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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §5.26.1-5.26.3

Strong Winds of Galatia and Trade in Wine for Slaves

Passage 348 of 406 · Greek

Summary

After describing the natural phenomenon of violent winds in Galatia, the author explains that due to the cold climate, they produce beer and mead instead of wine and oil, and that Italian merchants exploit the Galatians' extreme love of wine by trading it for slaves on highly favorable terms.

§5.26.1ἴδιον δέ τι καὶ παράδοξον συμβαίνει κατὰ τὴν πλείστην τῆς Γαλατίας, περὶ οὗ παραλιπεῖν οὐκ ἄξιον ἡγούμεθα.
And something peculiar and extraordinary happens throughout the greater part of Galatia, which we do not think worthy to pass over.
ἀπὸ γὰρ θερινῆς δύσεως καὶ ἄρκτου πνεῖν εἰώθασιν ἄνεμοι τηλικαύτην ἔχοντες σφοδρότητα καὶ δύναμιν, ὥστε ἀναρπάζειν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς λίθους χειροπληθιαίους τοῖς μεγέθεσι καὶ τῶν ψηφίδων ἁδρομερῆ κονιορτόν· καθόλου δὲ καταιγίζοντες λάβρως ἁρπάζουσιν ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τὰ ὅπλα καὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας, ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἵππων τοὺς ἀναβάτας.
For from the summer sunset and the north, winds are accustomed to blow having such great violence and power that they snatch up from the earth stones as large as a handful and coarse dust of pebbles; and in general, storming violently, they snatch away the weapons and garments from the men, and the riders from their horses.
§5.26.2διὰ δὲ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ ψύχους διαφθειρομένης τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα κράσεως οὔτʼ οἶνον οὔτʼ ἔλαιον φέρει· διόπερ τῶν Γαλατῶν οἱ τούτων τῶν καρπῶν στερισκόμενοι πόμα κατασκευάζουσιν ἐκ τῆς κριθῆς τὸ προσαγορευόμενον ζῦθος, καὶ τὰ κηρία πλύνοντες τῷ τούτων ἀποπλύματι χρῶνται.
And because of the excess of cold, the temperature of the air being ruined, [the land] bears neither wine nor oil; wherefore those of the Galatae who are deprived of these fruits make a drink from barley, the one called zythos, and washing the honeycombs they use their washings.
§5.26.3κάτοινοι δʼ ὄντες καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν τὸν εἰσαγόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμπόρων οἶνον ἄκρατον ἐμφοροῦνται, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν λάβρῳ χρώμενοι τῷ ποτῷ καὶ μεθυσθέντες εἰς ὕπνον ἢ μανιώδεις διαθέσεις τρέπονται.
And being exceedingly fond of wine, they guzzle the wine imported by the merchants unmixed, and because of their desire, taking the drink greedily and getting drunk, they turn to sleep or mad dispositions.
διὸ καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν Ἰταλικῶν ἐμπόρων διὰ τὴν συνήθη φιλαργυρίαν ἕρμαιον ἡγοῦνται τὴν τῶν Γαλατῶν φιλοινίαν.
Wherefore also many of the Italian merchants, because of their habitual love of money, consider the Galatians' love of wine a godsend.
οὗτοι γὰρ διὰ μὲν τῶν πλωτῶν ποταμῶν πλοίοις, διὰ δὲ τῆς πεδιάδος χώρας ἁμάξαις κομίζοντες τὸν οἶνον, ἀντιλαμβάνουσι τιμῆς πλῆθος ἄπιστον· διδόντες γὰρ οἴνου κεράμιον ἀντιλαμβάνουσι παῖδα, τοῦ πόματος διάκονον ἀμειβόμενοι.
For these, conveying the wine by boats along the navigable rivers, and by wagons through the flat country, receive in return an unbelievable abundance of price; for giving a jar of wine, they receive in return a slave boy, exchanging a servant for the drink.

Notes

  1. 5.26.1θερινῆς δύσεως — The phrase θερινὴ δύσις (summer sunset) refers to the direction of the sunset at the summer solstice, which designates the "northwest" in ancient geographical and astronomical orientation, contrasted with the winter sunset (χειμερινὴ δύσις) for the southwest.
  2. 5.26.2διαφθειρομένης τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα κράσεως — Genitive absolute. The noun κρᾶσις (lit. "mixture") here refers to the temperature or climate (the blending of atmospheric elements). The phrase expresses the cause: "since the temperature of the air is ruined."
  3. 5.26.2φέρει — The subject of the verb φέρει (third-person singular) is omitted, but is to be understood from the context as "the land" (ἡ χώρα or ἡ Γαλατία) mentioned in the preceding sections.
  4. 5.26.3ἄκρατον — Used predicatively with the object τὸν ... οἶνον ("the wine... in an unmixed state"). Since Greeks habitually drank wine diluted with water, drinking it "unmixed" is highlighted as a barbarian characteristic.
  5. 5.26.3τοῦ πόματος διάκονον ἀμειβόμενοι — The verb ἀμείβομαι (here in the middle voice, "to exchange") takes an accusative of the thing obtained/given (διάκονον, in apposition to παῖδα) and a genitive of exchange/price (τοῦ πόματος). It means "exchanging a servant for the drink."

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §5.26.1-5.26.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:5.26.1-5.26.3

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