Humanitext Reader

Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §5.52.1-5.52.3

Rearing of Dionysus on Naxos and Divine Favors

Passage 374 of 406 · Greek

Summary

Relates the local myth of Dionysus' birth and rearing on Naxos, along with the divine favors and prosperity bestowed upon the island.

§5.52.1μυθολογοῦσι δὲ Νάξιοι περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τούτου, φάσκοντες παρʼ αὐτοῖς τραφῆναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν νῆσον αὐτῷ γεγονέναι προσφιλεστάτην καὶ ὑπό τινων Διονυσιάδα καλεῖσθαι.
The Naxians tell a myth about this god, claiming that he was brought up among them, and that for this reason the island became most dear to him and is called Dionysias by some.
§5.52.2τὸν γὰρ Δία κατὰ τὸν παραδεδομένον μῦθον, τότε κεραυνωθείσης Σεμέλης πρὸ τοῦ τεκεῖν, τὸ βρέφος λαβόντα καὶ ἐρράψαντα εἰς τὸν μηρόν, ὡς ὁ τέλειος τῆς γενέσεως χρόνος ἦλθε, βουλόμενον λαθεῖν τὴν Ἥραν, ἐξελεῖν τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ νῦν Νάξῳ, καὶ δοῦναι τρέφειν ταῖς ἐγχωρίοις Νύμφαις Φιλίᾳ καὶ Κορωνίδι καὶ Κλείδῃ·
For according to the myth handed down, when Semele was struck by lightning before giving birth, Zeus took the child and sewed it into his thigh; and when the full time for its birth had come, wishing to escape the notice of Hera, he took the child out in what is now Naxos, and gave it to the local Nymphs, Philia, Coronis, and Cleide, to bring up.
κεραυνῶσαι δὲ τὴν Σεμέλην πρὸ τοῦ τεκεῖν, ὅπως μὴ ἐκ θνητῆς, ἀλλʼ ἐκ δυεῖν ἀθανάτων ὑπάρξας εὐθὺς ἐκ γενετῆς ἀθάνατος ᾖ.
And he struck Semele with lightning before she gave birth, in order that the child, coming not from a mortal woman but from two immortals, might be immortal straight from his birth.
§5.52.3διὰ δὲ τὴν εἰς τὸν Διόνυσον εὐεργεσίαν ἐν τῇ τροφῇ τὰς χάριτας ἀπολαβεῖν τοὺς ἐγχωρίους· ἐπιδοῦναι γὰρ τὴν νῆσον εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν, καὶ ναυτικάς τε δυνάμεις ἀξιολόγους συστήσασθαι καὶ ἀπὸ Ξέρξου πρώτους ἀποστάντας ἀπὸ τοῦ ναυτικοῦ συγκαταναυμαχῆσαι τὸν βάρβαρον, καὶ τῆς ἐν Πλαταιαῖς παρατάξεως οὐκ ἀσήμως μετασχεῖν.
And because of their beneficence in the rearing of Dionysus, the inhabitants received gratitude in return; for the island increased in prosperity, and they established notable naval forces, and being the first to revolt from the fleet of Xerxes, they joined in the naval battle against the barbarian, and took a distinguished part in the battle of Plataea.
εἶναι δὲ καὶ περὶ τὴν τοῦ οἴνου ἰδιότητα διάφορόν τι παρʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ μηνῦον τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τὴν νῆσον οἰκειότητα.
There is also among them something remarkable concerning the peculiar quality of their wine, which indicates the intimacy of the god toward the island.

Notes

  1. §5.52.1φάσκοντες — The present participle `φάσκοντες` agrees with the subject of the main clause, `Νάξιοι`, and governs three infinitives: `τραφῆναι` (perfect passive), `γεγονέναι` (perfect active), and `καλεῖσθαι` (present passive). The implied subject of `τραφῆναι` is Dionysus, while the subject of `γεγονέναι` and `καλεῖσθαι` is the accusative `τὴν νῆσον`.
  2. §5.52.2τὸν γὰρ Δία — Due to the parenthetical phrase `κατὰ τὸν παραδεδομένον μῦθον` (according to the handed-down myth) at the beginning, the entire sentence is structured as an accusative-and-infinitive (A.C.I.) construction in indirect discourse. The accusative `τὸν ... Δία` serves as the subject, with `ἐξελεῖν` (aorist active), `δοῦναι` (aorist active), and the coordinated `κεραυνῶσαι` as the main governing infinitives.
  3. §5.52.3ἀπολαβεῖν — This section continues the indirect discourse. The subject of the infinitive `ἀπολαβεῖν` (aorist active) is the accusative `τοὺς ἐγχωρίους`. The subject of the subsequent `ἐπιδοῦναι` shifts to `τὴν νῆσον` (accusative), and then the subjects of `συστήσασθαι` (aorist middle), `συγκαταναυμαχῆσαι` (aorist active), and `μετασχεῖν` (aorist active) return to the Naxians, as indicated by the accusative participle `ἀποστάντας`.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §5.52.1-5.52.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc5:5.52.1-5.52.3

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.