§7.fragments.1Κινέας δέ φησι πόλιν ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ εἶναι καὶ φηγὸν καὶ τὸ τοῦ Διὸς μαντεῖον εἰς Ἤπειρον μετενεχθῆναι.
Cineas says that there is a city in Thessaly and an oak-tree, and that the oracle of Zeus was transferred from there to Epirus.
Stephanus in Δωδώνη.
Stephanus in Dodona.
§7.fragments.1aἦν δὲ πρότερον περὶ Σκοτοῦσσαν πόλιν τῆς Πελασγιώτιδος τὸ χρηστήριον· ἐμπρησθέντος δʼ ὑπό τινων τοῦ δένδρου μετηνέχθη κατὰ χρησμὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἐν Δωδώνῃ.
Formerly the oracle was around the city of Scotussa in Pelasgiotis; but when the tree was set on fire by certain persons, it was transferred to Dodona in accordance with an oracle of Apollo.
ἐχρησμῴδει δʼ οὐ διὰ λόγων, ἀλλὰ διά τινων συμβόλων, ὥσπερ τὸ ἐν Λιβύῃ Ἀμμωνιακόν· ἴσως δέ τινα πτῆσιν αἱ τρεῖς περιστεραὶ ἐπέτοντο ἐξαίρετον, ἐξ ὧν αἱ ἱέρειαι παρατηρούμεναι προεθέσπιζον.
It did not deliver oracles through words, but through certain symbols, like the oracle of Ammon in Libya; and perhaps the three doves flew in some exceptional flight, by observing which the priestesses prophesied.
φασὶ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν τῶν Μολοττῶν καὶ Θεσπρωτῶν γλῶτταν τὰς γραίας πελίας καλεῖσθαι καὶ τοὺς γέροντας πελίους· καὶ ἴσως οὐκ ὄρνεα ἦσαν αἱ θρυλούμεναι πελειάδες, ἀλλὰ γυναῖκες γραῖαι τρεῖς περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν σχολάζουσαι.
They also say that in the dialect of the Molossians and Thesprotians, old women are called "peliai" and old men "pelioi"; and perhaps the much-talked-of "peleiades" (doves) were not birds, but three old women who busied themselves about the temple.
Epit. (i. e. Epitome edita).
Epitome.
§7.fragments.2ὅτι κατὰ Θεσπρωτοὺς καὶ Μολοττοὺς τὰς γραίας πελίας καὶ τοὺς γέροντας πελίους, καθάπερ καὶ παρὰ Μακεδόσι· πελιγόνας γοῦν καλοῦσιν ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς ἐν τιμαῖς, καθὰ παρὰ Λάκωσι καὶ Μασσαλιώταις τοὺς γέροντας·
Among the Thesprotians and Molossians, old women are called "peliai" and old men "pelioi", just as among the Macedonians; at any rate, the latter call those in offices of honor "peligones", corresponding to the "gerontes" (elders) among the Laconians and Massaliotes.
ὅθεν καὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ Δωδωναίᾳ δρυῒ μεμυθεῦσθαι πελείας φασίν.
They say that from this fact the "peleiades" (doves) in the Dodonaean oak-tree were mythologized.
E. (i. e. Epitome Vaticana).
Vatican Epitome.
§7.fragments.3ὅτι ἡ παροιμία
τὸ ἐν Δωδώνῃ χαλκίον
ἐντεῦθεν ὠνομάσθη· χαλκίον ἦν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἔχον ὑπερκείμενον ἀνδριάντα κρατοῦντα μάστιγα χαλκῆν, ἀνάθημα Κορκυραίων· ἡ δὲ μάστιξ ἦν τριπλῆ ἁλυσιδωτὴ ἀπηρτημένους ἔχουσα ἐξ αὑτῆς ἀστραγάλους, οἳ πλήττοντες τὸ χαλκίον συνεχῶς, ὁπότε αἰωροῖντο ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνέμων, μακροὺς ἤχους ἀπειργάζοντο, ἕως ὁ μετρῶν τὸν χρόνον ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ ἤχου μέχρι τέλους καὶ ἐπὶ τετρακόσια προέλθοι· ὅθεν καὶ ἡ παροιμία ἐλέχθη
ἡ Κερκυραίων μάστιξ. Epit.
The proverb "The bronze vessel at Dodona" was named from this source: there was a bronze vessel in the temple, having placed above it a statue holding a bronze whip, an offering of the Corcyraeans; and the whip was triple-chained, having knucklebones suspended from it, which, striking the bronze vessel continuously whenever they were swung by the winds, produced long-lasting sounds, until the person measuring the time from the beginning of the sound to the end could count up to four hundred; whence also the proverb was spoken, "The whip of the Corcyraeans." Epitome.
§7.fragments.4ἡ δὲ Παιονία τούτοις μὲν ἔστι πρὸς ἕω τοῖς ἔθνεσι, πρὸς δύσιν δὲ τοῖς Θρᾳκίοις ὄρεσι, πρὸς ἄρκτον δʼ ὑπέρκειται τοῖς Μακεδόσι, διὰ Γορτυνίου πόλεως καὶ Στόβων ἔχουσα τὰς εἰσβολὰς ἐπὶ τὰ πρὸς στενὰ διʼ ὧν ὁ Ἀξιὸς ῥέων δυσείσβολον ποιεῖ τὴν Μακεδονίαν ἐκ τῆς Παιονίας, ὡς ὁ Πηνειὸς διὰ τῶν Τεμπῶν φερόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλλάδος αὐτὴν ἐρυμνοῖ· πρὸς νότον δὲ τοῖς Αὐταριάταις καὶ Δαρδανίοις καὶ Ἀρδιαίοις ὁμορεῖ· ἐκτέταται δὲ καὶ μέχρι Στρυμόνος ἡ Παιονία.
Paeonia is to the east of these nations, and to the west of the Thracian mountains; to the north it lies above the Macedonians, having passes through the city of Gortynium and Stobi into the narrow defiles, through which the Axius flows and makes Macedonia difficult to invade from Paeonia, just as the Peneius, flowing through Tempe, secures Macedonia from Greece; and on the south it borders on the Autariatae, the Dardanians, and the Ardiaei; and Paeonia extends as far as the Strymon.
E.
Vatican Epitome.
§7.fragments.5ὅτι ὁ Ἁλιάκμων εἰς τὸν Θερμαῖον κόλπον ῥεῖ.
The Haliacmon flows into the Thermaic Gulf.
E.
Vatican Epitome.
§7.fragments.6ἡ δʼ Ὀρεστὶς πολλὴ καὶ ὄρος ἔχει μέγα μέχρι τοῦ Κόρακος τῆς Αἰτωλίας καθῆκον καὶ τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ.
Orestis is extensive and has a great mountain, which reaches as far as Mount Corax in Aetolia and Mount Parnassus.
περιοικοῦσι δʼ αὐτοί τε Ὀρέσται καὶ Τυμφαῖοι καὶ οἱ ἐκτὸς Ἰσθμοῦ Ἕλληνες οἱ περὶ Παρνασσὸν καὶ τὴν Οἴτην καὶ Πίνδον.
Around it dwell the Orestae themselves, the Tymphaei, and the Greeks outside the Isthmus who live around Parnassus, Oeta, and Pindus.
ἑνὶ μὲν δὴ κοινῷ ὀνόματι καλεῖται Βοῖον τὸ ὄρος; κατὰ μέρη δὲ πολυώνυμόν ἐστιν.
Indeed, by one common name the mountain is called Boeon, but in its various parts it has many names.
φασὶ δʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑψηλοτάτων σκοπιῶν ἀφορᾶσθαι τό τε Αἰγαῖον πέλαγος καὶ τὸ Ἀμβρακικὸν καὶ τὸ Ἰόνιον, πρὸς ὑπερβολὴν οἶμαι λέγοντες.
And they say that from its highest peaks one can see the Aegean Sea, the Ambracian Gulf, and the Ionian Sea, though I think they say this in exaggeration.
καὶ τὸ Πτελεὸν ἱκανῶς ἐστιν ἐν ὕψει τὸ περικείμενον τῷ Ἀμβρακικῷ κόλπῳ, τῇ μὲν ἐκτεινόμενον μέχρι τῆς Κερκυραίας τῇ δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν κατὰ Λευκάδα θάλασσαν.
Mount Pteleum also, which surrounds the Ambracian Gulf, is of considerable height, extending on one side as far as the territory of Corcyra, and on the other to the sea near Leucas.
E.
Vatican Epitome.
§7.fragments.7ὅτι ἐπὶ γέλωτι ἐν παροιμίας μέρει γελᾶται Κέρκυρα ταπεινωθεῖσα τοῖς πολλοῖς πολέμοις.
Corcyra, having been humbled by its many wars, is laughed at in a proverbial way as an object of ridicule.
E.
Vatican Epitome.
§7.fragments.8ὅτι ἡ Κόρκυρα τὸ παλαιὸν εὐτυχὴς ἦν καὶ δύναμιν ναυτικὴν πλείστην εἶχεν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ πολέμων τινῶν καὶ τυράννων ἐφθάρη· καὶ ὕστερον ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐλευθερωθεῖσα οὐκ ἐπῃνέθη, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ λοιδορίᾳ παροιμίαν ἔλαβεν
ἐλευθέρα Κόρκυρα, χέζʼ ὅπου θέλεις. Epit.
Corcyra in ancient times was prosperous and possessed a very great naval power, but was ruined by certain wars and tyrants; and later, although set free by the Romans, it did not receive praise, but rather, by way of insult, acquired the proverb: "Free Corcyra, defecate where you please." Epitome.