§5.70.1περὶ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Διὸς γενέσεώς τε καὶ βασιλείας διαφωνεῖται· καί τινες μέν φασιν αὐτὸν μετὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τοῦ Κρόνου μετάστασιν εἰς θεοὺς διαδέξασθαι τὴν βασιλείαν, οὐ βίᾳ κατισχύσαντα τὸν πατέρα, νομίμως δὲ καὶ δικαίως ἀξιωθέντα ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς· τινὲς δὲ μυθολογοῦσι τῷ Κρόνῳ γενέσθαι λόγιον περὶ τῆς τοῦ Διὸς γενέσεως, ὅτι παραιρήσεται τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ βιαίως ὁ γεννηθεὶς παῖς.
Concerning the birth and kingship of Zeus there is disagreement; and some say that, after the departure of Cronus from among men to the gods, he succeeded to the kingship, not having overcome his father by force, but having been deemed worthy of this honor lawfully and justly; but others relate as myth that an oracle was given to Cronus concerning the birth of Zeus, that the child born would take away his kingship by force.
§5.70.2διόπερ τὸν μὲν Κρόνον τὰ γεννώμενα παιδία πλεονάκις ἀφανίζειν, τὴν δὲ Ῥέαν ἀγανακτήσασαν, καὶ μὴ δυναμένην μεταθεῖναι τὴν προαίρεσιν τἀνδρός, τὸν Δία τεκοῦσαν ἐν τῇ προσαγορευομένῃ Ἴδῃ κλέψαι καὶ δοῦναι λάθρᾳ τοῖς Κούρησιν ἐκθρέψαι τοῖς κατοικοῦσι πλησίον ὄρους τῆς Ἴδης.
Therefore Cronus repeatedly made the children born to him disappear, but Rhea, being indignant and unable to change the purpose of her husband, having given birth to Zeus on the mountain called Ida, stole him away and gave him secretly to the Curetes to bring up, who dwelt near the mountain of Ida.
τούτους δ ἀπενέγκαντας εἴς τι ἄντρον παραδοῦναι ταῖς Νύμφαις, παρακελευσαμένους τὴν πᾶσαν ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτοῦ ποιεῖσθαι.
And they, having carried him away into a certain cave, delivered him to the Nymphs, ordering them to take every care of him.
§5.70.3αὗται δὲ μέλι καὶ γάλα μίσγουσαι τὸ παιδίον ἔθρεψαν καὶ τῆς αἰγὸς τῆς ὀνομαζομένης Ἀμαλθείας τὸν μαστὸν εἰς διατροφὴν παρείχοντο.
And they nourished the child, mixing honey and milk, and offered the udder of the goat named Amaltheia for his nourishment.
σημεῖα δὲ πολλὰ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν διαμένειν τῆς γενέσεως καὶ διατροφῆς τοῦ θεοῦ τούτου κατὰ τὴν νῆσον.
And many signs of the birth and upbringing of this god remain until now throughout the island.
§5.70.4φερομένου μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν Κουρήτων αὐτοῦ νηπίου φασὶν ἀποπεσεῖν τὸν ὀμφαλὸν περὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν καλούμενον Τρίτωνα, καὶ τὸ χωρίον τε τοῦτο καθιερωθὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ τότε συμβάντος Ὀμφαλὸν προσαγορευθῆναι καὶ τὸ περικείμενον πεδίον ὁμοίως Ὀμφάλειον.
For they say that, while he was being carried as an infant by the Curetes, his umbilical cord fell off near the river called Triton, and this place, having been consecrated from what then occurred, was named Omphalos, and the surrounding plain likewise Omphaleion.
κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἴδην, ἐν ᾗ συνέβη τραφῆναι τὸν θεόν, τό τε ἄντρον ἐν ᾧ τὴν δίαιταν εἶχε καθιέρωται καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸ λειμῶνες ὁμοίως ἀνεῖνται περὶ τὴν ἀκρώρειαν ὄντες.
And on Ida, where it happened that the god was brought up, both the cave in which he had his dwelling has been consecrated, and the meadows around it, being near the mountain ridge, are likewise dedicated.
§5.70.5τὸ δὲ πάντων παραδοξότατον καὶ μυθολογούμενον περὶ τῶν μελιττῶν οὐκ ἄξιον παραλιπεῖν· τὸν γὰρ θεόν φασιν ἀθάνατον μνήμην τῆς πρὸς αὐτὰς οἰκειότητος διαφυλάξαι βουλόμενον ἀλλάξαι μὲν τὴν χρόαν αὐτῶν καὶ ποιῆσαι χαλκῷ χρυσοειδεῖ παραπλησίαν, τοῦ τόπου δʼ ὄντος ὑψηλοῦ καθʼ ὑπερβολήν, καὶ πνευμάτων τε μεγάλων ἐν αὐτῷ γινομένων καὶ χιόνος πολλῆς πιπτούσης, ἀνεπαισθήτους αὐτὰς καὶ ἀπαθεῖς ποιῆσαι, δυσχειμερωτάτους τόπους νεμομένας.
But that which is most marvelous of all and is related as myth concerning the bees is not worthy to be passed over; for they say that the god, wishing to preserve an immortal memory of his intimacy with them, changed their color and made it similar to gold-colored bronze, and although the place was exceedingly high, and great winds occurred on it and much snow fell, made them insensible and unaffected, though they inhabit places with very harsh winters.
§5.70.6τῇ θρεψάσῃ δʼ αἰγὶ τιμάς τέ τινας ἄλλας ἀπονεῖμαι καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς λαβεῖν, αἰγίοχον ἐπονομασθέντα.
And to the goat that nourished him, he assigned certain other honors, and took his epithet from her, being surnamed Aegiochos.
ἀνδρωθέντα δʼ αὐτόν φασι πρῶτον πόλιν κτίσαι περὶ τὴν Δίκταν, ὅπου καὶ τὴν γένεσιν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι μυθολογοῦσιν· ἧς ἐκλειφθείσης ἐν τοῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις διαμένειν ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἕρματα τῶν θεμελίων.
And they say that, having grown to manhood, he first founded a city near Dicte, where also they mythologically relate that his birth took place; and although this city was abandoned in later times, even now there still remain the foundations of its walls.