§1.36.1ἔστι δέ τις καὶ ἕτερος λόγος ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων μυθολογούμενος, ὡς πρὸ τῆς Διὸς ἀρχῆς ὁ Κρόνος ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ δυναστεύσειε, καὶ ὁ λεγόμενος ἐπʼ ἐκείνου βίος ἅπασι δαψιλὴς ὁπόσοις ὧραι φύουσιν οὐ παρʼ ἄλλοις μᾶλλον ἢ παρὰ σφίσι γένοιτο.
There is also another legend told by the inhabitants, to the effect that before the reign of Zeus, Cronus ruled in this land, and that the life under his rule, rich in all things which the seasons produce, was enjoyed by themselves more than by any other people.
§1.36.2καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλως ἀφελῶν τὸ μυθῶδες τοῦ λόγου χώρας ἀρετὴν ἐξετάζειν ἐθελήσειεν, ἐξ ἧς γένος τὸ ἀνθρώπων πλείστας εὐφροσύνας ἐκαρπώσατο γενόμενον εὐθὺς εἴτʼ ἐκ γῆς ὡς ὁ παλαιὸς ἔχει λόγος, εἴτʼ ἄλλως πως, οὐκ ἂν εὕροι ταύτης τινὰ ἐπιτηδειοτέραν.
And if anyone, setting aside the mythical element of the story, should wish to examine the fertility of a country, from which the human race—whether springing immediately from the earth as the ancient legend has it, or in some other way—reaped the greatest pleasures from the moment of their birth, he would find no other country more suitable than this.
ὡς γὰρ μία γῆ πρὸς ἑτέραν κρίνεσθαι τοσαύτην τὸ μέγεθος, οὐ μόνον τῆς Εὐρώπης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἁπάσης κρατίστη κατʼ ἐμὴν δόξαν ἐστὶν Ἰταλία.
For if we compare one land with another of such a great size, Italy is in my opinion the best, not only of Europe, but of all the rest of the world.
§1.36.3καίτοι με οὐ λέληθεν ὅτι πολλοῖς οὐ πιστὰ δόξω λέγειν, ἐνθυμουμένοις Αἴγυπτόν τε καὶ Λιβύην καὶ Βαβυλῶνα καὶ εἰ δή τινες ἄλλοι χῶροί εἰσιν εὐδαίμονες·
Yet I am well aware that to many, who keep in mind Egypt, Libya, Babylon, and any other fertile lands there may be, I shall seem to say what is incredible.
ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ τὸν ἐκ γῆς πλοῦτον οὐκ ἐν μιᾷ τίθεμαι καρπῶν ἰδέᾳ οὐδʼ εἰσέρχεταί με ζῆλος οἰκήσεως, ἐν ᾗ μόνον εἰσὶν ἄρουραι πίονες, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων οὐδὲν ἢ βραχύ τι χρησίμων, ἀλλʼ ἥτις ἂν εἴη πολυαρκεστάτη τε καὶ τῶν ἐπεισάκτων ἀγαθῶν ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ ἐλάχιστον δεομένη, ταύτην κρατίστην εἶναι λογίζομαι.
But for my part, I do not place the wealth that comes from the earth in a single kind of crop, nor does a longing enter me for a dwelling-place in which there are only rich cornfields, while of other useful things there is nothing or but a small amount; rather, I reckon that land to be the best which is most self-sufficing and stands in the least need of imported goods.
τοῦτο δὲ τὸ παμφόρον καὶ πολυωφελὲς παρʼ ἡντινοῦν ἄλλην γῆν Ἰταλίαν ἔχειν πείθομαι.
And that Italy possesses this all-bearing and highly useful quality beyond any other land, I am fully persuaded.