§5.46.1οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται λαμβάνοντες τὰς μεμερισμένας συντάξεις φυλάττουσι τὴν χώραν, διειληφότες ὀχυρώμασι καὶ παρεμβολαῖς· ἔστι γάρ τι μέρος τῆς χώρας ἔχον λῃστήρια θρασέων καὶ παρανόμων ἀνθρώπων, οἳ τοὺς γεωργοὺς ἐνεδρεύοντες πολεμοῦσι τούτους.
And the soldiers, receiving their allotted allowances, guard the country, having stationed themselves in fortresses and encampments; for there is a certain part of the country which has haunts of bold and lawless robbers, who, lying in wait for the farmers, make war upon them.
§5.46.2αὐτοὶ δʼ οἱ ἱερεῖς πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων ὑπερέχουσι τρυφῇ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις ταῖς ἐν τῷ βίῳ καθαρειότησι καὶ πολυτελείαις· στολὰς μὲν γὰρ ἔχουσι λινᾶς, τῇ λεπτότητι καὶ μαλακότητι διαφόρους, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν μαλακωτάτων ἐρίων κατεσκευασμένας ἐσθῆτας φοροῦσι· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις μίτρας ἔχουσι χρυσοϋφεῖς· τὴν δʼ ὑπόδεσιν ἔχουσι σανδάλια ποικίλα φιλοτέχνως εἰργασμένα· χρυσοφοροῦσι δʼ ὁμοίως ταῖς γυναιξὶ πλὴν τῶν ἐνωτίων.
The priests themselves far surpass the others in luxury and in the other cleanliness and elegances of life; for they have linen robes, outstanding for their fineness and softness, and sometimes they also wear garments made of the softest wool; and in addition to these, they have headdresses woven with gold; and for footwear they have decorated sandals, artistically crafted; and they wear gold ornaments similarly to the women, except for earrings.
προσεδρεύουσι δὲ μάλιστα ταῖς τῶν θεῶν θεραπείαις καὶ τοῖς περὶ τούτων ὕμνοις τε καὶ ἐγκωμίοις, μετʼ ᾠδῆς τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς εἰς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίας διαπορευόμενοι.
And they devote themselves especially to the service of the gods and to hymns and praises concerning them, recounting in song their deeds and their benefactions to mankind.
§5.46.3μυθολογοῦσι δʼ οἱ ἱερεῖς τὸ γένος αὐτοῖς ἐκ Κρήτης ὑπάρχειν, ὑπὸ Διὸς ἠγμένοις εἰς τὴν Παγχαίαν, ὅτε κατʼ ἀνθρώπους ὢν ἐβασίλευε τῆς οἰκουμένης· καὶ τούτων σημεῖα φέρουσι τῆς διαλέκτου, δεικνύντες τὰ πολλὰ διαμένειν παρʼ αὑτοῖς Κρητικῶς ὀνομαζόμενα· τήν τε πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἰκειότητα καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐκ προγόνων παρειληφέναι, τῆς φήμης ταύτης τοῖς ἐκγόνοις παραδιδομένης ἀεί.
And the priests relate in myth that their race was originally from Crete, having been brought by Zeus to Panchaea, when he, being among men, was ruling the inhabited world; and of these things they bring forward proofs from their dialect, showing that many things among them continue to be called in the Cretan tongue; and that they have inherited from their ancestors their kinship and goodwill toward them, this tradition being handed down to their descendants always.
ἐδείκνυον δὲ καὶ ἀναγραφὰς τούτων, ἃς ἔφασαν τὸν Δία πεποιῆσθαι καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἔτι κατʼ ἀνθρώπους ὢν ἱδρύσατο τὸ ἱερόν.
And they also pointed to records of these things, which they said Zeus had made at the time when, still being among men, he founded the temple.
§5.46.4ἔχει δʼ ἡ χώρα μέταλλα δαψιλῆ χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ χαλκοῦ καὶ καττιτέρου καὶ σιδήρου· καὶ τούτων οὐδὲν ἔστιν ἐξενεγκεῖν ἐκ τῆς νήσου, τοῖς δʼ ἱερεῦσιν οὐδʼ ἐξελθεῖν τὸ παράπαν ἐκ τῆς καθιερωμένης χώρας· τὸν δʼ ἐξελθόντα ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ περιτυχὼν ἀποκτεῖναι.
And the country has abundant mines of gold and silver and bronze and tin and iron; and of these things it is not permitted to export anything from the island, and for the priests, it is not permitted to leave at all the sacred territory; and whoever meets anyone who has gone out has authority to kill him.
§5.46.5ἀναθήματα δὲ χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα τοῖς θεοῖς ἀνάκειται, σεσωρευκότος τοῦ χρόνου τὸ πλῆθος τῶν καθιερωμένων ἀναθημάτων.
And many and great gold and silver offerings are dedicated to the gods, time having accumulated the multitude of dedicated offerings.
§5.46.6τά τε θυρώματα τοῦ ναοῦ θαυμαστὰς ἔχει τὰς κατασκευὰς ἐξ ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἐλέφαντος, ἔτι δὲ θύας δεδημιουργημένας.
And the doorways of the temple have wonderful workmanship made of silver and gold and ivory, and furthermore of citrus-wood, beautifully wrought.
ἡ δὲ κλίνη τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ μὲν μῆκος ὑπάρχει πηχῶν ἕξ, τὸ δὲ πλάτος τεττάρων, χρυσῆ δʼ ὅλη καὶ τῇ κατὰ μέρος ἐργασίᾳ φιλοτέχνως κατεσκευασμένη.
And the couch of the god is six cubits in length and four in width, entirely of gold and artistically constructed in its detailed workmanship.
§5.46.7παραπλήσιος δὲ καὶ ἡ τράπεζα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ πολυτελείᾳ παράκειται πλησίον τῆς κλίνης.
And similar also is the table of the god, both in size and in its other costliness, placed near the couch.
κατὰ μέσην δὲ τὴν κλίνην ἕστηκε στήλη χρυσῆ μεγάλη, γράμματα ἔχουσα τὰ παρʼ Αἰγυπτίοις ἱερὰ καλούμενα, δι’ ὧν ἦσαν αἱ πράξεις Οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ Διὸς ἀναγεγραμμέναι, καὶ μετὰ ταύτας αἱ Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ὑφʼ Ἑρμοῦ προσαναγεγραμμέναι.
And opposite the middle of the couch stands a great golden pillar, having characters which are called sacred among the Egyptians, by means of which the deeds of Uranus and Zeus were recorded, and after these, those of Artemis and Apollo, added to the record by Hermes.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν κατʼ ἀντικρὺ τῆς Ἀραβίας ἐν ὠκεανῷ νήσων ἀρκεσθησόμεθα τοῖς ῥηθεῖσι.
Concerning, then, the islands in the ocean opposite Arabia, we shall be satisfied with what has been said.