§7.3.4τὸ μὲν οὖν τὴν γραφὴν κινεῖν ἐκ τοσούτων ἐτῶν εὐδοκιμήσασαν περιττὸν ἴσως· πολὺ γὰρ πιθανώτερον ὠνομάσθαι μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς Μυσούς, μετωνομάσθαι δὲ ὡς νῦν.
Therefore, to alter the text which has been esteemed for so many years is perhaps superfluous; for it is much more credible that they were named Mysians from the beginning, and changed their name as they are called now.
τοὺς ἀβίους δὲ τοὺς χήρους οὐ μᾶλλον ἢ τοὺς ἀνεστίους καὶ τοὺς ἁμαξοίκους δέξαιτʼ ἄν τις· μάλιστα γὰρ περὶ τὰ συμβόλαια καὶ τὴν τῶν χρημάτων κτῆσιν συνισταμένων τῶν ἀδικημάτων, τοὺς οὕτως ἀπʼ ὀλίγων εὐτελῶς ζῶντας δικαιοτάτους εὔλογον κληθῆναι· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ φιλόσοφοι τῇ σωφροσύνῃ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐγγυτάτω τιθέντες τὸ αὔταρκες καὶ τὸ λιτὸν ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις ἐζήλωσαν· ἀφʼ οὗ καὶ προεκπτώσεις τινὰς αὐτῶν παρέωσαν ἐπὶ τὸν κυνισμόν.
And one might accept the Abii as "without women" no more than as "homeless" and "wagon-dwellers"; for since injustices arise chiefly concerning contracts and the acquisition of property, it is reasonable that those who live so frugally on so little should be called "most just"; for the philosophers also, placing justice closest to temperance, in the first place desired self-sufficiency and simplicity; from which indeed some of them even pushed forward to deviations toward Cynicism.
τὸ δὲ χήρους γυναικῶν οἰκεῖν οὐδεμίαν τοιαύτην ἔμφασιν ὑπογράφει, καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ τοῖς Θρᾳξὶ καὶ τούτων τοῖς Γέταις.
But to dwell without women suggests no such meaning, especially among the Thracians and of these the Getae.
ὅρα δʼ ἃ λέγει Μένανδρος περὶ αὐτῶν οὐ πλάσας, ὡς εἰκός, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἱστορίας λαβών
"
πάντες μὲν οἱ Θρᾷκες, μάλιστα δʼ οἱ Γέται
ἡμεῖς ἁπάντων (καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς εὔχομαι
ἐκεῖθεν εἶναι τὸ γένος) οὐ σφόδρʼ ἐγκρατεῖς
ἐσμέν. "
καὶ ὑποβὰς μικρὸν τῆς περὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἀκρασίας τίθησι τὰ παραδείγματα· "
γαμεῖ γὰρ ἡμῶν οὐδὲ εἷς, εἰ μὴ δέκʼ ἢ
ἕνδεκα γυναῖκας δώδεκά τʼ ἢ πλείους τινές· ἂν τέτταρας δʼ ἢ πέντε γεγαμηκὼς τύχῃ
καταστροφῆς τις, ἀνυμέναιος ἄθλιος
ἄνυμφος οὗτος ἐπικαλεῖτʼ ἐν τοῖς ἐκεῖ. "
ταῦτα γὰρ ὁμολογεῖται μὲν καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων, οὐκ εἰκὸς δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἅμα μὲν ἄθλιον νομίζειν βίον τὸν μὴ μετὰ πολλῶν γυναικῶν, ἅμα δὲ σπουδαῖον καὶ δίκαιον τὸν τῶν γυναικῶν χῆρον.
See what Menander says about them, not fabricating, as is likely, but taking it from history: "All the Thracians, and especially the Getae, we all (for I myself boast that my race is from there) are not very self-controlled." And going down a little, he gives examples of their lack of self-control regarding women: "For not a single one of us marries unless he takes ten or eleven wives, and some twelve or even more; but if someone happens to meet his end having married only four or five, he is called among the people there unregistered in marriage, wretched, and wifeless." For these things are indeed agreed upon by others as well, but it is not likely that the same people should at the same time consider a life without many women to be wretched, and at the same time a life without women to be noble and just.
τὸ δὲ δὴ καὶ θεοσεβεῖς νομίζειν καὶ καπνοβάτας τοὺς ἐρήμους γυναικῶν σφόδρα ἐναντιοῦται ταῖς κοιναῖς ὑπολήψεσιν.
And indeed, to consider those who are destitute of women to be both god-fearing and "kapnobatae" strongly contradicts common notions.
ἅπαντες γὰρ τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας ἀρχηγοὺς οἴονται τὰς γυναῖκας· αὗται δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας προκαλοῦνται πρὸς τὰς ἐπὶ πλέον θεραπείας τῶν θεῶν καὶ ἑορτὰς καὶ ποτνιασμούς· σπάνιον δʼ εἴ τις ἀνὴρ καθʼ αὑτὸν ζῶν εὑρίσκεται τοιοῦτος.
For everyone thinks that women are the chief leaders of superstition; and they provoke the men to more extensive worship of the gods, festivals, and prayers; but it is rare if any man living by himself is found to be like this.
ὅρα δὲ πάλιν τὸν αὐτὸν ποιητὴν ἃ λέγει εἰσάγων τὸν ἀχθόμενον ταῖς περὶ τὰς θυσίας τῶν γυναικῶν δαπάναις καὶ λέγοντα
"
ἐπιτρίβουσι δʼ ἡμᾶς οἱ θεοί,
μάλιστα τοὺς γήμαντας· ἀεὶ γάρ τινα
ἄγειν ἑορτήν ἐστʼ ἀνάγκη. "
τὸν δὲ μισογύνην αὐτὰ ταῦτα αἰτιώμενον
"
ἐθύομεν δὲ πεντάκις τῆς ἡμέρας,
ἐκυμβάλιζον δʼ ἑπτὰ θεράπαιναι κύκλῳ,
αἱ δʼ ὠλόλυζον. "
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἰδίως τοὺς ἀγύνους τῶν Γετῶν εὐσεβεῖς νομίζεσθαι παράλογόν τι ἐμφαίνει· τὸ δʼ ἰσχύειν ἐν τῷ ἔθνει τούτῳ τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον σπουδὴν ἔκ τε ὧν εἶπε Ποσειδώνιος οὐκ ἀπιστητέον καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἄλλης ἱστορίας.
See again what the same poet says when introducing one who is vexed by the expenses of the women's sacrifices and saying: "The gods destroy us, especially those of us who have married; for it is always necessary to celebrate some festival." And the woman-hater accusing these very things: "We used to sacrifice five times a day, and seven maidservants would strike the cymbals in a circle, while others wailed." Therefore, that the unmarried among the Getae should be uniquely considered pious appears somewhat unreasonable; but that the zeal concerning the divine is powerful in this nation must not be disbelieved, both from what Poseidonius said and from other history.
§7.3.5λέγεται γάρ τινα τῶν Γετῶν ὄνομα Ζάμολξιν δουλεῦσαι Πυθαγόρᾳ καί τινα τῶν οὐρανίων παρʼ ἐκείνου μαθεῖν, τὰ δὲ καὶ παρʼ Αἰγυπτίων πλανηθέντα καὶ μέχρι δεῦρο· ἐπανελθόντα δʼ εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν σπουδασθῆναι παρὰ τοῖς ἡγεμόσι καὶ τῷ ἔθνει προλέγοντα τὰς ἐπισημασίας, τελευτῶντα δὲ πεῖσαι τὸν βασιλέα κοινωνὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτὸν λαβεῖν ὡς τὰ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ἐξαγγέλλειν ἱκανόν·
For it is said that one of the Getae, Zamolxis by name, was a slave to Pythagoras, and learned some of the celestial matters from him, and some also from the Egyptians, having wandered even down to this day; and that when he returned to his own country, he was highly regarded by the leaders and the nation, predicting the signs; and finally he persuaded the king to take him as a partner in government, as one capable of reporting things from the gods.
καὶ κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν ἱερέα κατασταθῆναι τοῦ μάλιστα τιμωμένου παρʼ αὐτοῖς θεοῦ, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ καὶ θεὸν προσαγορευθῆναι, καὶ καταλαβόντα ἀντρῶδές τι χωρίον ἄβατον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐνταῦθα διαιτᾶσθαι, σπάνιον ἐντυγχάνοντα τοῖς ἐκτὸς πλὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων·
And at first indeed he was established as priest of the god most honored among them, but after this he was also addressed as a god; and having occupied a certain cave-like place inaccessible to others, he lived there, rarely meeting with those outside except the king and his attendants.
συμπράττειν δὲ τὸν βασιλέα ὁρῶντα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους προσέχοντας ἑαυτῷ πολὺ πλέον ἢ πρότερον, ὡς ἐκφέροντι τὰ προστάγματα κατὰ συμβουλὴν θεῶν.
And the king co-operated, seeing that the people paid attention to him much more than before, as one who brought out commands according to the advice of the gods.
τουτὶ δὲ τὸ ἔθος διέτεινεν ἄχρι καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἀεί τινος εὑρισκομένου τοιούτου τὸ ἦθος, ὃς τῷ μὲν βασιλεῖ σύμβουλος ὑπῆρχε, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς Γέταις ὠνομάζετο θεός· καὶ τὸ ὄρος ὑπελήφθη ἱερόν, καὶ προσαγορεύουσιν οὕτως· ὄνομα δʼ αὐτῷ Κωγαίονον ὁμώνυμον τῷ παραρρέοντι ποταμῷ.
And this custom extended even down to us, some person of such character always being found, who was a counselor to the king, and was called a god among the Getae; and the mountain was considered sacred, and they call it so; and its name is Kogaionon, homonymous with the river flowing beside it.
καὶ δὴ ὅτε Βυρεβίστας ἦρχε τῶν Γετῶν, ἐφʼ ὃν ἤδη παρεσκευάσατο Καῖσαρ ὁ θεὸς στρατεύειν, Δεκαίνεος εἶχε ταύτην τὴν τιμήν, καί πως τὸ τῶν ἐμψύχων ἀπέχεσθαι Πυθαγόρειον τοῦ Ζαμόλξιος ἔμεινε παραδοθέν.
And indeed, when Burebistas ruled over the Getae, against whom the deified Caesar had already prepared to march, Decaeneus held this honor, and somehow the Pythagorean abstinence from living things remained, handed down from Zamolxis.