§9.2.4φησὶ δʼ Ἔφορος τοὺς μὲν Θρᾷκας ποιησαμένους σπονδὰς πρὸς τοὺς Βοιωτοὺς ἐπιθέσθαι νύκτωρ στρατοπεδεύουσιν ὀλιγωρότερον ὡς εἰρήνης γεγονυίας·
Ephorus says that the Thracians, having made a treaty with the Boeotians, attacked them by night as they were encamping rather carelessly, believing that peace had been established.
διακρουσαμένων αὐτοὺς αἰτιωμένων τε ἅμα ὅτι τὰς σπονδὰς παρέβαινον, μὴ παραβῆναι φάσκειν ἐκείνους· συνθέσθαι γὰρ ἡμέρας, νύκτωρ δʼ ἐπιθέσθαι·
When the Boeotians repulsed them and at the same time accused them of violating the treaty, the Thracians claimed that they had not violated it; for they said they had agreed to a treaty by day, but had made the attack by night.
ἀφʼ οὗ δὴ καὶ τὴν παροιμίαν εἰρῆσθαι
Θρᾳκία παρεύρεσις.
It is from this indeed that the proverb "a Thracian excuse" is said to have originated.
τοὺς δὲ Πελασγοὺς μένοντος ἔτι τοῦ πολέμου χρηστηριασομένους ἀπελθεῖν, ἀπελθεῖν δὲ καὶ τοὺς Βοιωτούς·
And while the war was still continuing, the Pelasgians went to consult the oracle, and the Boeotians went as well.
τὸν μὲν οὖν τοῖς Πελασγοῖς δοθέντα χρησμὸν ἔφη μὴ ἔχειν εἰπεῖν, τοῖς δὲ Βοιωτοῖς ἀνελεῖν τὴν προφῆτιν ἀσεβήσαντας εὖ πράξειν·
Now, Ephorus said he could not tell the oracle given to the Pelasgians, but to the Boeotians the prophetess replied that they would fare well if they committed an impious act.
τοὺς δὲ θεωροὺς ὑπονοήσαντας χαριζομένην τοῖς Πελασγοῖς τὴν προφῆτιν κατὰ τὸ συγγενὲς (ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν Πελασγικὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπῆρξεν) οὕτως ἀνελεῖν, ἁρπάσαντας τὴν ἄνθρωπον εἰς πυρὰν ἐμβαλεῖν ἐνθυμηθέντας, εἴτε κακουργήσασαν εἴτε μή, πρὸς ἀμφότερα ὀρθῶς ἔχειν, εἰ μὲν παρεχρηστηρίασε, κολασθείσης αὐτῆς, εἰ δʼ οὐδὲν ἐκακούργησε, τὸ προσταχθὲν αὐτῶν πραξάντων.
The envoys, suspecting that the prophetess answered thus to favor the Pelasgians because of their kinship (since the temple was originally Pelasgian), seized the woman and threw her into a fire, thinking that, whether she had acted wickedly or not, their action was right in either case: if she had given a false oracle, she was punished; and if she had done no wrong, they had merely done what was commanded.
τοὺς δὲ περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ μὲν ἀκρίτους κτείνειν τοὺς πράξαντας, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐν ἱερῷ, μὴ δοκιμάσαι, καθιστάναι δʼ εἰς κρίσιν, καλεῖν δʼ ἐπὶ τὰς ἱερείας, ταύτας δὲ εἶναι τὰς προφήτιδας αἳ λοιπαὶ τριῶν οὐσῶν περιῆσαν·
But those around the temple did not approve of killing the perpetrators without a trial, especially in a temple, and so they brought them to trial, calling upon the priestesses, who were the remaining two of the three prophetesses.
λεγόντων δʼ ὡς οὐδαμοῦ νόμος εἴη δικάζειν γυναῖκας, προσελέσθαι καὶ ἄνδρας ἴσους ταῖς γυναιξὶ τὸν ἀριθμόν·
When it was said that there was no law anywhere for women to act as judges, they chose an equal number of men to join the women.
τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἄνδρας ἀπογνῶναι, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας καταγνῶναι, ἴσων δὲ τῶν ψήφων γενομένων τὰς ἀπολυούσας νικῆσαι·
The men voted for acquittal, while the women voted for conviction, and since the votes were equal, those who acquitted won the case.
ἐκ δὲ τούτων Βοιωτοῖς μόνοις ἄνδρας προθεσπίζειν ἐν Δωδώνῃ.
From this circumstance, in Dodona men alone prophesy to the Boeotians.
τὰς μέντοι προφήτιδας ἐξηγουμένας τὸ μαντεῖον εἰπεῖν, ὅτι προστάττοι ὁ θεὸς τοῖς Βοιωτοῖς τοὺς παρʼ αὐτοῖς τρίποδας συλήσαντας ἕνα εἰς Δωδώνην πέμπειν κατʼ ἔτος·
However, the prophetesses, in explaining the oracle, said that the god commanded the Boeotians to plunder the tripods in their own country and send one to Dodona every year.
καὶ δὴ καὶ ποιεῖν τοῦτο· ἀεὶ γάρ τινα τῶν ἀνακειμένων τριπόδων νύκτωρ καθαιροῦντας καὶ κατακαλύπτοντας ἱματίοις ὡς ἂν λάθρᾳ τριποδηφορεῖν εἰς Δωδώνην.
And indeed they do this; for they always take down one of the dedicated tripods by night and, covering it with garments as if in secret, carry the tripod to Dodona.
§9.2.5μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τὴν Αἰολικὴν ἀποικίαν συνέπραξαν τοῖς περὶ Πενθίλον, πλείστους ἐξ ἑαυτῶν συμπέμψαντες, ὥστε καὶ Βοιωτικὴν προσαγορευθῆναι.
After this, they assisted in the Aeolian colonization under Penthilus and his followers, sending out a very large number of their own people with them, so that it was even called the Boeotian colonization.
ὕστερον δὲ χρόνοις πολλοῖς ὁ Περσικὸς πόλεμος περὶ Πλαταιὰς γενόμενος διελυμήνατο τὴν χώραν.
Later on, after many years, the Persian War, which took place around Plataea, laid waste to the country.
εἶτʼ ἀνέλαβον σφᾶς πάλιν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστε καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀρχῆς ἀμφισβητῆσαι Θηβαίους δυσὶ μάχαις κρατήσαντας Λακεδαιμονίους.
Afterwards, however, they recovered themselves to such an extent that the Thebans, having defeated the Lacedaemonians in two battles, disputed the hegemony of the Greeks.
Ἐπαμεινώνδα δὲ πεσόντος ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ταύτης μὲν τῆς ἐλπίδος διεσφάλησαν, ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὅμως ἐπολέμησαν πρὸς Φωκέας τοὺς τὸ ἱερὸν συλήσαντας τὸ κοινόν.
But when Epaminondas fell in the battle, they were frustrated in this hope, yet they nevertheless fought on behalf of the Greeks against the Phocians who had plundered the common temple.
κακωθέντες δʼ ὑπό τε τούτου τοῦ πολέμου καὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐπιθεμένων τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν τούτων καὶ ἀπέβαλον τὴν πόλιν κατασκαφεῖσαν καὶ ἀνέλαβον ἀνακτισθεῖσαν.
Having been ruined both by this war and by the Macedonians when they attacked the Greeks, they lost their city by being razed to the ground by these same Macedonians, and recovered it when it was rebuilt.
ἐξ ἐκείνου δʼ ἤδη πράττοντες ἐνδεέστερον ἀεὶ μέχρι εἰς ἡμᾶς οὐδὲ κώμης ἀξιολόγου τύπον σώζουσι·
From that time on, their affairs have continually grown weaker up to our own day, so that they do not preserve even the likeness of a noteworthy village.
καὶ ἄλλαι δὲ πόλεις ἀνάλογον πλὴν Τανάγρας καὶ Θεσπιῶν· αὗται δʼ ἱκανῶς συμμένουσι πρὸς ἐκείνας κρινόμεναι.
The other cities have declined in proportion, except Tanagra and Thespiae; these indeed survive to a sufficient degree when compared with the others.
§9.2.6ἑξῆς δὲ τὴν περιήγησιν τῆς χώρας ποιητέον ἀρξαμένους ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς Εὔβοιαν παραλίας τῆς συνεχοῦς τῇ Ἀττικῇ.
Next, we must make the description of the country, beginning from the coast facing Euboea which is continuous with Attica.
ἀρχὴ δʼ ὁ Ὠρωπὸς καὶ ὁ ἱερὸς λιμὴν ὃν καλοῦσι Δελφίνιον, καθʼ ὃν ἡ παλαιὰ Ἐρέτρια ἐν τῇ Εὐβοίᾳ, διάπλουν ἔχουσα ἑξήκοντα σταδίων.
The beginning is Oropus and the sacred harbor which they call Delphinium, opposite to which is the old Eretria in Euboea, having a crossing of sixty stadia.
μετὰ δὲ τὸ Δελφίνιον ὁ Ὠρωπὸς ἐν εἴκοσι σταδίοις· κατὰ δὲ τοῦτόν ἐστιν ἡ νῦν Ἐρέτρια, διάπλους δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν στάδιοι τετταράκοντα.
After Delphinium, at a distance of twenty stadia, is Oropus; and opposite to this is the present Eretria, and the crossing to it is forty stadia.
§9.2.7εἶτα Δήλιον τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἐκ Δήλου ἀφιδρυμένον, Ταναγραίων πολίχνιον Αὐλίδος διέχον σταδίους τριάκοντα, ὅπου μάχῃ λειφθέντες Ἀθηναῖοι προτροπάδην ἔφυγον·
Next is Delium, the temple of Apollo temple-founded from Delos, a small town of the Tanagraeans, thirty stadia distant from Aulis, where the Athenians, having been defeated in battle, fled headlong.
ἐν δὲ τῇ φυγῇ πεσόντα ἀφʼ ἵππου Ξενοφῶντα ἰδὼν κείμενον τὸν Γρύλλου Σωκράτης ὁ φιλόσοφος στρατεύων πεζὸς τοῦ ἵππου γεγονότος ἐκποδὼν ἀνέλαβε τοῖς ὤμοις αὐτόν, καὶ ἔσωσεν ἐπὶ πολλοὺς σταδίους ἕως ἐπαύσατο ἡ φυγή.
In this flight, the philosopher Socrates, who was serving as a foot-soldier since his horse was out of the way, saw Xenophon the son of Gryllus lying fallen from his horse; he took him up on his shoulders and carried him to safety for many stadia until the flight ceased.