§9.32Τῶν δ’ ἀετῶν ἐστὶ πλείονα γένη, ἓν μὲν ὁ καλούμενος πύγαργος· οὗτος κατὰ τὰ πεδία καὶ τὰ ἄλση καὶ περὶ τὰς πόλεις γίνεται· ἔνιοι δὲ καλοῦσιν νεβροφόνον αὐτόν.
There are several kinds of eagles. One is the so-called pygargus (white-tailed eagle); this one occurs in plains and groves and around cities; and some call it the fawn-killer.
Πέτεται δὲ καὶ εἰς τὰ ὄρη καὶ εἰς τὴν ὕλην διὰ τὸ θάρσος· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ γένη ὀλιγάκις εἰς πεδία καὶ εἰς ἄλση φοιτᾷ.
It flies also to the mountains and into the forest because of its courage; whereas the other kinds rarely frequent plains and groves.
Ἕτερον δὲ γένος ἀετοῦ ἐστὶν ὃ πλάγγος καλεῖται, δεύτερος μεγέθει καὶ ῥώμῃ· οἰκεῖ δὲ βήσσας καὶ ἄγκη καὶ λίμνας, ἐπικαλεῖται δὲ νηττοφόνος καὶ μορφνός· οὗ καὶ Ὅμηρος μέμνηται ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πριάμου ἐξόδῳ.
Another kind of eagle is that which is called plangus, second in size and strength; it inhabits glens and ravines and lakes, and is additionally called the duck-killer and morphnus; which Homer also mentions in the departure of Priam.
Ἕτερος δὲ μέλας τὴν χρόαν καὶ μέγεθος ἐλάχιστος, κράτιστος τούτων· οὗτος οἰκεῖ ὄρη καὶ ὕλας, καλεῖται δὲ μελανάετος καὶ λαγωφόνος.
Another is black in color and smallest in size, but the strongest of these; this one inhabits mountains and forests, and is called the black eagle and hare-killer.
Ἐκτρέφει δὲ μόνος τὰ τέκνα οὗτος καὶ ἐξάγει.
This one alone rears its young and leads them out.
Ἔστι δὲ ὠκυβόλος καὶ εὐθήμων καὶ ἄφθονος καὶ ἄφοβος καὶ μάχιμος καὶ εὔφημος· οὐ γὰρ μινυρίζει οὐδὲ λέληκεν.
And it is swift in its strike, orderly, generous, fearless, warlike, and of good omen; for it neither whimpers nor screams.
Ἔτι δ’ ἕτερον γένος περκνόπτερος, λευκὴ κεφαλή, μεγέθει δὲ μέγιστος, πτερὰ δὲ βραχύτατα καὶ οὐροπύγιον πρόμηκες, γυπὶ ὅμοιος· ὀρειπέλαργος καλεῖται καὶ ὑπάετος.
Yet another kind is the percnopterus, white-headed, largest in size, but having very short wings and an elongated rump, similar to a vulture; it is called the mountain-stork and sub-eagle.
Οἰκεῖ δ’ ἄλση, τὰ μὲν κακὰ ταὐτὰ ἔχων τοῖς ἄλλοις, τῶν δ’ ἀγαθῶν οὐδέν· ἁλίσκεται γὰρ καὶ διώκεται ὑπὸ κοράκων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων· βαρὺς γὰρ καὶ κακόβιος καὶ τὰ τεθνεῶτα φέρων, πεινῇ δ’ ἀεὶ καὶ βοᾷ καὶ μινυρίζει.
It inhabits groves, having the same bad qualities as the others, but none of the good ones; for it is caught and pursued by ravens and the others; for it is heavy and lives a wretched life, carrying dead bodies, and is always hungry and cries and whimpers.
Ἕτερον δὲ γένος ἐστὶν ἀετῶν οἱ καλούμενοι ἁλιάετοι.
Another kind of eagles is the so-called sea-eagles.
Οὗτοι δ’ ἔχουσιν αὐχένα τε μέγαν καὶ παχὺν καὶ πτερὰ καμπύλα, οὐροπύγιον δὲ πλατύ· οἰκοῦσι δὲ περὶ θάλατταν καὶ ἀκτάς, ἁρπάζοντες δὲ καὶ οὐ δυνάμενοι φέρειν πολλάκις καταφέρονται εἰς βυθόν.
These have a large and thick neck, curved wings, and a broad rump; they live around the sea and shores, and when they snatch prey and are unable to carry it, they are often dragged down into the deep.
Ἔτι δ’ ἄλλο γένος ἐστὶν ἀετῶν οἱ καλούμενοι γνήσιοι.
Yet another kind of eagles is the so-called genuine ones.
Φασὶ δὲ τούτους μόνους καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὀρνίθων γνησίους εἶναι· τὰ γὰρ ἄλλα γένη μέμικται καὶ μεμοίχευται ὑπ’ ἀλλήλων, καὶ τῶν ἀετῶν καὶ τῶν ἱεράκων καὶ τῶν ἐλαχίστων.
And they say that these alone, even among the other birds, are genuine; for the other kinds have been mixed and cross-bred by one another, including eagles, hawks, and the smallest birds.
Ἔστι δ’ οὗτος μέγιστος τῶν ἀετῶν ἁπάντων, μείζων τε τῆς φήνης, τῶν δ’ ἀετῶν καὶ ἡμιόλιος, χρῶμα ξανθός.
This one is the largest of all eagles, larger than the phene (lammergeier), and one and a half times the size of the other eagles, tawny in color.
Φαίνεται δ’ ὀλιγάκις, ὥσπερ ἡ καλουμένη κύμινδις.
It is rarely seen, just like the so-called cymindis.
Ὥρα δὲ τοῦ ἐργάζεσθαι ἀετῷ καὶ πέτεσθαι ἀπ’ ἀρίστου μέχρι δείλης· τὸ γὰρ ἕωθεν κάθηται μέχρι ἀγορᾶς πληθυούσης.
The time for working and flying for the eagle is from breakfast until evening; for in the early morning it sits until the market-place fills.
Γηράσκουσι δὲ τοῖς ἀετοῖς τὸ ῥύγχος αὐξάνεται τὸ ἄνω γαμψούμενον ἀεὶ μᾶλλον, καὶ τέλος λιμῷ ἀποθνήσκουσιν.
As eagles grow old, their upper beak grows, becoming always more curved, and finally they die of hunger.
Ἐπιλέγεται δέ τις καὶ μῦθος, ὡς τοῦτο πάσχει διότι ἄνθρωπός ποτ’ ὢν ἠδίκησε ξένον.
A certain myth is also told, that it suffers this because, when it was once a man, it wronged a guest.
Ἀποτίθεται δὲ τὴν περιττεύουσαν τροφὴν τοῖς νεοττοῖς· διὰ γὰρ τὸ μὴ εὔπορον εἶναι καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν αὐτὴν πορίζεσθαι, ἐνίοτε οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἔξωθεν κομίζειν.
It stores up the surplus food for its chicks; for because it is not easy to provide it every day, sometimes they have nothing to bring from outside.
Τύπτουσι δὲ ταῖς πτέρυξι καὶ τοῖς ὄνυξιν ἀμύττουσιν, ἄν τινα λάβωσι σκευωρούμενον περὶ τὰς νεοττιάς.
They strike with their wings and scratch with their claws, if they catch anyone loitering suspiciously around their nests.
Ποιοῦνται δ’ αὐτὰς οὐκ ἐν πεδινοῖς τόποις ἀλλ’ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, μάλιστα μὲν ἐν πέτραις ἀποκρήμνοις, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ δένδρων.
They make them not in flat places but in high ones, especially on precipitous rocks, though also on trees.
Τρέφουσι δὲ τοὺς νεοττοὺς ἕως ἂν δυνατοὶ γένωνται πέτεσθαι· τότε δ’ ἐκ τῆς νεοττιᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐκβάλλουσι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τόπου τοῦ περὶ αὐτὴν παντὸς ἀπελαύνουσιν.
They feed their chicks until they are able to fly; and then they cast them out of the nest and drive them away from the entire district around it.
Ἐπέχει γὰρ ἓν ζεῦγος ἀετῶν πολὺν τόπον· διό περ οὐκ ἐᾷ πλησίον αὑτῶν ἄλλους αὐλισθῆναι.
For one pair of eagles occupies a wide territory; wherefore it does not allow others to nest near them.
Τὴν δὲ θήραν ποιεῖται οὐκ ἐκ τῶν σύνεγγυς τόπων τῆς νεοττιᾶς, ἀλλὰ συχνὸν ἀποπτάς.
It conducts its hunting not from the places close to the nest, but flying far away.
Ὅταν δὲ κυνηγήσῃ καὶ ἄρῃ, τίθησι καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς φέρει, ἀλλ’ ἀποπειραθεὶς τοῦ βάρους ἀφίησιν.
And when it has hunted and lifted it, it sets it down and does not carry it away immediately, but having tested the weight, it releases it.
Καὶ τοὺς δασύποδας δ’ οὐκ εὐθὺς λαμβάνει, ἀλλ’ εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἐάσας προελθεῖν· καὶ καταβαίνει δ’ οὐκ εὐθὺς εἰς τὸ ἔδαφος, ἀλλ’ ἀεὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ μείζονος ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον κατὰ μικρόν.
And it does not seize hares immediately, but lets them go forward into the plain; and it does not descend immediately to the ground, but always from the greater height to the lesser, little by little.
Ἄμφω δὲ ταῦτα ποιεῖ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τοῦ μὴ ἐνεδρεύεσθαι.
It does both of these things for safety against being ambushed.
Καὶ ἐφ’ ὑψηλῶν καθίζει διὰ τὸ βραδέως αἴρεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς.
And it perches on high places because of its slow take-off from the ground.
Ὑψοῦ δὲ πέτεται, ὅπως ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τόπον καθορᾷ· διόπερ θεῖον οἱ ἄνθρωποί φασιν εἶναι μόνον τῶν ὀρνέων.
And it flies high so that it may look down upon the widest area; wherefore men say that it alone of the birds is divine.
Πάντες δ’ οἱ γαμψώνυχοι ἥκιστα καθιζάνουσιν ἐπὶ πέτραις διὰ τὸ τῇ γαμψότητι ἐμπόδιον εἶναι τὴν σκληρότητα.
And all crook-taloned birds least of all perch on rocks because the hardness is an obstacle to their crookedness.
Θηρεύει δὲ λαγὼς καὶ νεβροὺς καὶ ἀλώπεκας καὶ τὰ λοιπά, ὅσων κρατεῖν οἷός τ’ ἐστίν.
It hunts hares, fawns, foxes, and the rest, of as many as it is able to master.
Μακρόβιος δ’ ἐστίν· δῆλον δὲ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ τὴν νεοττιὰν τὴν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πολὺ διαμένειν.
And it is long-lived; this is clear from the fact that their nest lasts for a long time.