§35πολιτείας κληρονόμους.
heirs of his constitution.
ὧν οἱ μὲν τὴν Πελοπόννησον ἐκόσμησαν μένοντες, οἱ δʼ Ἰταλίαν καὶ Σικελίαν εἰς τοσοῦτον σχήματος προὐβίβασαν.
Of these, some remained and adorned the Peloponnese, while others advanced Italy and Sicily to so great a height of dignity.
ἕτεροι δὲ εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν περαιωθέντες τὰς ταύτῃ πόλεις Δωριέων ᾤκισάν τε καὶ διῴκησαν.
Others, having crossed over into Asia, founded and administered the cities of the Dorians in that region.
ἔοικε δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων πόλις εἰκών τις Ἡρακλέους γενέσθαι, ὡς μικρὸν μεγάλῳ εἰκάσαι· καὶ μάλα γε εἰκότως.
And the city of the Lacedaemonians also seems to have become a kind of image of Heracles, to compare a small thing to a great; and indeed very reasonably.
οἱ γὰρ Λεωνίδαι καὶ οἱ Λεωτυχίδαι καὶ Ἀρχίδαμοι καὶ Ἀγησίλαοι καὶ Ἄγιδες καὶ πρὸ τούτων ὁ τοὺς νόμους θεὶς αὐτοῖς Λυκοῦργος, πάντες οὗτοι τῆς Ἡρακλέους εἰσὶν ἀπορροῆς, οἳ ἐκείνους εἴθισαν ὀλίγους μὲν ὄντας ἀντὶ πολλῶν εἶναι, προΐστασθαι δὲ τῶν ἐν χρείᾳ πάντων ἀμισθὶ, στρατηγὸν δὲ Σπαρτιάτην πλέον ποιεῖν ἢ στράτευμα ἑτέρων.
For the Leonidases, the Leotychideses, the Archidamuses, the Agesilauses, the Agises, and before these Lycurgus who established the laws for them, all these are offshoots of Heracles, who accustomed them, though being few, to be worth many, and to stand protectively before all who are in need without payment, and to make a single Spartan general of more account than an army of others.
οὕτω καὶ διʼ αὑτοῦ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐκγόνων ἀρετῆς ὡσπερεὶ πηγὰς τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐμηχανήσατο, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἀσκεῖν τὰ κάλλιστα, τοῖς δὲ ἔχειν ὑφʼ ὧν σωθήσονται παρεσκεύασεν.
Thus, both through himself and through the virtue of his descendants, he devised as it were springs of benefit for the Greeks, and prepared some to practice the most beautiful things, and others to have those by whom they would be saved.
οὐ τοίνυν ἐπὶ πράξεσι μόνον καὶ ἀγῶσιν ἔχοι τις ἂν Ἡρακλέους μνημονεύειν, ἀλλὰ κἀν ταῖς εὐθυμίαις τοῦ βίου πολλοῦ τινος ἄξιος.
Therefore, one would not be able to remember Heracles only for deeds and contests, but also in the pleasures of life he is of much value.
δηλοῖ δὲ τῶν ἀγαλμάτων αὐτοῦ τὰ πίνοντα.
This is shown by those of his statues that represent him drinking.
μοῖραν δʼ ἔλαχε θαυμαστὴν παρὰ πάντων θεῶν, ὅν γε δὴ Ζεὺς μὲν εἰς φῶς ἤγαγεν, Ἀθηνᾶ δὲ παραλαβοῦσα ἐπετρόπευσε καὶ τοὺς ἄθλους ἐξηγεῖτο, Ἀφροδίτη δὲ καὶ Διόνυσος ἠσπάζοντο καὶ τὰς ἀναπαύσεις τῶν πόνων ἀξίως ἐδωροῦντο.
And he obtained a wonderful portion from all the gods; whom Zeus indeed brought into the light, and Athena, receiving him, protected and guided him in his labors, while Aphrodite and Dionysus welcomed him and worthily gifted him with rest from his toils.
Ἥρας δὲ κηδεία καὶ Ἥβης γάμος ἀρχαῖα λέγειν.
His kinship with Hera and marriage to Hebe are ancient stories to tell.
τοσοῦτον γὰρ, ὡς ἔοικεν, αὐτῷ τὸ τῆς ῥώμης ἀπεδόθη ὥστε πάντων θεῶν ἀκμήτων ὄντων διʼ αἰῶνος, διαφερόντως Ἡρακλῆς δοκεῖ τὴν ἥβην ἔχειν.
For so great a measure of strength, as it seems, was granted to him that, although all the gods are unwearied through eternity, Heracles in a distinguished way seems to possess youth.
ἀλλὰ μὴν Ἑρμοῦ γε καὶ Ἡρακλέους ἔστι νῦν ἀγάλματα κοινά· πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἥκουσι τῆς ἑταιρίας.
Moreover, there are now common statues of Hermes and Heracles; to such a point of friendship have they come.
ἴδοις δʼ ἂν καὶ ἐν ὄρεσι μέσοις Ἡρακλέα παρὰ μητρὶ θεῶν καὶ ἐν ἄστεσι καὶ πάλιν αὖ σὺν Διοσκούροις.
And one might see Heracles also in the midst of mountains beside the Mother of the Gods, and in cities, and again in turn with the Dioscuri.
λουτρῶν τε τὰ ἥδιστα Ἡράκλεια ἐπωνυμίαν ἔχοντά ἐστι· χωρὶς δὲ πηγαὶ ποταμίων ὑδάτων ἐπώνυμοι καὶ αὐταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ.
And the most pleasant of baths bear the name of Heracles; and apart from this, the springs of river waters are themselves also named after the god.
τοσαύτην παρὰ ταῖς Νύμφαις §36εἴληχε τὴν προεδρίαν.
So great a place of honor among the Nymphs has he received.
εἰ δʼ ὀρθὴ δόξα τοῦ Θασίου ξένου ἤτοι Μακεδόνος γε, ὃς ἔφη ποτὲ παιᾶνα δόξαι ᾁδειν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ πεποιημένον, εἶναι δʼ αὐτῷ τοῦτο ἐπᾳδόμενον, ἰὴ Παιὰν Ἥρακλες Ἀσκληπιὲ, εἰ ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ καὶ κύρια, καλὸν ἄν τι χρῆμα καὶ τοῦτο συζυγίας πεφηνὸς, ὁ καλλίνικος ἅμα τῷ σωτῆρι.
And if the opinion of the Thasian stranger, or rather Macedonian, is correct, who once said that he seemed in a dream to sing a paean composed by me, and that this was sung as an incantation for him, "Ie Paean, Heracles, Asclepius," if these things are true and valid, this also would have appeared as a beautiful thing of a pairing, the illustrious victor together with the savior.
οὕτω καὶ ἐν πόνοις καὶ ἐν θυμηδίαις καὶ ἐν θεραπείαις σώματος καὶ πανταχοῦ καιρὸν ἔχων ἐστὶν ὁ θεός.
Thus both in labors and in pleasures, and in cares of the body, and everywhere, the god is timely.
ἅπασι μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώποις ἐν μνήμῃ καὶ τιμαῖς Ἡρακλῆς, ἐμοὶ δέ τι καὶ φιλίας ἴδιον πρὸς αὐτόν ἐστιν, ἔκ τινος φωνῆς θείας γενομένης.
For all men, therefore, Heracles is in memory and honors, but for me there is also something of a private friendship toward him, arising from a certain divine voice that occurred.
ἐδόκει δὲ ἥκειν ἐκ τοῦ μητρῴου.
And it seemed to come from the temple of the Mother of the Gods.
παρεκελεύετο δὲ ἀνέχεσθαι τὰ συμπίπτοντα, ἐπειδή γε καὶ Ἡρακλῆς Διὸς παῖς ὢν ἠνέσχετο.
And it exhorted me to endure what befell me, since indeed Heracles too, though being a son of Zeus, endured.
οὗτός σοι, ὦ φίλε Ἡράκλεις, ὁ παρʼ ἡμῶν λόγος ἀντʼ ἄλλου μέλους ᾐσμένος κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ἐνυπνίου δόξαν, ἣν ἐδόκουν Ἡρακλέους ἔπαινον λέγειν ἐν προθύροις Ἀπόλλωνος.
This discourse of ours, friend Heracles, is sung to you in place of another melody, according to the vision of the dream in which I seemed to speak a praise of Heracles before the portals of Apollo.