§9.1.8πολλαῖς δὲ κέχρηται μεταβολαῖς ἡ τῶν Μεγαρέων πόλις, συμμένει δʼ ὅμως μέχρι νῦν.
The city of the Megarians has experienced many changes, but nevertheless survives to this day.
ἔσχε δέ ποτε καὶ φιλοσόφων διατριβὰς τῶν προσαγορευθέντων Μεγαρικῶν, Εὐκλείδην διαδεξαμένων ἄνδρα Σωκρατικόν, Μεγαρέα τὸ γένος· καθάπερ καὶ Φαίδωνα μὲν τὸν Ἠλεῖον οἱ Ἠλειακοὶ διεδέξαντο, καὶ τοῦτον Σωκρατικόν, ὧν ἦν καὶ Πύρρων, Μενέδημον δὲ τὸν Ἐρετριέα οἱ Ἐρετρικοί.
It once also hosted the schools of the philosophers called Megarian, who succeeded Euclides, a Socratic philosopher and a Megarian by birth; just as the Elysian school succeeded Phaedo of Elis (who was also a Socratic), among whom was also Pyrrho, and the Eretrian school succeeded Menedemus of Eretria.
ἔστι δʼ ἡ χώρα τῶν Μεγαρέων παράλυπρος καθάπερ καὶ ἡ Ἀττική, καὶ τὸ πλέον αὐτῆς ἐπέχει τὰ καλούμενα Ὄνεια ὄρη, ῥάχις τις μηκυνομένη μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν Σκιρωνίδων πετρῶν ἐπὶ τὴν Βοιωτίαν καὶ τὸν Κιθαιρῶνα, διείργουσα δὲ τὴν κατὰ Νίσαιαν θάλατταν ἀπὸ τῆς κατ Ἀλκυονίδος προσαγορευομένης.
The country of the Megarians is rather sterile, just as Attica is, and the greater part of it is occupied by the so-called Oneia Mountains, a sort of ridge extending from the Scironian Rocks to Boeotia and Cithaeron, separating the sea near Nisaea from that called the Alcyonian Sea.
§9.1.9πρόκειται δʼ ἀπὸ Νισαίας πλέοντι εἰς τὴν Ἀττικὴν πέντε νησία.
As one sails from Nisaea to Attica, five small islands lie in front.
εἶτα Σαλαμὶς ἑβδομήκοντά που σταδίων οὖσα τὸ μῆκος, οἱ δʼ ὀγδοήκοντά φασιν· ἔχει δʼ ὁμώνυμον πόλιν τὴν μὲν ἀρχαίαν ἔρημον πρὸς Αἴγιναν τετραμμένην καὶ πρὸς νότον (καθάπερ καὶ Αἰσχύλος εἴρηκεν
"
Αἴγινα δʼ αὕτη πρὸς νότου κεῖται πνοάς
"
), τὴν δὲ νῦν ἐν κόλπῳ κειμένην ἐπὶ χερρονησοειδοῦς τόπου συνάπτοντος πρὸς τὴν Ἀττικήν.
Then comes Salamis, which is about seventy stadia in length, though some say eighty; it has a city of the same name, the ancient one being deserted and facing Aegina and the south (just as Aeschylus has said: "And this Aegina lies towards the blasts of the south"), but the present city is situated in a gulf on a peninsula-like site that joins Attica.
ἐκαλεῖτο δʼ ἑτέροις ὀνόμασι τὸ παλαιόν· καὶ γὰρ Σκιρὰς καὶ Κύχρεια ἀπό τινων ἡρώων, ἀφʼ οὗ μὲν Ἀθηνᾶ τε λέγεται Σκιρὰς καὶ τόπος Σκίρα ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ καὶ ἐπὶ Σκίρῳ ἱεροποιία τις καὶ ὁ μὴν ὁ Σκιροφοριών, ἀφʼ οὗ δὲ καὶ Κυχρείδης ὄφις, ὅν φησιν Ἡσίοδος τραφέντα ὑπὸ Κυχρέως ἐξελαθῆναι ὑπὸ Εὐρυλόχου λυμαινόμενον τὴν νῆσον, ὑποδέξασθαι δὲ αὐτὸν τὴν Δήμητρα εἰς Ἐλευσῖνα καὶ γενέσθαι ταύτης ἀμφίπολον.
It was called by other names in ancient times; for instance, both Sciras and Cychreia, after certain heroes, from one of whom Athena is called Sciras, and a place Scira in Attica, and a certain sacred rite at Sciron, and the month Scirophorion, and from the other the Cychreidean serpent, which Hesiod says was reared by Cychreus and driven out by Eurylochus because it was ravaging the island, but Demeter welcomed it into Eleusis and it became her attendant.
ὠνομάσθη δὲ καὶ Πιτυοῦσσα ἀπὸ τοῦ φυτοῦ· ἐπιφανὴς δὲ ἡ νῆσος ὑπῆρξε διά τε τοὺς Αἰακίδας ἐπάρξαντας αὐτῆς, καὶ μάλιστα διʼ Αἴαντα τὸν Τελαμώνιον, καὶ διὰ τὸ περὶ τὴν νῆσον ταύτην καταναυμαχηθῆναι Ξέρξην ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων καὶ φυγεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν.
It was also named Pityoussa from the pine-tree; and the island became famous both on account of the Aeacidae who ruled it, and especially on account of Ajax, the son of Telamon, and because it was near this island that Xerxes was defeated in a naval battle by the Greeks and fled to his own country.
συναπέλαυσαν δὲ καὶ Αἰγινῆται τῆς περὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦτον δόξης, γείτονές τε ὄντες καὶ ναυτικὸν ἀξιόλογον παρασχόμενοι.
The Aeginetans also shared in the glory of this contest, being neighbors and having provided a remarkable fleet.
Βώκαρος δʼ ἐστὶν ἐν Σαλαμῖνι ποταμός, ὁ νῦν Βωκαλία καλούμενος.
There is in Salamis a river called Bocarus, which is now called Bocalia.
§9.1.10καὶ νῦν μὲν ἔχουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι τὴν νῆσον, τὸ δὲ παλαιὸν πρὸς Μεγαρέας ὑπῆρξεν αὐτοῖς ἔρις περὶ αὐτῆς· καί φασιν οἱ μὲν Πεισίστρατον οἱ δὲ Σόλωνα παρεγγράψαντα ἐν τῷ νεῶν καταλόγῳ μετὰ τὸ ἔπος τοῦτο
"
Αἴας δʼ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος ἄγεν δυοκαίδεκα νῆας
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ἑξῆς τοῦτο
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στῆσε δʼ ἄγων, ἵνʼ Ἀθηναίων ἵσταντο φάλαγγες,
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μάρτυρι χρήσασθαι τῷ ποιητῇ τοῦ τὴν νῆσον ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ἀθηναίων ὑπάρξαι.
And now the Athenians possess the island, but in ancient times they had a dispute about it with the Megarians; and some say that Peisistratus, and others Solon, inserted in the Catalogue of Ships, after this verse: "And Ajax led twelve ships from Salamis," the following line: "And he led them and stationed them where the phalanxes of the Athenians stood," in order to use the Poet as a witness that the island had belonged to the Athenians from the beginning.
οὐ παραδέχονται δὲ τοῦθʼ οἱ κριτικοὶ διὰ τὸ πολλὰ τῶν ἐπῶν ἀντιμαρτυρεῖν αὐτοῖς.
But the critics do not accept this, because many of the verses testify against them.
διὰ τί γὰρ ναυλοχῶν ἔσχατος φαίνεται ὁ Αἴας, οὐ μετʼ Ἀθηναίων ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ὑπὸ Πρωτεσιλάῳ Θετταλῶν;
For why does Ajax appear stationed at the very end of the harbor, not with the Athenians, but with the Thessalians under Protesilaus?
"
ἔνθʼ ἔσαν Αἴαντός τε νέες καὶ Πρωτεσιλάου
"
καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιπωλήσει ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων
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εὗρʼ υἱὸν Πετεῶο Μενεσθῆα πλήξιππον
ἑσταότʼ, ἀμφὶ δʼ Ἀθηναῖοι, μήστωρες ἀυτῆς.
"There were the ships of Ajax and Protesilaus," and in the review Agamemnon "found Menestheus, the son of Peteos, driver of horses, standing, and around him the Athenians, masters of the battle-cry.
αὐτὰρ ὁ πλησίον ἑστήκει πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς,
πὰρ δὲ Κεφαλλήνων ἀμφὶ στίχες. "
ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν Αἴαντα καὶ τοὺς Σαλαμινίους πάλιν
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ἦλθε δʼ ἐπʼ Αἰάντεσσι,
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καὶ παρʼ αὐτούς
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Ἰδομενεὺς δʼ ἑτέρωθεν,
"
οὐ Μενεσθεύς.
But nearby stood Odysseus of many wiles, and by him the ranks of the Cephallenians." And to Ajax and the Salaminians again "he came to the Ajaxes," and next to them "and Idomeneus from the other side," not Menestheus.
οἱ μὲν δὴ Ἀθηναῖοι τοιαύτην τινὰ σκήψασθαι μαρτυρίαν παρʼ Ὁμήρου δοκοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ Μεγαρεῖς ἀντιπαρῳδῆσαι οὕτως
"
Αἴας δʼ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος ἄγεν νέας, ἔκ τε Πολίχνης,
ἔκ τʼ Αἰγειρούσσης Νισαίης τε Τριπόδων τε. "
ἅ ἐστι χωρία Μεγαρικά, ὧν οἱ Τρίποδες Τριποδίσκιον λέγονται, καθʼ ὃ ἡ νῦν ἀγορὰ τῶν Μεγάρων κεῖται.
The Athenians, then, seem to have fabricated some such testimony from Homer, but the Megarians parodied it in opposition as follows: "And Ajax led ships from Salamis, and from Polichne, and from Aegeiroussa, and Nisaea, and Tripodes." These are Megarian places, of which Tripodes is called Tripodiscion, where the present marketplace of Megara is situated.