§6.2.5τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν τῆς Σικελίας πλευρῶν ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ Παχύνου πρὸς Λιλύβαιον διήκουσα ἐκλέλειπται τελέως, ἴχνη τινὰ σώζουσα τῶν ἀρχαίων κατοικιῶν, ὧν ἦν καὶ Καμάρινα ἄποικος Συρακουσίων· Ἀκράγας δὲ Γελῴων οὖσα καὶ τὸ ἐπίνειον καὶ Λιλύβαιον ἔτι συμμένει.
Of the remaining sides of Sicily, the one extending from Pachynus to Lilybaeum is completely deserted, preserving only some traces of ancient settlements, among which was Camarina, a colony of the Syracusans; but Akragas, which belonged to the Geloans, and its seaport, and Lilybaeum still remain.
τῇ γὰρ Καρχηδονίᾳ τούτων μάλιστα ὑποπιπτόντων τῶν μερῶν, μακροὶ καὶ συνεχεῖς οἱ πόλεμοι γενόμενοι τὰ πολλὰ κατέφθειραν.
For since these parts lay closest to the Carthaginian territory, the long and continuous wars that occurred destroyed most of them.
ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ καὶ μεγίστη πλευρά, καίπερ οὐδʼ αὐτὴ πολυάνθρωπος οὖσα ὅμως ἱκανῶς συνοικεῖται.
The remaining and largest side, although not populous itself either, is nevertheless sufficiently inhabited.
καὶ γὰρ Ἄλαισα καὶ Τυνδαρὶς καὶ τὸ τῶν Αἰγεσταίων ἐμπόριον καὶ Κεφαλοιδὶς πολίσματά ἐστι· Πάνορμος δὲ καὶ Ῥωμαίων ἔχει κατοικίαν.
For Halaesa, Tyndaris, the trading-station of the Aegestaeans, and Cephaloedis are towns; and Panormos also has a Roman settlement.
τὴν δὲ Αἰγεσταίαν κτισθῆναί φασιν ὑπὸ τῶν μετὰ Φιλοκτήτου διαβάντων εἰς τὴν Κροτωνιᾶτιν, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς Ἰταλικοῖς εἴρηται, παρʼ αὐτοῦ σταλέντων εἰς τὴν Σικελίαν μετὰ Αἰγέστου τοῦ Τρωός.
They say that the territory of Aegesta was founded by those who crossed over with Philoctetes to the Crotonian territory, as has been said in the books on Italy, having been sent by him to Sicily along with Aegestus the Trojan.
οἰκεῖται δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἔρυξ λόφος ὑψηλός, ἱερὸν ἔχων Ἀφροδίτης τιμώμενον διαφερόντως ἱεροδούλων γυναικῶν πλῆρες τὸ παλαιόν, ἃς ἀνέθεσαν κατʼ εὐχὴν οἵ τʼ ἐκ τῆς Σικελίας καὶ ἔξωθεν πολλοί· νυνὶ δʼ ὥσπερ αὐτὴ ἡ κατοικία λειπανδρεῖ καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν σωμάτων ἐκλέλοιπε τὸ πλῆθος.
Eryx, a high hill, is also inhabited, having a temple of Aphrodite that is exceptionally honored, which in ancient times was full of female temple-slaves whom many people, both from Sicily and from abroad, had dedicated in accordance with a vow; but now, just as the settlement itself is short of inhabitants, so also the multitude of the sacred bodies has disappeared.
ἀφίδρυμα δʼ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐν Ῥώμῃ τῆς θεοῦ ταύτης τὸ πρὸ τῆς πύλης τῆς Κολλίνης ἱερὸν Ἀφροδίτης Ἐρυκίνης λεγόμενον, ἔχον καὶ νεὼν καὶ στοὰν περικειμένην ἀξιόλογον.
There is also a copy of this goddess in Rome, namely, the temple before the Colline Gate called the temple of Aphrodite Erycina, which has both a temple and a remarkable surrounding portico.
§6.2.6ἐν δὲ τῇ μεσογαίᾳ τὴν μὲν Ἔνναν, ἐν ᾗ τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς Δήμητρος, ἔχουσιν ὀλίγοι, κειμένην ἐπὶ λόφῳ, περιειλημμένην πλατέσιν ὀροπεδίοις ἀροσίμοις πᾶσιν.
In the interior, Enna, in which is the temple of Demeter, is held by only a few; it is situated on a hill, surrounded by broad tablelands, all of which are arable.
ἐκάκωσαν δʼ αὐτὴν μάλιστα ἐμπολιορκηθέντες οἱ περὶ Εὔνουν δραπέται καὶ μόλις ἐξαιρεθέντες ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων· ἔπαθον δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα καὶ Καταναῖοι καὶ Ταυρομενῖται καὶ ἄλλοι πλείους.
Those runaways under Eunus ruined it most of all, having been besieged there and with difficulty captured by the Romans; and the Catanaeans, the Tauromenitans, and several others suffered these same things.
ἡ δʼ ἄλλη κατοικία καὶ τῆς μεσογαίας ποιμένων ἡ πλείστη γεγένηται· οὔτε γὰρ Ἱμέραν ἔτι συνοικουμένην ἴσμεν οὔτε Γέλαν οὔτε Καλλίπολιν οὔτε Σελινοῦντα οὔτʼ Εὔβοιαν οὔτʼ ἄλλας πλείους, ὧν τὴν μὲν Ἱμέραν οἱ ἐν Μυλαῖς ἔκτισαν Ζαγκλαῖοι, Καλλίπολιν δὲ Νάξιοι, Σελινοῦντα δὲ οἱ αὐτόθι Μεγαρεῖς, Εὔβοιαν δὲ οἱ Λεοντῖνοι.
The rest of the settlements, indeed most of the interior, has become the property of shepherds; for we no longer know of Himera as still inhabited, nor Gela, nor Callipolis, nor Selinus, nor Euboea, nor several others; of which Himera was founded by those Zancleans in Mylae, Callipolis by the Naxians, Selinus by the Megarians there, and Euboea by the Leontines.
κεκάκωται δὲ καὶ ἡ Λεοντίνη πᾶσα, Ναξίων οὖσα καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν αὐτόθι· τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἀτυχημάτων ἐκοινώνησαν ἀεὶ τοῖς Συρακουσσίοις, τῶν δʼ εὐτυχημάτων οὐκ ἀεί.
And the whole territory of Leontini also has been ruined, which itself also belonged to the Naxians there; for they always shared in the misfortunes of the Syracusans, but not always in their good fortunes.
καὶ τῶν βαρβαρικῶν δʼ ἐξελείφθησαν πολλαί, καθάπερ οἱ Καμικοὶ τὸ Κωκάλου βασίλειον, παρʼ ᾧ Μίνως δολοφονηθῆναι λέγεται.
And many of the barbarian cities also have been abandoned, such as Camici, the royal residence of Cocalus, where Minos is said to have been murdered.
τὴν οὖν ἐρημίαν κατανοήσαντες Ῥωμαῖοι κατακτησάμενοι τά τε ὄρη καὶ τῶν πεδίων τὰ πλεῖστα ἱπποφορβοῖς καὶ βουκόλοις καὶ ποιμέσι παρέδοσαν· ὑφʼ ὧν πολλάκις εἰς κινδύνους κατέστη μεγάλους ἡ νῆσος, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐπὶ λῃστείας τρεπομένων σποράδην τῶν νομέων, εἶτα καὶ κατὰ πλήθη συνισταμένων καὶ πορθούντων τὰς κατοικίας, καθάπερ ἡνίκα οἱ περὶ Εὔνουν τὴν Ἔνναν κατέσχον.
The Romans, therefore, having observed the desolation, took possession of the mountains and most of the plains, and surrendered them to horse-breeders, herdsmen, and shepherds; by whom the island was often brought into great dangers, at first because the herdsmen turned to robbery in a scattered way, and then because they assembled in multitudes and plundered the settlements, as when those under Eunus seized Enna.
νεωστὶ δʼ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀνεπέμφθη Σέλουρός τις, Αἴτνης υἱὸς λεγόμενος, στρατιᾶς ἀφηγησάμενος καὶ λεηλασίαις πυκναῖς καταδεδραμηκὼς τὰ κύκλῳ τῆς Αἴτνης πολὺν χρόνον, ὃν ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ μονομάχων ἀγῶνος συνεστῶτος εἴδομεν διασπασθέντα ὑπὸ θηρίων·
And recently, in our time, a certain Selurus, called the son of Aetna, was sent up to Rome, who had led an army and for a long time had overrun the region around Aetna with frequent raids; whom we saw in the Forum, while a gladiatorial combat was taking place, being torn to pieces by wild beasts; for, having been placed upon a high scaffold, as though on Mt.
ἐπὶ πήγματος γάρ τινος ὑψηλοῦ τεθεὶς ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ τῆς Αἴτνης, διαλυθέντος αἰφνιδίως καὶ συμπεσόντος κατηνέχθη καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς γαλεάγρας θηρίων εὐδιαλύτους ἐπίτηδες παρεσκευασμένας ὑπὸ τῷ πήγματι.
Aetna, which suddenly collapsed and fell together, he was himself carried down into cages of wild beasts, which easily opened, purposely constructed beneath the scaffold.