρβαροι, τὴν διάλεκτον ἔχοντες ἐξηλλαγμένην καὶ δυσκατανόητον· τὸν δʼ ἀριθμὸν ὑπάρχουσιν ὑπὲρ τοὺς τρισμυρίους.
The inhabitants of the island are barbarians, having a language that is strange and difficult to understand, and in number they are over thirty thousand.