§5.39.1ἡμεῖς δʼ ἐπεὶ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Γαλάτας καὶ τοὺς Κελτίβηρας, ἔτι δʼ Ἴβηρας διήλθομεν, ἐπὶ τοὺς Λίγυας μεταβησόμεθα.
But for our part, since we have traversed the history of the Galatians and the Celtiberians, and also the Iberians, we shall pass on to the Ligurians.
οὗτοι γὰρ νέμονται μὲν χώραν τραχεῖαν καὶ παντελῶς λυπράν, τοῖς δὲ πόνοις καὶ ταῖς κατὰ τὴν λειτουργίαν συνεχέσι κακοπαθείαις ἐπίπονόν τινα βίον καὶ ἀτυχῆ ζῶσι.
For these people inhabit a land that is rugged and utterly barren, and because of their labors and the continuous hardships in their work, they lead a painful and unfortunate life.
§5.39.2καταδένδρου γὰρ τῆς χώρας οὔσης, οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν ὑλοτομοῦσι δι’ ὅλης τῆς ἡμέρας σιδηροφοροῦντες ἐνεργοὺς πελέκεις καὶ βαρεῖς, οἱ δὲ τὴν γῆν ἐργαζόμενοι τὸ πλέον πέτρας λατομοῦσι διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς τραχύτητος· οὐδεμίαν γὰρ βῶλον τοῖς ἐργαλείοις ἀνασπῶσιν ἄνευ λίθου.
For since their land is heavily wooded, some of them cut wood throughout the entire day, carrying sharp and heavy iron axes, while others, who work the land, for the most part quarry stone because of the excessive ruggedness of the terrain; for they dig up no clod with their tools without a stone.
καὶ τοιαύτην ἔχοντες ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις κακοπάθειαν τῇ συνεχείᾳ περιγίνονται τῆς φύσεως, καὶ πολλὰ μοχθήσαντες ὀλίγους καρποὺς καὶ μόγις λαμβάνουσι.
And though they experience such hardship in their labors, they overcome nature by their persistence, and after much toil they receive only a scant crop, and that with difficulty.
διὰ δὲ τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν γυμνασιῶν καὶ τὸ τῆς τροφῆς ἐλλιπὲς τοῖς σώμασιν ὑπάρχουσιν ἰσχνοὶ καὶ εὔτονοι.
Because of the continuity of their physical exertions and the insufficiency of their food, they are lean and vigorous in their bodies.
πρὸς δὲ τὴν κακοπάθειαν ταύτην συνεργοὺς ἔχουσι τὰς γυναῖκας, εἰθισμένας ἐπʼ ἴσης τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐργάζεσθαι.
In this hardship they have as helpers their wives, who are accustomed to work on equal terms with the men.
§5.39.3κυνηγίας δὲ ποιοῦνται συνεχεῖς, ἐν αἷς πολλὰ τῶν θηρίων χειρούμενοι τὴν ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν σπάνιν διορθοῦνται.
And they engage in continuous hunting, in which, by capturing many wild beasts, they make up for the scarcity of crops.
διόπερ ἐμβιοῦντες ὄρεσι χιονοβολουμένοις καὶ τραχύτητας ἀπίστους ὀρειβατεῖν εἰωθότες, εὔτονοι καὶ μυώδεις γίνονται τοῖς σώμασιν.
Therefore, living as they do in mountains covered with snow, and being accustomed to climb heights of unbelievable ruggedness, they become vigorous and muscular in their bodies.
§5.39.4ἔνιοι δὲ διὰ τὴν παρʼ αὐτοῖς σπανοκαρπίαν πίνουσι μὲν ὕδωρ, σαρκοφαγοῦσι δὲ τὰς τῶν ἡμέρων τε καὶ ἀγρίων ζῴων σάρκας καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας λαχάνων ἐμπίμπλανται, τὴν χώραν ἔχοντες ἄβατον τοῖς προσφιλεστάτοις τῶν θεῶν Δήμητρι καὶ Διονύσῳ.
And some of them, because of the scarcity of crops among them, drink water, and eat the flesh of both domestic and wild animals, and fill themselves with the vegetables that grow in their country, since they possess a land unvisited by Demeter and Dionysus, the most beloved of the gods.
§5.39.5νυκτερεύουσι δʼ ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας σπανίως μὲν ἔν τισιν εὐτελέσιν ἐπαύλεσιν ἢ καλιαῖς, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ ἐν ταῖς κοίλαις πέτραις καὶ σπηλαίοις αὐτοφυέσι καὶ δυναμένοις σκέπην ἱκανὴν παρέχεσθαι.
And they spend their nights in the country only rarely in some cheap farmsteads or huts, but for the most part in hollow rocks and natural caves which are able to afford sufficient shelter.
§5.39.6ἀκολούθως δὲ τούτοις καὶ τἄλλα ποιοῦσι, διαφυλάττοντες τὸν ἀρχαῖον καὶ ἀκατάσκευον βίον.
In accordance with these things, they do everything else as well, preserving their ancient and unadorned way of life.
καθόλου δʼ ἐν τοῖς τόποις αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες ἀνδρῶν, οἱ δʼ ἄνδρες θηρίων ἔχουσιν εὐτονίαν καὶ ἀλκήν.
And in general, in those regions, the women possess the vigor and strength of men, and the men those of wild beasts.
πολλάκις γοῦν φασιν ἐν ταῖς στρατείαις τὸν μέγιστον τῶν Γαλατῶν ὑπὸ Λίγυος ἰσχνοῦ παντελῶς ἐκ προκλήσεως μονομαχήσαντα ἀνῃρῆσθαι.
At any rate, they say that often on military campaigns the largest of the Galatians, having fought in single combat upon a challenge, was slain by a completely lean Ligurian.
§5.39.7ὁπλισμὸν δʼ ἔχουσιν οἱ Λίγυες ἐλαφρότερον τῶν Ῥωμαίων τῇ κατασκευῇ· σκεπάζει γὰρ αὐτοὺς παραμήκης θυρεὸς εἰς τὸν Γαλατικὸν ῥυθμὸν δεδημιουργημένος καὶ χιτὼν συνειλημμένος ζωστῆρι, καὶ περιτίθενται θηρίων δορὰς καὶ ξίφος σύμμετρον·
And the Ligurians have armor that is lighter in its construction than that of the Romans; for they are protected by an oblong shield fashioned after the Galatian style, and a tunic gathered in by a belt, and they wrap themselves in the skins of wild beasts, and carry a sword of moderate size.
τινὲς δʼ αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας μετεσχημάτισαν τὸν ὁπλισμόν, ἐξομοιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς ἡγουμένοις.
But some of them, because of their intercourse with the Roman state, have changed their armor, making themselves like their rulers.
§5.39.8θρασεῖς δʼ εἰσὶ καὶ γενναῖοι οὐ μόνον εἰς πόλεμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐν τῷ βίῳ περιστάσεις τὰς ἐχούσας δεινότητας.
And they are bold and brave, not only in war, but also towards those situations in life which present difficulties.
ἐμπορευόμενοι γὰρ πλέουσι τὸ Σαρδόνιον καὶ τὸ Λιβυκὸν πέλαγος, ἑτοίμως ἑαυτοὺς ῥιπτοῦντες εἰς ἀβοηθήτους κινδύνους· σκάφεσι γὰρ χρώμενοι τῶν σχεδιῶν εὐτελεστέροις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς κατὰ ναῦν χρησίμοις ἥκιστα κατεσκευασμένοις ὑπομένουσι τὰς ἐκ τῶν χειμώνων φοβερωτάτας περιστάσεις καταπληκτικῶς.
For they sail on trading voyages through the Sardinian and Libyan seas, readily throwing themselves into dangers from which there is no rescue; for employing vessels cheaper than rafts and very poorly equipped with other things useful for a ship, they endure the most fearsome situations arising from storms in an astonishing manner.