§3.4.16καὶ τῶν ῥιζῶν τῶν εἰς βαφὴν χρησίμων πλῆθος.
There is also an abundance of roots useful for dyeing.
ἐλαίας δὲ πέρι καὶ ἀμπέλου καὶ συκῆς καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων φυτῶν ἡ καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἰβηρικὴ παραλία πάντων εὐπορεῖ, συχνὴ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐκτὸς ἡ μὲν παρωκεανῖτις ἡ πρόσβορρος ἀμοιρεῖ διὰ τὰ ψύχη, ἡ δʼ ἄλλη τὸ πλέον διὰ τὴν ὀλιγωρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὸ μὴ πρὸς διαγωγὴν ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον πρὸς ἀνάγκην καὶ ὁρμὴν θηριώδη μετὰ ἔθους φαύλου ζῆν· εἰ μή τις οἴεται πρὸς διαγωγὴν ζῆν τοὺς οὔρῳ λουομένους ἐν δεξαμεναῖς παλαιουμένῳ, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας σμηχομένους καὶ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν, καθάπερ τοὺς Καντάβρους φασὶ καὶ τοὺς ὁμόρους αὐτοῖς.
As for the olive, the vine, the fig, and similar plants, our side of the Iberian coast is well provided with them all, as is also much of the outer country; the northern part along the ocean, however, is destitute of them because of the cold, and the rest of the country, for the most part, lacks them because of the negligence of the people, and because they live not for enjoyment but rather for bare necessity and savage impulse, in accordance with low habits; unless, indeed, anyone thinks that those people live for enjoyment who bathe in urine kept old in cisterns, and clean their teeth with it, both themselves and their wives, as is said of the Cantabrians and their neighbors.
καὶ τοῦτό τε καὶ τὸ χαμευνεῖν κοινόν ἐστι τοῖς Ἴβηρσι πρὸς τοὺς Κελτούς.
Both this and the practice of sleeping on the ground are common to the Iberians and the Celts.
ἔνιοι δὲ τοὺς Καλλαϊκοὺς ἀθέους φασί, τοὺς δὲ Κελτίβηρας καὶ τοὺς προσβόρρους τῶν ὁμόρων αὐτοῖς ἀνωνύμῳ τινὶ θεῷ ταῖς πανσελήνοις νύκτωρ πρὸ τῶν πυλῶν, πανοικίους τε χορεύειν καὶ παννυχίζειν.
Some say that the Callaici are atheists, but that the Celtiberians and their neighbors to the north dance and feast all night before their gates, in honor of a nameless god, with their whole families at the full moon.
τοὺς δὲ Ὀυέττωνας, ὅτε πρῶτον εἰς τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων παρῆλθον στρατόπεδον, ἰδόντας τῶν ταξιαρχῶν τινας ἀνακάμπτοντας ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς περιπάτου χάριν, μανίαν ὑπολαβόντας ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὰς σκηνάς, ὡς δέον ἢ μένειν καθʼ ἡσυχίαν ἱδρυθέντας ἢ μάχεσθαι.
And the Vettones, when they first came into the Roman camp, seeing some of the centurions walking up and down the roads for the sake of a stroll, supposed it was madness and offered to guide them to their tents, as though they ought either to remain quietly seated or else to fight.
§3.4.17τῆς δὲ βαρβαρικῆς ἰδέας καὶ τὸν τῶν γυναικῶν ἐνίων κόσμον θείη τις ἄν, ὃν εἴρηκεν Ἀρτεμίδωρος· ὅπου μὲν γὰρ περιτραχήλια σιδηρᾶ φορεῖν αὐτάς φησιν ἔχοντα κόρακας καμπτομένους ὑπὲρ κορυφῆς καὶ προπίπτοντας πρὸ τοῦ μετώπου πολύ, κατὰ τούτων δὲ τῶν κοράκων, ὅτε βούλονται, κατασπᾶν τὸ κάλυμμα ὥστε ἐμπετασθὲν σκιάδιον τῷ προσώπῳ παρέχειν, καὶ νομίζειν κόσμον·
As an instance of their barbarous fashion, one might also mention the ornament of some of the women, which Artemidorus has described; for in some places, he says, they wear iron collars which have curved rods bending over the head and projecting far in front of the forehead; and from these rods they draw down the veil whenever they please, so that, when spread out, it provides a shade for the face, and they think this is an ornament.
ὅπου δὲ τυμπάνιον περικεῖσθαι πρὸς μὲν τῷ ἰνίῳ περιφερὲς καὶ σφίγγον τὴν κεφαλὴν μέχρι τῶν παρωτίδων, εἰς ὕψος δὲ καὶ πλάτος ἐξυπτιασμένον κατʼ ὀλίγον·
In other places they wear a small drum-shaped head-dress, rounded at the back of the head and binding the head tight as far as the ears, but gradually bending backward in height and breadth.
ἄλλας δὲ τὰ προκόμια ψιλοῦν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστʼ ἀποστίλβειν τοῦ μετώπου μᾶλλον·
Other women shave the hair from the front of the head to such an extent that it shines more than the forehead.
τὰς δʼ ὅσον ποδιαῖον τὸ ὕψος ἐπιθεμένας στυλίσκον περιπλέκειν αὐτῷ τὴν χαίτην, εἶτα καλύπτρᾳ μελαίνῃ περιστέλλειν.
Still others place a little pillar about a foot high upon the head, entwine their hair around it, and then wrap it in a black veil.
πρὸς δὲ τῇ ἀηθείᾳ τῇ τοιαύτῃ πολλὰ καὶ ἑώραται καὶ μεμύθευται περὶ πάντων κοινῇ τῶν Ἰβηρικῶν ἐθνῶν, διαφερόντως δὲ τῶν προσβόρρων, οὐ μόνον τὰ πρὸς ἀνδρείαν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ πρὸς ὠμότητα καὶ ἀπόνοιαν θηριώδη.
In addition to such eccentricity, many things have been both observed and told in story about all the Iberian nations in common, but especially the northern ones, not only regarding their courage, but also their cruelty and savage madness.
καὶ γὰρ τέκνα μητέρες ἔκτειναν πρὶν ἁλῶναι κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον τὸν ἐν Καντάβροις, καὶ παιδίον δὲ δεδεμένων αἰχμαλώτων τῶν γονέων καὶ ἀδελφῶν ἔκτεινε πάντας κελεύσαντος τοῦ πατρὸς σιδήρου κυριεῦσαν, γυνὴ δὲ τοὺς συναλόντας.
For instance, mothers killed their children before being captured in the Cantabrian War, and a young boy, when his parents and brothers were bound as captives, having got possession of an iron weapon, slew them all by command of his father, and a woman did the same to those captured with her.
κληθεὶς δέ τις εἰς μεθυσκομένους ἔβαλεν αὑτὸν εἰς πυράν.
And a certain man, being invited to a drinking party, threw himself into a fire.
κοινὰ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τὰ Κελτικὰ ἔθνη καὶ τὰ Θρᾴκια καὶ Σκυθικά, κοινὰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς ἀνδρείαν τήν τε τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τὴν τῶν γυναικῶν.
These traits also are common to the Celtic, Thracian, and Scythian nations, as are also those regarding the courage of both men and women.
γεωργοῦσιν αὗται τεκοῦσαί τε διακονοῦσι τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐκείνους ἀνθʼ ἑαυτῶν κατακλίνασαι· ἔν τε τοῖς ἔργοις πολλάκις αὐταὶ καὶ λούουσι καὶ σπαργανοῦσιν ἀποκλίνασαι πρός τι ῥεῖθρον.
The women till the soil, and when they have given birth, they attend upon their husbands, having made the men lie down in their stead; and often in the midst of their work they wash and swaddle the baby, leaning over some stream.
ἐν δὲ τῇ Λιγυστικῇ φησὶν ὁ Ποσειδώνιος διηγήσασθαι τὸν ξένον ἑαυτῷ Χαρμόλεων Μασσαλιώτην ἄνδρα, ὅτι μισθώσαιτο ἄνδρας ὁμοῦ καὶ γυναῖκας ἐπὶ σκαφητόν, ὠδίνασα δὲ μία τῶν γυναικῶν ἀπέλθοι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργου πλησίον, τεκοῦσα δʼ ἐπανέλθοι ἐπὶ τοὖργον αὐτίκα, ὅπως μὴ ἀπολέσειε τὸν μισθόν·
And Posidonius says that in Liguria his host, Charmoleon, a man of Massalia, related to him how he had hired men and women together for digging, and one of the women, being seized with labor pains, went away from the work to a place nearby, and having given birth, returned immediately to her work so as not to lose her wages.
αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπιπόνως ἰδὼν ἐργαζομένην, οὐκ εἰδὼς τὴν αἰτίαν πρότερον ὀψὲ μάθοι καὶ ἀφείη δοὺς τὸν μισθόν· ἡ δʼ ἐκκομίσασα τὸ νήπιον πρός τι κρηνίον, λούσασα καὶ σπαργανώσασα οἷς εἶχε διασώσειεν οἴκαδε.
Charmoleon himself, seeing her working with difficulty, although not knowing the cause at first, only learned it later and sent her away, giving her the wages; and she carried the infant to a small spring, washed and swaddled it with what she had, and brought it safely home.
§3.4.18οὐκ ἴδιον δὲ τῶν Ἰβήρων οὐδὲ τοῦτο σύνδυο ἐφʼ ἵππων κομίζεσθαι, κατὰ δὲ τὰς μάχας τὸν ἕτερον πεζὸν ἀγωνίζεσθαι.
Neither is this peculiar to the Iberians, namely, to ride two upon a horse, and in battle for one of them to fight on foot.
οὐδὲ τὸ τῶν μυῶν πλῆθος ἴδιον, ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ λοιμικαὶ νόσοι πολλάκις ἠκολούθησαν.
Nor is the abundance of mice peculiar to them, from which pestilential diseases have often resulted.
συνέβη δʼ ἐν τῇ Κανταβρίᾳ τοῦτο τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, ὥστε καὶ μισθοὺς ἄρνυσθαι μυοθηροῦντας πρὸς μέτρον ἀποδειχθέν, διεσώζοντο μόλις· προσελάμβανε δὲ καὶ ἄλλων σπάνις καὶ σίτου· ἐπεσιτίζοντο δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ἀκυιτανίας χαλεπῶς διὰ τὰς δυσχωρίας.
This happened to the Romans in Cantabria, so that they even earned bounties for catching mice according to a set measure, and yet they were saved with difficulty; there was also added a scarcity of other provisions and of corn; and they obtained provisions from Aquitania with difficulty on account of the ruggedness of the country.
τῆς δʼ ἀπονοίας καὶ τοῦτο λέγεται τῆς Καντάβρων, ὅτι ἁλόντες τινὲς ἀναπεπηγότες ἐπὶ τῶν σταυρῶν ἐπαιάνιζον.
As an instance of the Cantabrians' madness, this also is told, that some who had been captured and nailed to the crosses sang paeans of victory.
τὰ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα τῶν ἠθῶν ἀγριότητός τινος παραδείγματʼ ἂν εἴη· τὰ δὲ τοιαῦτα ἧττον μὲν ἴσως πολιτικά, οὐ θηριώδη δέ, οἷον τὸ παρὰ τοῖς Καντάβροις τοὺς ἄνδρας διδόναι ταῖς γυναιξὶ προῖκα τὸ τὰς θυγατέρας κληρονόμους ἀπολείπεσθαι τούς τε ἀδελφοὺς ὑπὸ τούτων ἐκδίδοσθαι γυναιξίν· ἔχει γάρ τινα γυναικοκρατίαν· τοῦτο δʼ οὐ πάνυ πολιτικόν.
Such customs as these would be instances of a certain wildness; while the following, though perhaps less civilized, are not savage: for instance, among the Cantabrians, for the husbands to give dowries to their wives, for the daughters to be left as heirs, and for the brothers to be given in marriage to wives by their sisters; for this involves a kind of matriarchy, and this is not at all civilized.
Ἰβηρικὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν ἔθει παρατίθεσθαι τοξικὸν ὃ συντιθέασιν ἐκ βοτάνης σελίνῳ προσομοίας ἄπονον, ὥστʼ ἔχειν ἐν ἑτοίμῳ πρὸς τὰ ἀβούλητα, καὶ τὸ κατασπένδειν αὑτοὺς οἷς ἂν προσθῶνται, ὥστε ἀποθνήσκειν αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.
It is also an Iberian custom to keep at hand a painless poison, which they compound from a herb resembling wild celery, so as to have it ready for unexpected adversities; and to devote themselves to whomever they attach themselves, even to the point of dying for them.