§45ἔστι δὲ καὶ λίμνη αὐτόθι, οὐ πολλὸν ἑκὰς τοῦ ἱροῦ, ἐν τῇ ἰχθύες ἱροὶ τρέφονται πολλοὶ καὶ πολυειδέες.
There is also a lake there, not far from the temple, in which many and varied sacred fish are reared.
γίγνονται δὲ αὐτῶν ἔνιοι κάρτα μεγάλοι· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ οὐνόματα ἔχουσιν καὶ ἔρχονται καλεόμενοι·
Some of them become very large; and these also have names and come when called.
ἐπʼ ἐμέο δέ τις ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖσι χρυσοφορέων. ἐν τῇ πτέρυγι ποίημα χρύσεον αὐτέῳ ἀνακέατο, καί μιν ἐγὼ πολλάκις ἐθεησάμην, καὶ εἶχεν τὸ ποίημα.
And in my time there was one among them wearing gold; a golden ornament was attached to its fin, and I myself often beheld it, and it had the ornament.
§46βάθος δὲ τῆς λίμνης πολλόν.
The depth of the lake is great.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἐπειρήθην, λέγουσι δʼ ὦν καὶ διηκοσίων ὀργυιέων πλέον ἔμμεναι.
I indeed did not test it, but they say at any rate that it is more than two hundred fathoms.
κατὰ μέσον δὲ αὐτῆς βωμὸς λίθου ἀνέστηκεν.
And in the middle of it stands an altar of stone.
δοκέοις ἂν ἄφνω ἰδὼν πλώειν τέ μιν καὶ τῷ ὕδατι ἐποχέεσθαι, καὶ πολλοὶ ὧδε νομίζουσιν·
You would think, seeing it suddenly, that it floats and is carried upon the water, and many think thus.
ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκέει στῦλος ὑφεστεὼς μέγας ἀνέχειν τὸν βωμόν.
But to me it seems that a great pillar standing beneath supports the altar.
ἔστεπται δὲ ἀεὶ καὶ θυώματα ἔχει, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἑκάστης ἡμέρης κατʼ εὐχὴν ἐς αὐτὸν νηχόμενοι στεφανηφορέουσιν.
It is always crowned and has incense, and many also swim to it each day to place crowns upon it in accordance with a vow.
§47γίγνονται δὲ αὐτόθι καὶ πανηγύριές τε μέγισται, καλέονται δὲ ἐς τὴν λίμνην καταβάσιες, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇσι ἐς τὴν λίμνην τὰ ἱρὰ πάντα κατέρχεται.
And very great festivals are held there, and they are called "descents into the lake", because during them all the sacred things go down into the lake.
ἐν τοῖσιν ἡ Ἥρη πρώτη ἀπικνέεται, τῶν ἰχθύων εἵνεκα, μὴ σφέας ὁ Ζεὺς πρῶτος ἴδηται· ἢν γὰρ τόδε γένηται, λέγουσιν ὅτι πάντες ἀπόλλυνται.
Among these Hera arrives first, for the sake of the fish, lest Zeus should see them first; for if this happens, they say that they all perish.
καὶ δῆτα ὁ μὲν ἔρχεται ὀψόμενος, ἡ δὲ πρόσω ἱσταμένη ἀπείργει τέ μιν καὶ πολλὰ λιπαρέουσα ἀποπέμπει.
And indeed he comes to see them, but she, standing in front of him, keeps him back and, with much entreaty, sends him away.
§48μέγισται δὲ αὐτοῖσι πανηγύριες αἳ ἐς θάλασσαν νομίζονται.
But their greatest festivals are those which are customarily observed journeying to the sea.
ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τούτων πέρι σαφὲς οὐδὲν ἔχω εἰπεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον αὐτὸς οὐδὲ ἐπειρήθην ταύτης τῆς ὁδοιπορίης.
But I have nothing clear to say about these; for I did not go myself, nor did I experience this journey.
τὰ δὲ ἐλθόντες ποιέουσιν, εἶδον καὶ ἀπηγήσομαι.
But what they do when they have returned, I saw and will relate.
ἀγγήιον ἕκαστος ὕδατι σεσαγμένον φέρουσιν, κηρῷ δὲ τάδε σεσήμανται.
Each one carries a vessel filled with water, and these are sealed with wax.
καί μιν οὐκ αὐτοὶ λυσάμενοι χέονται, ἀλλʼ ἔστιν ἀλεκτρυὼν ἱρός, οἰκέει δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ λίμνῃ, ὃς ἐπεὶ σφέων δέξηται τὰ ἀγγήια, τήν τε σφρηγῖδα ὁρῇ καὶ μισθὸν ἀρνύμενος ἀνά τε λύει τὸν δεσμὸν καὶ τὸν κηρὸν ἀπαιρέεται·
And they do not open it and pour it out themselves, but there is a sacred cock, and it dwells by the lake, which, when it receives the vessels from them, inspects the seal and, taking a fee, undoes the binding and removes the wax.
καὶ πολλαὶ μνέες ἐκ τουτέου τοῦ ἔργου τῷ ἀλεκτρυόνι ἀγείρονται.
And many minas are gathered for the cock from this work.
ἔνθεν δὲ ἐς τὸν νηὸν αὐτοὶ ἐνείκαντες σπένδουσί τε καὶ θύσαντες ὀπίσω ἀπονοστέουσιν.
From there they themselves carry it into the temple, pour libations, and having sacrificed, they return home.
§49Ὁρτέων δὲ πασέων τῶν οἶδα μεγίστην τοῦ εἴαρος ἀρχομένου ἐπιτελέουσιν, καί μιν οἱ μὲν πυρήν, οἱ δὲ λαμπάδα καλέουσιν.
Of all the festivals I know, they perform the greatest at the beginning of spring, and some call it the Pyre, and others the Torch.
θυσίην δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ τοιήνδε ποιέουσιν. δένδρεα μεγάλα ἐκκόψαντες τῇ αὐλῇ ἑστᾶσι, μετὰ δὲ ἀγινέοντες αἶγάς τε καὶ ὄϊας καὶ ἄλλα κτήνεα ζῳὰ ἐκ τῶν δενδρέων ἀπαρτέουσιν· ἐν δὲ καὶ ὄρνιθες καὶ εἵματα καὶ χρύσεα καὶ ἀργύρεα ποιήματα.
And in it they perform a sacrifice of this kind: having cut down great trees, they set them up in the court, and after this, bringing goats and sheep and other live beasts, they hang them from the trees; and among them are also birds, garments, and golden and silver ornaments.
ἐπεὰν δὲ ἐντελέα πάντα ποιήσωνται, περιενείκαντες τὰ ἱρὰ περὶ τὰ δένδρεα πυρὴν ἐνιᾶσιν, τὰ δὲ αὐτίκα πάντα καίονται.
And when they have made everything complete, having carried the sacred objects around the trees, they set fire to the pyre, and immediately everything is burnt.
ἐς ταύτην τὴν ὁρτὴν πολλοὶ ἄνθρωποι ἀπικνέονται ἔκ τε Συρίης καὶ τῶν πέριξ χωρέων πασέων, φέρουσίν τε τὰ ἑωυτῶν ἱρὰ ἕκαστοι καὶ τὰ σημήια ἕκαστοι ἔχουσιν ἐς τάδε μεμιμημένα.
To this festival many people come both from Syria and from all the surrounding regions, and each brings their own sacred objects, and each has symbols made in imitation of these.
§50ἐν ῥητῇσι δὲ ἡμέρῃσι τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ἐς τὸ ἱρὸν ἀγείρονται, Γάλλοι δὲ πολλοὶ καὶ τοὺς ἔλεξα, οἱ ἱροὶ ἄνθρωποι, τελέουσι τὰ ὄργια, τάμνονταί τε τοὺς πήχεας καὶ τοῖσι νώτοισι πρὸς ἀλλήλους τύπτονται.
And on specified days, the multitude gathers at the temple, and many Galli and those I mentioned, the sacred men, perform the rites, cutting their arms and striking each other on the back.
πολλοὶ δὲ σφίσι παρεστεῶτες ἐπαυλέουσι, πολλοὶ δὲ τύμπανα παταγέουσιν, ἄλλοι δὲ ἀείδουσιν ἔνθεα καὶ ἱρὰ ᾄσματα.
And many standing beside them play the flute, and many clash drums, and others sing inspired and sacred songs.
τὸ δὲ ἔργον ἐκτὸς τοῦ νηοῦ τόδε γίγνεται, οὐδὲ ἐσέρχονται ἐς τὸν νηὸν ὁκόσοι τόδε ποιέουσιν.
And this performance takes place outside the temple, and none of those who do this enter into the temple.
§51ἐν ταύτῃσι τῇσι ἡμέρῃσι καὶ Γάλλοι γίγνονται.
During these days, Galli are also made.
ἐπεὰν γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι αὐλέωσί τε καὶ ὄργια ποιέωνται, ἐς πολλοὺς ἤδη ἡ μανίη ἀπικνέεται, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐς θέην ἀπικόμενοι μετὰ δὲ τοιάδε ἔπρηξαν.
For when the others play the flute and perform the rites, madness already comes upon many, and many who came merely to look on, afterward performed such deeds.
καταλέξω δὲ καὶ τὰ ποιέουσιν.
And I will also list what they do.
ὁ νεηνίης ὅτῳ τάδε ἀποκέαται ῥίψας τὰ εἵματα μεγάλῃ βοῇ ἐς μέσον ἔρχεται καὶ ξίφος ἀναιρέεται· τὸ δὲ πολλὰ ἔτη, ἐμοὶ δοκέει, καὶ τοῦτο ἕστηκε.
The youth to whom this is destined, throwing off his garments, goes with a great cry into the midst and takes up a sword; which, it seems to me, has stood there for many years.
λαβὼν δὲ αὐτίκα τάμνει ἑωυτὸν θέει τε διὰ τῆς πόλιος καὶ τῇσι χερσὶ φέρει τὰ ἔταμεν.
And taking it, he immediately castrates himself and runs through the city, carrying in his hands the parts he has cut off.
ἐς ὁκοίην δὲ οἰκίην τάδε ἀπορρίψει, ἐκ ταύτης ἐσθῆτά τε θηλέην καὶ κόσμον τὸν γυναικήιον λαμβάνει.
And into whichever house he throws these, from that one he receives female raiment and feminine adornment.
τάδε μὲν ἐν τῇσι τομῇσι ποιέουσιν.
These things they do during the castrations.