§5.64.1περὶ μὲν οὖν Ῥόδου καὶ Χερρονήσου ἀρκεσθησόμεθα τοῖς ῥηθεῖσι, περὶ δὲ Κρήτης νῦν διέξιμεν.
Now concerning Rhodes and the Chersonese, we shall rest satisfied with what has been said, but concerning Crete we shall now relate.
οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὴν Κρήτην κατοικοῦντές φασιν ἀρχαιοτάτους γενέσθαι παρʼ αὑτοῖς τοὺς ὀνομαζομένους Ἐτεόκρητας αὐτόχθονας, ὧν τὸν μὲν βασιλέα Κρῆτα καλούμενον πλεῖστα καὶ μέγιστα κατὰ τὴν νῆσον εὑρεῖν τὰ δυνάμενα τὸν κοινὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον ὠφελῆσαι.
For those who inhabit Crete say that the most ancient among them were the so-called Eteocretans, who were indigenous, and that their king, called Cres, discovered very many and greatest things throughout the island that were able to benefit the common life of mankind.
§5.64.2καὶ τῶν θεῶν δὲ τοὺς πλείστους μυθολογοῦσι παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς γενέσθαι τοὺς διὰ τὰς κοινὰς εὐεργεσίας τυχόντας ἀθανάτων τιμῶν· περὶ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἐν κεφαλαίοις τὰ παραδεδομένα διέξιμεν ἀκολούθως τοῖς ἐνδοξοτάτοις τῶν τὰς Κρητικὰς πράξεις συνταξαμένων.
And they mythologize that most of the gods were born among them, who, because of their common benefactions, obtained immortal honors; concerning these things we shall relate what has been handed down in summary, following the most famous of those who have written the Cretan history.
§5.64.3πρῶτοι τοίνυν τῶν εἰς μνήμην παραδεδομένων ᾤκησαν τῆς Κρήτης περὶ τὴν Ἴδην οἱ προσαγορευθέντες Ἰδαῖοι Δάκτυλοι.
Indeed, the first of those handed down in memory to inhabit the region around Mount Ida in Crete were those called the Idaean Dactyls.
τούτους δʼ οἱ μὲν ἑκατὸν τὸν ἀριθμὸν γεγονέναι παραδεδώκασιν, οἱ δὲ δέκα φασὶν ὑπάρχοντας τυχεῖν ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας, τοῖς ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ δακτύλοις ὄντας ἰσαρίθμους.
Some have handed down that these were one hundred in number, while others say that, being ten, they obtained this appellation from being equal in number to the fingers on the hands.
§5.64.4ἔνιοι δʼ ἱστοροῦσιν, ὧν ἐστι καὶ Ἔφορος, τοὺς Ἰδαίους Δακτύλους γενέσθαι μὲν κατὰ τὴν Ἴδην τὴν ἐν Φρυγίᾳ, διαβῆναι δὲ μετὰ Μυγδόνος εἰς τὴν Εὐρώπην· ὑπάρξαντας δὲ γόητας ἐπιτηδεῦσαι τάς τε ἐπῳδὰς καὶ τελετὰς καὶ μυστήρια, καὶ περὶ Σαμοθρᾴκην διατρίψαντας οὐ μετρίως ἐν τούτοις ἐκπλήττειν τοὺς ἐγχωρίους· καθʼ ὃν δὴ χρόνον καὶ τὸν Ὀρφέα, φύσει διαφόρῳ κεχορηγημένον πρὸς ποίησιν καὶ μελῳδίαν, μαθητὴν γενέσθαι τούτων, καὶ πρῶτον εἰς τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἐξενεγκεῖν τελετὰς καὶ μυστήρια.
But some write, among whom is also Ephorus, that the Idaean Dactyls were born on Mount Ida in Phrygia, and crossed over into Europe with Mygdon; and that, being wizards, they practiced spells, initiations, and mysteries, and while spending time around Samothrace, they astounded the inhabitants there in no small degree in these matters; and indeed at that time Orpheus also, who was endowed with a distinguished nature for poetry and song, became a disciple of theirs, and was the first to introduce initiations and mysteries to the Greeks.
§5.64.5οἱ δʼ οὖν κατὰ τὴν Κρήτην Ἰδαῖοι Δάκτυλοι παραδέδονται τήν τε τοῦ πυρὸς χρῆσιν καὶ τὴν τοῦ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου φύσιν ἐξευρεῖν τῆς Ἀπτεραίων χώρας περὶ τὸν καλούμενον Βερέκυνθον, καὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν διʼ ἧς κατασκευάζεται· δόξαντας δὲ μεγάλων ἀγαθῶν ἀρχηγοὺς γεγενῆσθαι §5.64.6τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τιμῶν τυχεῖν ἀθανάτων.
At all events, the Idaean Dactyls of Crete are handed down to have discovered both the use of fire and the nature of bronze and iron in the land of Aptera around the place called Berecynthus, as well as the work by which it is prepared; and having been thought to have become originators of great benefits to the race of mankind, they obtained immortal honors.
ἱστοροῦσι δʼ αὐτῶν ἕνα μὲν προσαγορευθῆναι Ἡρακλέα, δόξῃ δὲ διενεγκόντα θεῖναι τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν τῶν Ὀλυμπίων· τοὺς δὲ μεταγενεστέρους ἀνθρώπους διὰ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν δοκεῖν τὸν ἐξ Ἀλκμήνης συστήσασθαι τὴν τῶν Ὀλυμπίων θέσιν.
And they write that one of them was named Heracles, and outstanding in fame, he established the Olympic games; but later men, because of the identity of name, think that the son of Alcmene established the institution of the Olympic games.
§5.64.7σημεῖα δὲ τούτων φασὶ διαμένειν τὸ πολλὰς τῶν γυναικῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν λαμβάνειν ἐπῳδὰς ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ περιάμματα ποιεῖν, ὡς γεγονότος αὐτοῦ γόητος καὶ τὰ περὶ τὰς τελετὰς ἐπιτετηδευκότος· ἃ δὴ πλεῖστον κεχωρίσθαι τῆς Ἡρακλέους συνηθείας τοῦ γεγονότος ἐξ Ἀλκμήνης.
And they say that proofs of these things remain in that many of the women even now receive spells from this god and make amulets, since he was a wizard and had practiced matters concerning initiations; which things are indeed most far removed from the character of Heracles who was born of Alcmene.