§5.56.1χρόνῳ δʼ ὕστερον προαισθομένους τοὺς Τελχῖνας τὸν μέλλοντα γίνεσθαι κατακλυσμὸν ἐκλιπεῖν τὴν νῆσον καὶ διασπαρῆναι.
Some time later, they say that the Telchines, having foreknown the deluge that was about to happen, abandoned the island and were scattered.
λύκον δʼ ἐκ τούτων παραγενόμενον εἰς τὴν Λυκίαν Ἀπόλλωνος Λυκίου ἱερὸν ἱδρύσασθαι παρὰ τὸν Ξάνθον ποταμόν.
And one of them, named Lycus, having arrived in Lycia, established a temple of Apollo Lycius beside the river Xanthus.
§5.56.2τοῦ δὲ κατακλυσμοῦ γενομένου τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους διαφθαρῆναι, τῆς δὲ νήσου διὰ τὴν ἐπομβρίαν ἐπιπολασάντων τῶν ὑγρῶν λιμνάσαι τοὺς ἐπιπέδους τόπους, ὀλίγους δʼ εἰς τὰ μετέωρα τῆς νήσου συμφυγόντας διασωθῆναι· ἐν οἷς ὑπάρχειν καὶ τοὺς Διὸς παῖδας.
When the deluge occurred, the others were destroyed; but as the island became flooded because of the heavy rains, the flat places became like lakes, and a few, fleeing to the high places of the island, were saved, among whom were also the sons of Zeus.
§5.56.3ἥλιον δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὸν μῦθον ἐρασθέντα τῆς Ῥόδου τήν τε νῆσον ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ὀνομάσαι Ῥόδον καὶ τὸ ἐπιπολάζον ὕδωρ ἀφανίσαι· ὁ δʼ ἀληθὴς λόγος ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς σύστασιν τῆς νήσου πηλώδους οὔσης ἔτι καὶ μαλακῆς, τὸν ἥλιον ἀναξηράναντα τὴν πολλὴν ὑγρότητα ζωογονῆσαι τὴν γῆν, καὶ γενέσθαι τοὺς κληθέντας ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ Ἡλιάδας, ἑπτὰ τὸν ἀριθμόν, καὶ ἄλλους ὁμοίως λαοὺς αὐτόχθονας.
According to the myth, the Sun (Helios), having fallen in love with Rhodos, named the island Rhodes after her and made the floodwaters disappear; but the true account is that, during the initial formation of the island, when it was still muddy and soft, the Sun dried up the excessive moisture and brought life to the earth, and from him were born those called Heliadae, seven in number, and likewise other indigenous peoples.
§5.56.4ἀκολούθως δὲ τούτοις νομισθῆναι τὴν νῆσον ἱερὰν Ἡλίου καὶ τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένους Ῥοδίους διατελέσαι περιττότερον τῶν ἄλλων θεῶν τιμῶντας τὸν Ἥλιον ὡς ἀρχηγὸν τοῦ γένους αὐτῶν.
Consequently, the island was considered sacred to the Sun, and the Rhodians of later generations continued to honor the Sun more extraordinarily than the other gods, as the founder of their race.
§5.56.5εἶναι δὲ τοὺς ἑπτὰ υἱοὺς Ὄχιμον, Κέρκαφον, Μάκαρα, Ἀκτῖνα, Τενάγην, Τριόπαν, Κάνδαλον, θυγατέρα δὲ μίαν, Ἠλεκτρυώνην, ἣν ἔτι παρθένον οὖσαν μεταλλάξαι τὸν βίον καὶ τιμῶν τυχεῖν παρὰ Ῥοδίοις ἡρωικῶν.
And the seven sons were Ochimus, Cercaphus, Macar, Actis, Tenages, Triopas, and Candalus, and there was one daughter, Electryone, who passed away while still a virgin and obtained heroic honors among the Rhodians.
ἀνδρωθεῖσι δὲ τοῖς Ἡλιάδαις εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἥλιον, ὅτι οἵτινες ἂν Ἀθηνᾷ θύσωσι πρῶτοι, παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς ἕξουσι τὴν θεόν· τὸ δʼ αὐτὸ λέγεται διασαφῆσαι τοῖς τὴν Ἀττικὴν κατοικοῦσι.
When the Heliadae reached manhood, the Sun told them that whoever should first sacrifice to Athena would have the goddess among themselves; and the same thing is said to have been made clear to the inhabitants of Attica.
§5.56.6διὸ καί φασι τοὺς μὲν Ἡλιάδας διὰ τὴν σπουδὴν ἐπιλαθομένους ἐνεγκεῖν πῦρ ἐπιθεῖναι τὰ θύματα, τὸν δὲ τότε βασιλεύοντα τῶν Ἀθηναίων Κέκροπα ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρὸς θῦσαι ὕστερον.
For this reason, they say that while the Heliadae, in their haste, forgot to bring fire and placed the victims on the altar without it, Cecrops, who was then king of the Athenians, sacrificed later upon fire.
§5.56.7διόπερ φασὶ διαμένειν μέχρι τοῦ νῦν τὸ κατὰ τὴν θυσίαν ἴδιον ἐν τῇ Ῥόδῳ, καὶ τὴν θεὸν ἐν αὐτῇ καθιδρῦσθαι.
Therefore, they say that the peculiarity in the sacrifice remains down to this day in Rhodes, and that the goddess established herself there.
περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἀρχαιολογουμένων παρὰ Ῥοδίοις οὕτω τινὲς μυθολογοῦσιν· ἐν οἷς ἐστι καὶ Ζήνων ὁ τὰ περὶ ταύτης συνταξάμενος.
Concerning the ancient history of the Rhodians, some mythologize in this manner; among whom is also Zeno, who composed the work on this subject.