§4.4.5τῷ δʼ ἁπλῷ καὶ θυμικῷ πολὺ τὸ ἀνόητον καὶ ἀλαζονικὸν πρόσεστι καὶ τὸ φιλόκοσμον· χρυσοφοροῦσί τε γάρ, περὶ μὲν τοῖς τραχήλοις στρεπτὰ ἔχοντες περὶ δὲ τοῖς βραχίοσι καὶ τοῖς καρποῖς ψέλια, καὶ τὰς ἐσθῆτας βαπτὰς φοροῦσι καὶ χρυσοπάστους οἱ ἐν ἀξιώματι.
With their simple and high-spirited character there is associated much folly, boastfulness, and love of ornament; for they wear gold, having torques around their necks and bracelets around their arms and wrists, and those in high status wear dyed garments sprinkled with gold.
ὑπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης δὲ κουφότητος ἀφόρητοι μὲν νικῶντες, ἐκπλαγεῖς δʼ ἡττηθέντες ὁρῶνται.
Because of this light-headedness, they appear unbearable when victorious, but utterly terrified when defeated.
πρόσεστι δὲ τῇ ἀνοίᾳ καὶ τὸ βάρβαρον καὶ τὸ ἔκφυλον, ὃ τοῖς προσβόρροις ἔθνεσι παρακολουθεῖ πλεῖστον, τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης ἀπιόντας τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἐξάπτειν ἐκ τῶν αὐχένων τῶν ἵππων, κομίσαντας δὲ προσπατταλεύειν τοῖς προπυλαίοις.
In addition to their folly, there is also the barbarian and extraordinary custom, which is most common among the northern nations, of fastening the heads of their enemies to the necks of their horses when returning from battle, and after bringing them home, nailing them to their portals.
φησὶ γοῦν Ποσειδώνιος αὐτὸς ἰδεῖν ταύτην τὴν θέαν πολλαχοῦ, καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀηθίζεσθαι, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα φέρειν πρᾴως διὰ τὴν συνήθειαν.
Indeed, Poseidonius says that he himself saw this sight in many places, and at first felt disgusted, but afterwards bore it calmly because of familiarity.
τὰς δὲ τῶν ἐνδόξων κεφαλὰς κεδροῦντες ἐπεδείκνυον τοῖς ξένοις, καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς ἰσοστάσιον χρυσὸν ἀπολυτροῦν ἠξίουν.
They would preserve the heads of distinguished persons in cedar-oil and display them to strangers, and would not deign to ransom them even for an equal weight of gold.
καὶ τούτων δʼ ἔπαυσαν αὐτοὺς Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰς θυσίας καὶ μαντείας ὑπεναντίων τοῖς παρʼ ἡμῖν νομίμοις.
The Romans put an end to these customs of theirs, as well as to those of their sacrifices and divinations which were contrary to our institutions.
ἄνθρωπον γὰρ κατεσπεισμένον παίσαντες εἰς νῶτον μαχαίρᾳ ἐμαντεύοντο ἐκ τοῦ σφαδασμοῦ.
For they would strike a consecrated human being on the back with a sword and divine from his death-struggle.
ἔθυον δὲ οὐκ ἄνευ δρυϊδῶν.
They never sacrificed without Druids.
καὶ ἄλλα δὲ ἀνθρωποθυσιῶν εἴδη λέγεται· καὶ γὰρ κατετόξευόν τινας καὶ ἀνεσταύρουν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς καὶ κατασκευάσαντες κολοσσὸν χόρτου καὶ ξύλων, ἐμβαλόντες εἰς τοῦτον βοσκήματα καὶ θηρία παντοῖα καὶ ἀνθρώπους, ὡλοκαύτουν.
Other kinds of human sacrifices are also spoken of; for they would shoot some to death with arrows, or crucify them in the temples, or, having constructed a colossus of straw and wood, throw into it cattle, wild beasts of all kinds, and human beings, and burn them as a whole burnt-offering.
§4.4.6Ἐν δὲ τῷ ὠκεανῷ φησιν εἶναι νῆσον μικρὰν οὐ πάνυ πελαγίαν, προκειμένην τῆς ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Λίγηρος ποταμοῦ· οἰκεῖν δὲ ταύτην τὰς τῶν Σαμνιτῶν γυναῖκας, Διονύσῳ κατεχομένας καὶ ἱλασκομένας τὸν θεὸν τοῦτον τελεταῖς τε καὶ ἄλλαις ἱεροποιίαις ἐξηλλαγμέναις.
In the ocean, he says, there is a small island, not very far out at sea, lying off the outlet of the river Liger; and this island is inhabited by the women of the Samnitae, who are possessed by Dionysus and appease this god with initiations and other extraordinary sacred rites.
οὐκ ἐπιβαίνειν δὲ ἄνδρα τῆς νήσου, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας αὐτὰς πλεούσας κοινωνεῖν τοῖς ἀνδράσι καὶ πάλιν ἐπανιέναι.
No man sets foot on the island, but the women themselves sail over to have intercourse with the men and then return.
ἔθος δʼ εἶναι κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν ἅπαξ τὸ ἱερὸν ἀποστεγάζεσθαι καὶ στεγάζεσθαι πάλιν αὐθημερὸν πρὸ δύσεως, ἑκάστης φορτίον ἐπιφερούσης· ἧς δʼ ἂν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ φορτίον, διασπᾶσθαι ταύτην ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων·
It is their custom once a year to unroof the temple and roof it again on the same day before sunset, each woman carrying her load; and the one whose load falls is torn to pieces by the others.
φερούσας δὲ τὰ μέρη περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν μετʼ εὐασμοῦ μὴ παύεσθαι πρότερον, πρὶν παύσωνται τῆς λύττης· ἀεὶ δὲ συμβαίνειν ὥστε τινὰ ἐμπίπτειν τὴν τοῦτο πεισομένην.
They carry the pieces around the temple with wild cries of "Euohe" and do not cease until their madness ends; and it always happens that someone falls in to suffer this fate.
τούτου δʼ ἔτι μυθωδέστερον εἴρηκεν Ἀρτεμίδωρος τὸ περὶ τοὺς κόρακας συμβαῖνον.
Artemidorus has told a still more mythical story about what happens regarding the crows.
λιμένα γάρ τινα τῆς παρωκεανίτιδος ἱστορεῖ δύο κοράκων ἐπονομαζόμενον, φαίνεσθαι δʼ ἐν τούτῳ δύο κόρακας τὴν δεξιὰν πτέρυγα παράλευκον ἔχοντας· τοὺς οὖν περί τινων ἀμφισβητοῦντας, ἀφικομένους δεῦρο ἐφʼ ὑψηλοῦ τόπου σανίδα θέντας ἐπιβάλλειν ψαιστά, ἑκάτερον χωρίς· τοὺς δʼ ὄρνεις ἐπιπτάντας τὰ μὲν ἐσθίειν τὰ δὲ σκορπίζειν· οὗ δʼ ἂν σκορπισθῇ τὰ ψαιστά, ἐκεῖνον νικᾶν.
He relates that there is a harbor on the ocean coast named after two crows, and in this harbor there appear two crows having their right wing partly white; those who have disputes about certain matters come here, place a plank on an elevated spot, and throw barley-cakes upon it, each separately; the birds then fly down, eat some and scatter others, and the one whose cakes are scattered wins the case.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν μυθωδέστερα λέγει, περὶ δὲ τῆς Δήμητρος καὶ Κόρης πιστότερα, ὅτι φησὶν εἶναι νῆσον πρὸς τῇ Βρεττανικῇ, καθʼ ἣν ὅμοια τοῖς ἐν Σαμοθρᾴκῃ περὶ τὴν Δήμητρα καὶ τὴν Κόρην ἱεροποιεῖται.
Now these stories he tells are rather mythical, but those about Demeter and Core are more trustworthy, for he says there is an island near Britain on which sacred rites are performed concerning Demeter and Core similar to those in Samothrace.
καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῶν πιστευομένων ἐστίν, ὅτι ἐν τῇ Κελτικῇ φύεται δένδρον ὅμοιον συκῇ, καρπὸν δʼ ἐκφέρει παραπλήσιον κιοκράνῳ κορινθιουργεῖ· ἐπιτμηθεὶς δʼ οὗτος ἀφίησιν ὀπὸν θανάσιμον πρὸς τὰς ἐπιχρίσεις τῶν βελῶν.
This too is among the things believed, that in Celtica there grows a tree similar to a fig tree, which bears fruit resembling a Corinthian capital; and when this is cut, it discharges a deadly sap used for smearing arrows.
καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῶν θρυλουμένων ἐστίν, ὅτι πάντες Κελτοὶ ἡδόνικοί τέ εἰσι καὶ οὐ νομίζεται παρʼ αὐτοῖς αἰσχρὸν τὸ τῆς ἀκμῆς ἀφειδεῖν τοὺς νέους.
And this is also among the common rumors, that all Celts are fond of pleasure, and it is not considered shameful among them for young men to be prodigal of their youthful bloom.
Ἔφορος δὲ ὑπερβάλλουσάν τε τῷ μεγέθει λέγει τὴν Κελτικήν, ὥστε ἧσπερ νῦν Ἰβηρίας καλοῦμεν ἐκείνοις τὰ πλεῖστα προσνέμειν μέχρι Γαδείρων, φιλέλληνάς τε ἀποφαίνει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ πολλὰ ἰδίως λέγει περὶ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐοικότα τοῖς νῦν.
Ephorus says that Celtica is of extraordinary size, so that he assigns to them most of what we now call Iberia as far as Gadeira, and he represents the people as philhellenes, and tells many peculiar things about them not resembling the present.
ἴδιον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο· ἀσκεῖν γὰρ αὐτοὺς μὴ παχεῖς εἶναι μηδὲ προγάστορας, τὸν δʼ ὑπερβαλλόμενον τῶν νέων τὸ τῆς ζώνης μέτρον ζημιοῦσθαι.
This too is peculiar to them, that they practice not to become fat or pot-bellied, and any young man who exceeds the measure of his belt is fined.
ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἄλπεων Κελτικῆς.
So much for Celtica beyond the Alps.