§10.3.4ἴσως δή τις ἂν φαίη λέγειν αὐτὸν ἀπόρθητον τὴν Αἰτωλίαν ἀφʼ οὗ τοὔνομα τοῦτʼ ἔσχε μετὰ τὴν Αἰτωλοῦ παρουσίαν· ἀλλʼ ἀφῄρηται καὶ τοῦ νοήματος τὸν λόγον, φήσας ἐν τοῖς ἐφεξῆς τὸ μὲν πλεῖστον τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ διαμένοντος ἐν τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ τῶν Ἐπειῶν, συμμιχθέντων δʼ αὐτοῖς ὕστερον Αἰολέων τῶν ἅμα Βοιωτοῖς ἐκ Θετταλίας ἀναστάντων κοινῇ μετὰ τούτων τὴν χώραν κατασχεῖν.
Perhaps indeed someone might say that he says that Aetolia was unconquered from the time it received this name after the arrival of Aetolus; but he has deprived even this view of its reason, by saying in what follows that the greatest part of the people remaining among the Aetolians was that of the Epeians, and that, when the Aeolians, who had been driven out of Thessaly along with the Boeotians, later mixed with them, they occupied the country in common with these.
ἆρʼ οὖν ἔστι χωρὶς πολέμου τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν ἐπελθόντας συγκατανείμασθαι τοῖς ἔχουσι μηδὲν δεομένοις κοινωνίας τοιαύτης;
Is it possible, then, for those who have invaded a foreign land without war to divide it together with its possessors, who did not at all desire such a partnership?
ἢ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ πιστόν, τὸ δὲ κρατουμένοις τοῖς ὅπλοις ἐπʼ ἴσοις συμβῆναι πιστόν;
Or, while this is not credible, is it credible that they, being overcome by arms, came to an agreement on equal terms?
τί οὖν ἄλλο πόρθησις ἢ τὸ κρατεῖσθαι τοῖς ὅπλοις;
What else, then, is being conquered than being overcome by arms?
καὶ Ἀπολλόδωρος δʼ εἴρηκεν ἐκ τῆς Βοιωτίας ἐπελθόντας Ὕαντας ἱστορεῖσθαι καὶ ἐποίκους τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς γενομένους· ὁ δʼ ὥσπερ κατωρθωκὼς ἐπιλέγει διότι ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα διακριβοῦν εἰώθαμεν, ὅταν ᾖ τι τῶν πραγμάτων ἢ παντελῶς ἀπορούμενον ἢ ψευδῆ δόξαν ἔχον. §10.3.5τοιοῦτος δʼ ὢν Ἔφορος ἑτέρων ὅμως κρείττων ἐστί· καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἐσπουδασμένως οὕτως ἐπαινέσας αὐτὸν Πολύβιος καὶ φήσας περὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν καλῶς μὲν Εὔδοξον, κάλλιστα δʼ Ἔφορον ἐξηγεῖσθαι περὶ κτίσεων συγγενειῶν μεταναστάσεων ἀρχηγετῶν, ἡμεῖς δέ φησί
"τὰ νῦν ὄντα δηλώσομεν καὶ περὶ θέσεως τόπων καὶ διαστημάτων· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν οἰκειότατον χωρογραφίᾳ. "
ἀλλὰ μὴν σύ γε, ὦ Πολύβιε, ὁ τὰς λαοδογματικὰς ἀποφάσεις περὶ τῶν διαστημάτων εἰσάγων οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ἔξω τῆς Ἑλλάδος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς, καὶ διδοῖς εὐθύνας τὰς μὲν Ποσειδωνίῳ τὰς δʼ Ἀρτεμιδώρῳ τὰς δʼ ἄλλοις πλείοσι.
And Apollodorus indeed says that the Hyantes, having invaded from Boeotia, are recorded to have become settlers among the Aetolians; but he, as though he had succeeded, adds: "For we are accustomed to investigate these and such matters precisely, whenever any of the events is either entirely in doubt or holds a false opinion." Ephorus, although being such, is nevertheless better than others; and Polybius himself, who praised him so earnestly, and said that, concerning Greek affairs, Eudoxus gave a good account, but Ephorus gave the best account concerning foundations, relationships, migrations, and founders, says: "But we shall declare the things as they now are, both regarding the position of places and distances; for this is most proper to chorography." And yet, you, Polybius, who introduce popular opinions about distances, not only in places outside of Greece, but also in Greek matters, are held to account, in some matters to Poseidonius, in others to Artemidorus, and in others to many others.
καὶ ἡμῖν οὖν συγγνώμην καὶ οὐ δυσχεραίνειν δεῖ παρὰ τῶν τοιούτων μεταφέρουσι τὴν πολλὴν ἱστορίαν ἐάν τι πταίωμεν, ἀλλʼ ἀγαπᾶν ἐὰν τὰ πλείω τῶν εἰρημένων ἑτέροις ἄμεινον λέγωμεν ἢ τὰ παραλειφθέντα κατʼ ἄγνοιαν προστιθῶμεν.
And so, we must be pardoned, and people must not be displeased, if we, who transfer much of our history from such men, make some mistakes; but they should be glad if we speak of most things better than others have, or if we add what was omitted through ignorance.
§10.3.6περὶ δὲ Κουρήτων ἔτι καὶ τοιαῦτα λέγεται, τὰ μὲν ἐγγυτέρω ὄντα τῆς περὶ Αἰτωλῶν καὶ Ἀκαρνάνων ἱστορίας τὰ δʼ ἀπωτέρω· ἐγγυτέρω μὲν τὰ τοιαῦτα οἷα προείρηται, ὅτι τὴν χώραν ἣ νῦν Αἰτωλία καλεῖται Κουρῆτες ᾤκουν, ἐλθόντες δʼ οἱ Αἰτωλοὶ μετὰ Αἰτωλοῦ τούτους ἐξέβαλον εἰς τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν· καὶ ἔτι τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὅτι τὴν Πλευρωνίαν ὑπὸ Κουρήτων οἰκουμένην καὶ Κουρῆτιν προσαγορευομένην Αἰολεῖς ἐπελθόντες ἀφείλοντο, τοὺς δὲ κατέχοντας ἐξέβαλον.
Concerning the Curetes, such things also are still said, some being closer to the history of the Aetolians and Acarnanians, and others further away; closer, indeed, are such things as have been said before, namely, that the Curetes inhabited the country which is now called Aetolia, and the Aetolians, having come with Aetolus, expelled them into Acarnania; and further, such things as that the Aeolians, having invaded Pleuronia, which was inhabited by the Curetes and called Curetis, took it away and expelled those who occupied it.
Ἀρχέμαχος δʼ ὁ Εὐβοεύς φησι τοὺς Κουρῆτας ἐν Χαλκίδι συνοικῆσαι, συνεχῶς δὲ περὶ τοῦ Ληλάντου πεδίου πολεμοῦντας, ἐπειδὴ οἱ πολέμιοι τῆς κόμης ἐδράττοντο τῆς ἔμπροσθεν καὶ κατέσπων αὐτούς, ὄπισθεν κομῶντας γενέσθαι, τὰ δʼ ἔμπροσθεν κείρεσθαι· διὸ καὶ Κουρῆτας ἀπὸ τῆς κουρᾶς κληθῆναι· μετοικῆσαι δʼ εἰς τὴν Αἰτωλίαν, καὶ κατασχόντας τὰ περὶ Πλευρῶνα χωρία τοὺς πέραν οἰκοῦντας τοῦ Ἀχελώου διὰ τὸ ἀκούρους φυλάττειν τὰς κεφαλὰς Ἀκαρνᾶνας καλέσαι· ἔνιοι δʼ ἀπὸ ἥρωος τοὔνομα σχεῖν ἑκάτερον τὸ φῦλον· οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ Κουρίου τοὺς Κουρῆτας ὀνομασθῆναι τοῦ ὑπερκειμένου τῆς Πλευρῶνος, εἶναί τε φῦλόν τι Αἰτωλικὸν τοῦτο, ὡς Ὀφιεῖς καὶ Ἀγραίους καὶ Εὐρυτᾶνας καὶ ἄλλα πλείω.
And Archemachus the Euboean says that the Curetes settled together in Chalcis, but, constantly fighting for the Lelantine plain, since the enemy would seize them by their front hair and pull them down, they let their hair grow long behind, but cut it in front; and that for this reason they were called "Curetes" from the cutting (koura) of their hair; and that they migrated into Aetolia, and, having occupied the places around Pleuron, they called those who lived beyond the Achelous "Acarnanians" because they kept their heads unshorn (akouroi); but some say that each of the two tribes got its name from a hero; others say that the Curetes were named after Mount Curium, which lies above Pleuron, and that this was a certain Aetolian tribe, like the Ophieis, the Agraioi, the Eurytanes, and several others.
ὡς δʼ εἴρηται, τῆς Αἰτωλίας δίχα διῃρημένης τὰ μὲν περὶ Καλυδῶνα τὸν Οἰνέα ἔχειν φασί, τῆς δὲ Πλευρωνίας μέρος μέν τι καὶ τοὺς Πορθαονίδας ἔχειν τοὺς περὶ τὸν Ἄγριον, εἴπερ
"
ᾤκεον ἐν Πλευρῶνι καὶ αἰπεινῇ Καλυδῶνι. "
ἐπικρατεῖν μέντοι Θέστιον τῆς Πλευρωνίας, τὸν πενθερὸν τοῦ Οἰνέως Ἀλθαίας δὲ πατέρα, ἡγούμενον τῶν Κουρήτων· πολέμου δʼ ἐμπεσόντος τοῖς Θεστιάδαις πρὸς Οἰνέα καὶ Μελέαγρον, ὡς μὲν ὁ ποιητής
"
ἀμφὶ συὸς κεφαλῇ καὶ δέρματι
"
κατὰ τὴν περὶ τοῦ κάπρου μυθολογίαν, ὡς δὲ τὸ εἰκὸς περὶ μέρος τῆς χώρας, οὕτω δὴ λέγεται
"
Κουρῆτές τʼ ἐμάχοντο καὶ Αἰτωλοὶ μενεχάρμαι. "
ταῦτα μὲν τὰ ἐγγυτέρω.
And as has been said, when Aetolia was divided into two parts, they say that Oeneus held the parts around Calydon, and that the sons of Porthaon around Agrius held a certain part of Pleuronia, if indeed "they dwelt in Pleuron and steep Calydon." Thestius, however, ruled over Pleuronia, he being the father-in-law of Oeneus and father of Althea, and leading the Curetes; and when war broke out between the sons of Thestius and Oeneus and Meleager—according to the poet "over the boar's head and hide" in accordance with the myth of the boar, but as is likely, over a part of the country—it is thus indeed said: "And the Curetes fought, and the Aetolians steadfast in battle." These are the things that are closer.