Greek passages split into sentences with English translation
| Passage | Sentence | Greek | English | Era | Skepticism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.42.1 | 1 | τὸ δὲ ἕτερον τῶν ὀρῶν τὸ Ἐλάιον ἀπωτέρω μὲν Φιγαλίας ὅσον τε σταδίοις τριάκοντά ἐστι, Δήμητρος δὲ ἄντρον αὐτόθι ἱερὸν ἐπίκλησιν Μελαίνης. | The other mountain, Elaion, is about thirty stades distant from Phigalia; there is a cave there, sacred to Demeter surnamed Melaine ("the Black"). | ? | ? |
| 8.42.1 | 2 | ὅσα μὲν δὴ οἱ ἐν Θελπούσῃ λέγουσιν ἐς μῖξιν τὴν Ποσειδῶνός τε καὶ Δήμητρος, κατὰ ταὐτά σφισιν οἱ Φιγαλεῖς νομίζουσι, τεχθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς Δήμητρος οἱ Φιγαλεῖς φασιν οὐχ ἵππον ἀλλὰ τὴν Δέσποιναν ἐπονομαζομένην ὑπὸ Ἀρκάδων· | The Thelpusians' account concerning the union of Poseidon and Demeter is the same as that held by the Phigalians; however, the Phigalians assert that the offspring born to Demeter was not a horse but the goddess whom the Arcadians call Despoina ("the Mistress"). | ? | ? |
| 8.42.10 | 1 | τὸ δὲ ἕτερον λέγει τῶν ἐπιγραμμάτων· | The other of the inscriptions says: | ? | ? |
| 8.42.10 | 2 | υἱὸς μέν με Μίκωνος Ὀνάτας ἐξετέλεσσεν, νάσῳ ἐν Αἰγίνᾳ δώματα ναιετάων. | "Onatas, son of Micon, dwelling in houses on the island of Aegina, completed me." | ? | ? |
| 8.42.10 | 3 | ἡ δὲ ἡλικία τοῦ Ὀνάτα κατὰ τὸν Ἀθηναῖον Ἡγίαν καὶ Ἀγελάδαν συμβαίνει τὸν Ἀργεῖον. | According to the Athenian Hegias, the period of Onatas coincides with that of Ageladas the Argive. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.11 | 1 | ταύτης μάλιστα ἐγὼ τῆς Δήμητρος ἕνεκα ἐς Φιγαλίαν ἀφικόμην. | It was chiefly for the sake of this Demeter that I came to Phigaleia. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.11 | 2 | καὶ ἔθυσα τῇ θεῷ, καθὰ καὶ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι νομίζουσιν, οὐδέν· τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν δένδρων τῶν ἡμέρων τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἀμπέλου καρπὸν καὶ μελισσῶν τε κηρία καὶ ἐρίων τὰ μὴ ἐς ἐργασίαν πω ἥκοντα ἀλλὰ ἔτι ἀνάπλεα τοῦ οἰσύπου, ἃ τιθέασιν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν τὸν ᾠκοδομημένον πρὸ τοῦ σπηλαίου, | And I performed sacrifice to the goddess according to the custom followed by the inhabitants: they offer no animal victim, but instead place on the altar built in front of the cave fruits from cultivated trees, including grapes, as well as honeycombs from bees, and wool not yet worked but still full of oily grease. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.11 | 3 | θέντες δὲ καταχέουσιν αὐτῶν ἔλαιον, | Having placed these things there, they pour oil upon them. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.11 | 4 | ταῦτα ἰδιώταις τε ἀνδράσι καὶ ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος Φιγαλέων τῷ κοινῷ καθέστηκεν ἐς τὴν θυσίαν. | This manner of sacrifice is customary both for private individuals and annually as a communal rite among the people of Phigaleia. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.12 | 1 | ἱέρεια δέ σφισίν ἐστιν ἡ δρῶσα, σὺν δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ τῶν ἱεροθυτῶν καλουμένων ὁ νεώτατος· οἱ δέ εἰσι τῶν ἀστῶν τρεῖς ἀριθμόν. | Their priestess performs the rites, together with the youngest of the so-called sacred sacrificers, who are three in number and drawn from the citizens. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.12 | 2 | ἔστι δὲ δρυῶν τε ἄλσος περὶ τὸ σπήλαιον καὶ ὕδωρ ψυχρὸν ἄνεισιν ἐκ τῆς γῆς. | Around the cave is a grove of oaks, and cold water rises up from the earth. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.12 | 3 | τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὀνάτα ποιηθὲν οὔτε ἦν κατʼ ἐμὲ οὔτε εἰ ἐγένετο ἀρχὴν Φιγαλεῦσιν ἠπίσταντο οἱ πολλοί· | As for the statue made by Onatas, it was not there in my time; nor were most people aware whether it had ever been there at Phigaleia from the beginning. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.13 | 1 | τῶν δὲ ἐντυχόντων ἡμῖν ἔλεγεν ὁ πρεσβύτατος γενεαῖς πρότερον τρισὶν ἢ κατʼ αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖν ἐς τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐκ τοῦ ὀρόφου πέτρας, ὑπὸ τούτων δὲ καταγῆναι καὶ ἐς ἅπαν ἔφασκεν αὐτὸ ἀφανισθῆναι· | The oldest among our guides informed us that three generations before his own time rocks had fallen from the roof onto the statue, shattering it and causing it to be completely destroyed. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.13 | 2 | καὶ ἔν γε τῷ ὀρόφῳ δῆλα καὶ ἡμῖν ἔτι ἦν, καθὰ ἀπερρώγεσαν αἱ πέτραι. | And in fact on the ceiling we too could still clearly see the places from which the stones had broken away. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.2 | 1 | τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου λέγουσι θυμῷ τε ἅμα ἐς τὸν Ποσειδῶνα αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Περσεφόνης τῇ ἁρπαγῇ πένθει χρωμένην μέλαιναν ἐσθῆτα ἐνδῦναι καὶ ἐς τὸ σπήλαιον τοῦτο ἐλθοῦσαν ἐπὶ χρόνον ἀπεῖναι πολύν. | After this event, they say, in anger towards Poseidon and grief over the rape of Persephone, Demeter dressed herself in black clothing and departed into this cave, remaining absent there for a long period. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.2 | 2 | ὡς δὲ ἐφθείρετο μὲν πάντα ὅσα ἡ γῆ τρέφει, τὸ δὲ ἀνθρώπων γένος καὶ ἐς πλέον ἀπώλλυτο ὑπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ, θεῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἠπίστατο ἄρα οὐδεὶς ἔνθα ἀπεκέκρυπτο ἡ Δημήτηρ, τὸν δὲ Πᾶνα ἐπιέναι μὲν | Meanwhile, everything that grows upon the earth began to wither away, and the race of mankind especially suffered, perishing increasingly from the famine. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.3 | 1 | τὴν Ἀρκαδίαν καὶ ἄλλοτε αὐτὸν ἐν ἄλλῳ θηρεύειν τῶν ὀρῶν, ἀφικόμενον δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ Ἐλάιον κατοπτεῦσαι τὴν Δήμητρα σχήματός τε ὡς εἶχε καὶ ἐσθῆτα ἐνεδέδυτο ποίαν· | They say that Pan, at different times, hunted on various of the mountains in Arcadia, and having come also to Mount Elaion, he looked upon Demeter, noting the form she had assumed and the manner of garment she wore. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.3 | 2 | πυθέσθαι δὴ τὸν Δία ταῦτα παρὰ τοῦ Πανὸς καὶ οὕτως ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ πεμφθῆναι τὰς Μοίρας παρὰ τὴν Δήμητρα, | Zeus, having learned these things from Pan, accordingly sent the Fates to Demeter. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.3 | 3 | τὴν δὲ πεισθῆναί τε ταῖς Μοίραις καὶ ἀποθέσθαι μὲν τὴν ὀργήν, ὑφεῖναι δὲ καὶ τῆς λύπης. | And she, persuading herself by the Fates’ message, laid aside her wrath and also began to diminish her grief. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.3 | 4 | σφᾶς δὲ ἀντὶ τούτων φασὶν οἱ Φιγαλεῖς τό τε σπήλαιον νομίσαι τοῦτο ἱερὸν Δήμητρος καὶ ἐς αὐτὸ ἄγαλμα ἀναθεῖναι ξύλου. | In return for these events, say the Phigalians, they considered this cave sacred to Demeter, and dedicated within it a wooden statue to her. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.4 | 1 | πεποιῆσθαι δὲ οὕτω σφίσι τὸ ἄγαλμα· καθέζεσθαι μὲν ἐπὶ πέτρᾳ, γυναικὶ δὲ ἐοικέναι τἄλλα πλὴν κεφαλήν· | They say the image was made for them thus: it was seated upon a rock, and in all other respects it resembled a woman except for the head. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.4 | 2 | κεφαλὴν δὲ καὶ κόμην εἶχεν ἵππου, καὶ δρακόντων τε καὶ ἄλλων θηρίων εἰκόνες προσεπεφύκεσαν τῇ κεφαλῇ· | It had the head and mane of a horse, with images of snakes and other beasts growing out of the head. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.4 | 3 | χιτῶνα δὲ ἐνεδέδυτο καὶ ἐς ἄκρους τοὺς πόδας· δελφὶς δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἦν αὐτῇ, περιστερὰ δὲ ἡ ὄρνις ἐπὶ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ. | It wore a tunic that reached down to its very feet, and in one hand it had a dolphin, while on the other hand there rested a dove. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.4 | 4 | ἐφʼ ὅτῳ μὲν δὴ τὸ ξόανον ἐποιήσαντο οὕτως, ἀνδρὶ οὐκ ἀσυνέτῳ γνώμην ἀγαθῷ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐς μνήμην δῆλά ἐστι· | As to why the statue was made in such a fashion, this is clear to any intelligent man who is acquainted with traditions. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.4 | 5 | Μέλαιναν δὲ ἐπονομάσαι φασὶν αὐτήν, ὅτι καὶ ἡ θεὸς μέλαιναν τὴν ἐσθῆτα εἶχε. | They say that they gave her the name Melaina ("the Black One") because the goddess wore black garments. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.5 | 1 | τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τὸ ξόανον οὔτε ὅτου ποίημα ἦν οὔτε ἡ φλὸξ τρόπον ὅντινα ἐπέλαβεν αὐτό, μνημονεύουσιν· | They do not record by whom the image was crafted, nor in precisely what manner the fire seized it. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.5 | 2 | ἀφανισθέντος δὲ τοῦ ἀρχαίου Φιγαλεῖς οὔτε ἄγαλμα ἄλλο ἀπεδίδοσαν τῇ θεῷ καὶ ὁπόσα ἐς ἑορτὰς καὶ θυσίας τὰ πολλὰ δὴ παρῶπτό σφισιν, ἐς ὃ ἡ ἀκαρπία ἐπιλαμβάνει τὴν γῆν· | Yet after the loss of the original image, the Phigalians neither consecrated another statue for the goddess nor continued diligently their customary rites relating to festivals and sacrifices—indeed, they largely neglected these too—until barrenness gripped their land. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.5 | 3 | καὶ ἱκετεύσασιν αὐτοῖς χρᾷ τάδε ἡ Πυθία· | When they sought aid, the Pythian priestess gave them this oracle: | ? | ? |
| 8.42.6 | 1 | Ἀρκάδες Ἀζᾶνες βαλανηφάγοι, οἳ Φιγάλειαν νάσσασθʼ, ἱππολεχοῦς Δῃοῦς κρυπτήριον ἄντρον, ἥκετε πευσόμενοι λιμοῦ λύσιν ἀλγινόεντος, μοῦνοι δὶς νομάδες, μοῦνοι πάλιν ἀγριοδαῖται. | Arcadians, acorn-eating Azanes, who inhabit Phigaleia, the cave which hides horse-bed Demeter, you have come seeking a solution for your grievous famine. Alone are you twice nomads, alone again wild dwellers. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.6 | 2 | Δῃὼ μέν σε ἔπαυσε νομῆς, Δῃὼ δὲ νομῆας ἐκ δησισταχύων καὶ ἀναστοφάγων πάλι θῆκε, νοσφισθεῖσα γέρα προτέρων τιμάς τε παλαιάς. | Demeter stopped you from pasturing, and Demeter once more made you pastoralists of grain-bound harvests and feasts returned, having been deprived of her former privileges and ancient honors. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.6 | 3 | καί σʼ ἀλληλοφάγον θήσει τάχα καὶ τεκνοδαίτην, εἰ μὴ πανδήμοις λοιβαῖς χόλον ἱλάσσεσθε σήραγγός τε μυχὸν θείαις κοσμήσετε τιμαῖς. | Soon she shall make you devour one another and feed upon your own children, unless you appease her wrath with communal libations and adorn the recess of her cave with holy rites. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.7 | 1 | ὡς δὲ οἱ Φιγαλεῖς ἀνακομισθὲν τὸ μάντευμα ἤκουσαν, τά τε ἄλλα ἐς πλέον τιμῆς ἢ τὰ πρότερα τὴν Δήμητρα ἦγον καὶ Ὀνάταν τὸν Μίκωνος Αἰγινήτην πείθουσιν ἐφʼ ὅσῳ δὴ μισθῷ ποιῆσαί σφισιν ἄγαλμα Δήμητρος· | When the Phigalians heard the response of the oracle that had been brought to them, they honored Demeter even more greatly than before, and persuaded Onatas, son of Micon, of Aegina, agreeing with him upon a certain sum as payment, to create for them an image of Demeter. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.7 | 2 | τοῦ δὲ Ὀνάτα τούτου Περγαμηνοῖς ἐστιν Ἀπόλλων χαλκοῦς, θαῦμα ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα μεγέθους τε ἕνεκα καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ τέχνῃ. | This same Onatas is the artist of a bronze Apollo at Pergamum, an extraordinary statue, admired particularly for its size and artistic merit. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.7 | 3 | τότε δὴ ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος ἀνευρὼν γραφὴν ἢ μίμημα τοῦ ἀρχαίου ξοάνου---τὰ πλείω δέ, ὡς λέγεται, καὶ κατὰ ὀνειράτων ὄψιν---ἐποίησε χαλκοῦν Φιγαλεῦσιν ἄγαλμα, γενεαῖς μάλιστα δυσὶν ὕστερον τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπιστρατείας τοῦ Μήδου. | Thus at that time, having discovered a depiction or copy of the ancient wooden cult-image—though, it is said, relying mostly upon what he had seen in dreams—he made for the Phigalians a bronze statue, approximately two generations after the Persian invasion of Greece. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.8 | 1 | μαρτυρεῖ δέ μοι τῷ λόγῳ· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν Ξέρξου διάβασιν ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην Συρακουσῶν τε ἐτυράννει καὶ Σικελίας τῆς ἄλλης Γέλων ὁ Δεινομένους· | My account is supported by evidence; for at the time of Xerxes' crossing into Europe, Gelon, son of Deinomenes, was ruling as tyrant over Syracuse and the rest of Sicily. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.8 | 2 | ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐτελεύτησε Γέλων, ἐς Ἱέρωνα ἀδελφὸν Γέλωνος περιῆλθεν ἡ ἀρχή· | When Gelon died, the sovereignty passed to his brother Hieron. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.8 | 3 | Ἱέρωνος δὲ ἀποθανόντος πρότερον πρὶν ἢ τῷ Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ ἀναθεῖναι τὰ ἀναθήματα ἃ εὔξατο ἐπὶ τῶν ἵππων ταῖς νίκαις, οὕτω Δεινομένης ὁ Ἱέρωνος ἀπέδωκεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρός. | However, Hieron died before he could dedicate to Olympian Zeus the votive offerings he had vowed in celebration of his victories with horses; thus Deinomenes, son of Hieron, made the dedication on behalf of his father. | ? | ? |
| 8.42.9 | 1 | Ὀνάτα καὶ ταῦτα ποιήματα, καὶ ἐπιγράμματα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ, τὸ μὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀναθήματός ἐστιν αὐτῶν, | These also are works of Onatas, and inscriptions in Olympia; one of them, upon a dedication, runs thus: | ? | ? |
| 8.42.9 | 2 | σόν ποτε νικήσας, Ζεῦ Ὀλύμπιε, σεμνὸν ἀγῶνα τεθρίππῳ μὲν ἅπαξ, μουνοκέλητι δὲ δίς, δῶρα Ἱέρων τάδε σοι ἐχαρίσσατο· | "O Olympian Zeus, having once won your revered contest with his four-horse chariot, and twice with a single steed, Hieron presented to you these gifts; | ? | ? |
| 8.42.9 | 3 | παῖς δʼ ἀνέθηκε Δεινομένης πατρὸς μνῆμα Συρακοσίου· | his son dedicated them as memorials of his father Deinomenes of Syracuse." | ? | ? |