§5.5.1περὶ δὲ τῆς κατὰ τὴν Κόρην ἁρπαγῆς, ὅτι γέγονεν ὡς προειρήκαμεν, πολλοὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων συγγραφέων καὶ ποιητῶν μεμαρτυρήκασι.
And concerning the abduction of Kore, that it took place as we have said before, many of the ancient historians and poets have borne witness.
καρκίνος μὲν γὰρ ὁ τῶν τραγῳδιῶν ποιητής, πλεονάκις ἐν ταῖς Συρακούσαις παρεπιδεδημηκὼς καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐγχωρίων τεθεαμένος σπουδὴν περὶ τὰς θυσίας καὶ πανηγύρεις τῆς τε Δήμητρος καὶ Κόρης, κατεχώρισεν ἐν τοῖς ποιήμασι τούσδε τοὺς στίχους· "λέγουσι Δήμητρός ποτʼ ἄρρητον κόρην Πλούτωνα κρυφίοις ἁρπάσαι βουλεύμασι, δῦναί τε γαίας εἰς μελαμφαεῖς μυχούς, πόθῳ δὲ μητέρʼ ἠφανισμένης κόρης μαστῆρʼ ἐπελθεῖν πᾶσαν ἐν κύκλῳ χθόνα. καὶ τὴν μὲν Αἰτναίοισι Σικελίαν πάγοις πυρὸς γέμουσαν ῥεύμασιν δυσεμβόλοις πᾶσαν στενάξαι, πένθεσιν δὲ παρθένου σίτων ἄμοιρον διοτρεφὲς φθίνειν γένος. ὅθεν θεὰς τιμῶσιν εἰς τὰ νῦν ἔτι. " §5.5.2οὐκ ἄξιον δὲ παραλιπεῖν τῆς θεοῦ ταύτης τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίας· χωρὶς γὰρ τῆς εὑρέσεως τοῦ σίτου τήν τε κατεργασίαν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐδίδαξε καὶ νόμους εἰσηγήσατο καθʼ οὓς δικαιοπραγεῖν εἰθίσθησαν, διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν φασὶν αὐτὴν θεσμοφόρον ἐπονομασθῆναι.
For Carcinus, the poet of tragedies, having frequently resided in Syracuse and having observed the zeal of the inhabitants concerning the sacrifices and festivals of both Demeter and Kore, inserted these verses in his poems: "They say that Pluto once, by secret designs, carried away the unspeakable daughter of Demeter, and descended into the dark-gleaming depths of the earth; and that, out of longing for the vanished girl, her mother went over the whole earth around as a seeker; and that Sicily, filled with difficult-to-approach streams of fire at the heights of Etna, groaned in its entirety, and because of the mourning for the maiden, the Zeus-nourished race, destitute of corn, wasted away; whence they still honor the goddesses even to this day." And it is not fitting to pass over the excess of this goddess's beneficence towards men; for apart from the discovery of corn, she also taught men its preparation and introduced laws according to which they became accustomed to act justly, for which reason they say she was named Thesmophoros.
§5.5.3τούτων δὲ τῶν εὑρημάτων οὐκ ἄν τις ἑτέραν εὐεργεσίαν εὕροι μείζονα· καὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῆν καὶ τὸ καλῶς ζῆν περιέχουσι.
And of these discoveries, one could not find any other greater benefit; for they encompass both living and living well.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν μυθολογουμένων παρὰ τοῖς Σικελιώταις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα τοῖς ῥηθεῖσιν.
Concerning the myths related among the Siceliots, therefore, we shall be satisfied with what has been said.