Greek passages split into sentences with English translation
| Passage | Sentence | Greek | English | Era | Skepticism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.25.1 | 1 | Θηβαίοις δὲ τῶν πυλῶν ἐστιν ἐγγύτατα τῶν Νηιστῶν Μενοικέως μνῆμα τοῦ Κρέοντος· | Near the Neistan gates in Thebes is the tomb of Menoikeus, son of Creon. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.1 | 2 | ἀπέκτεινε δὲ ἑκουσίως αὑτὸν κατὰ τὸ μάντευμα τὸ ἐκ Δελφῶν, ἡνίκα Πολυνείκης καὶ ὁ σὺν αὐτῷ στρατὸς ἀφίκοντο ἐξ Ἄργους. | He willingly killed himself according to an oracle from Delphi, at the time when Polyneices and the army accompanying him arrived from Argos. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.1 | 3 | τοῦ δὲ Μενοικέως ἐπιπέφυκε ῥοιὰ τῷ μνήματι· τοῦ καρποῦ δὲ ὄντος πεπείρου διαρρήξαντί σοι τὸ ἐκτὸς λοιπόν ἐστιν εὑρεῖν τὸ ἔνδον αἵματι ἐμφερές. | Upon the tomb of Menoikeus grows a pomegranate tree; when the fruit is ripe, if you break its outer skin, you will find within it something resembling blood. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.1 | 4 | αὕτη μὲν δὴ τεθηλὸς δένδρον ἐστὶν ἡ ῥοιά· | Such is the nature of the pomegranate tree in question. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.1 | 5 | ἄμπελον δὲ φῦναι μὲν οἱ Θηβαῖοι παρὰ σφίσι πρώτοις φασὶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀποφῆναι δὲ οὐδὲν ἔτι ἐς αὐτὴν ὑπόμνημα εἶχον. | As for the vine, the Thebans maintain that it first grew among themselves, earlier than among any other men; however, they could produce no further record as evidence for this assertion. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.10 | 1 | Ἀλεξάνδρου δέ, ὡς ἐνίκησε τῇ μάχῃ, Θήβας τε αὐτὰς καὶ σύμπασαν τὴν Θηβαΐδα διδόντος πυρί, ἄνδρες τῶν ἐκ Μακεδονίας ἐλθόντες ἐς τῶν Καβείρων τὸ ἱερὸν ἅτε ἐν γῇ τῇ πολεμίᾳ κεραυνοῖς τε ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀστραπαῖς ἐφθάρησαν. | But after Alexander had won the battle and was delivering both Thebes itself and the whole of the Theban territory to fire, some men from Macedonia entered the sanctuary of the Cabeiri, being in a hostile land, and were destroyed by thunderbolts and lightning from heaven. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.2 | 1 | τοῦ δὲ Μενοικέως οὐ πόρρω τάφου τοὺς παῖδας λέγουσιν Οἰδίποδος μονομαχήσαντας ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων· | Not far from the tomb of Menoikeus, they say, the sons of Oedipus fought in single combat and slew each other. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.2 | 2 | σημεῖον δὲ τῆς μάχης αὐτῶν κίων, καὶ ἀσπὶς ἔπεστιν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ λίθου. | As a memorial of their battle stands a pillar, upon which rests a stone shield. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.2 | 3 | δείκνυται δέ τι χωρίον ἔνθα Ἥραν Θηβαῖοί φασιν Ἡρακλεῖ παιδὶ ἔτι ἐπισχεῖν γάλα κατὰ δή τινα ἀπάτην ἐκ Διός· | There is also shown a certain place where, according to the Thebans, Hera, through a deception contrived by Zeus, suckled Heracles as a child. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.2 | 4 | καλεῖται δὲ ὁ σύμπας οὗτος τόπος Σῦρμα Ἀντιγόνης· | The entire area is called the "Dragging of Antigone." | ? | ? |
| 9.25.2 | 5 | ὡς γὰρ τὸν τοῦ Πολυνείκους ἄρασθαί οἱ προθυμουμένῃ νεκρὸν οὐδεμία ἐφαίνετο ῥᾳστώνη, δεύτερα ἐπενόησεν ἕλκειν αὐτόν, ἐς ὃ εἵλκυσέ τε καὶ ἐπέβαλεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐτεοκλέους ἐξημμένην τὴν πυράν. | For when she was unable, despite her earnest efforts, to lift the body of Polyneices, she conceived instead the plan of dragging it; and indeed she dragged it and cast it onto the lit pyre of Eteocles. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.3 | 1 | διαβάντων δὲ ποταμὸν καλούμενον ἀπὸ γυναικὸς τῆς Λύκου Δίρκην---ὑπὸ ταύτης δὲ ἔχει λόγος Ἀντιόπην κακοῦσθαι καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀντιόπης παίδων συμβῆναι τῇ Δίρκῃ τὴν τελευτήν---, διαβᾶσιν οὖν τὴν Δίρκην οἰκίας τε ἐρείπια τῆς Πινδάρου καὶ μητρὸς Δινδυμήνης ἱερόν, | After crossing a river called Dirce, named after the wife of Lycus—according to tradition, Antiope was abused by this Dirce and therefore Dirce met her death at the hands of Antiope's sons—having thus crossed the Dirce, one sees the ruins of Pindar's house and a sanctuary of the Mother Dindymene. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.3 | 2 | Πινδάρου μὲν ἀνάθημα, τέχνη δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα Ἀριστομήδους τε καὶ Σωκράτους Θηβαίων. | The sanctuary contains an offering dedicated by Pindar himself, a statue whose artists were Aristomedes and Socrates, both Thebans. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.3 | 3 | μιᾷ δὲ ἐφʼ ἑκάστων ἐτῶν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ οὐ πέρα τὸ ἱερὸν ἀνοίγειν νομίζουσιν· | It is their custom to open the sanctuary only once a year, and no more. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.3 | 4 | ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀφικέσθαι τε ἐξεγεγόνει τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα εἶδον λίθου τοῦ Πεντελῆσι καὶ αὐτὸ καὶ τὸν θρόνον. | It happened that I arrived on precisely that day and thus saw the statue, which, along with its throne, is made of Pentelic marble. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.4 | 1 | κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πυλῶν τῶν Νηιστῶν τὸ μὲν Θέμιδός ἐστιν ἱερὸν καὶ ἄγαλμα λευκοῦ λίθου, τὸ δὲ ἐφεξῆς Μοιρῶν, τὸ δὲ Ἀγοραίου Διός· | Along the road running from the Neistan gates there is a sanctuary of Themis with a statue of white stone, and next to it a sanctuary of the Fates, then one of Zeus Agoraios. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.4 | 2 | οὗτος μὲν δὴ λίθου πεποίηται, ταῖς Μοίραις δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγάλματα. | This statue of Zeus is made of stone, but the Fates have no statues. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.4 | 3 | καὶ ἀπωτέρω μικρὸν Ἡρακλῆς ἕστηκεν ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ Ῥινοκολούστης ἐπωνυμίαν ἔχων, | A short distance further on stands Heracles, called Rhinokoloustes ("nose-mutilator"), in the open air. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.4 | 4 | ὅτι τῶν κηρύκων, ὡς οἱ Θηβαῖοι λέγουσιν, ἀπέτεμεν ἐπὶ λώβῃ τὰς ῥῖνας, οἳ παρὰ Ὀρχομενίων ἀφίκοντο ἐπὶ τοῦ δασμοῦ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν. | He received this name because, according to the Thebans, he cut off the noses of heralds who had come from the Orchomenians demanding tribute, thus dishonoring them. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.5 | 1 | σταδίους δὲ αὐτόθεν πέντε προελθόντι καὶ εἴκοσι Δήμητρος Καβειραίας καὶ Κόρης ἐστὶν ἄλσος· ἐσελθεῖν δὲ τοῖς τελεσθεῖσιν ἔστι. | About twenty-five stades onward from here is a grove sacred to Demeter Cabeiria and the Maiden, into which only those initiated may enter. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.5 | 2 | τούτου δὲ τοῦ ἄλσους ἑπτά που σταδίους τῶν Καβείρων τὸ ἱερὸν ἀφέστηκεν. | About seven stades from this grove stands the sanctuary of the Cabeiri. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.5 | 3 | οἵτινες δέ εἰσιν οἱ Κάβειροι καὶ ὁποῖά ἐστιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τῇ Μητρὶ τὰ δρώμενα, σιωπὴν ἄγοντι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν συγγνώμη παρὰ ἀνδρῶν φιληκόων ἔστω μοι. | Who the Cabeiri truly are, and the nature of the rites performed for them and for the Goddess, let me pass over in silence; may those readers who respect such things forgive me. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.6 | 1 | τοσοῦτο δὲ δηλῶσαί με καὶ ἐς ἅπαντας ἐκώλυσεν οὐδέν, ἥντινα λέγουσιν ἀρχὴν οἱ Θηβαῖοι γενέσθαι τοῖς δρωμένοις. | But nothing at all prevented me from making known at least this much to all people, namely, the origin which the Thebans claim for these rites. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.6 | 2 | πόλιν γάρ ποτε ἐν τούτῳ φασὶν εἶναι τῷ χωρίῳ καὶ ἄνδρας ὀνομαζομένους Καβείρους, Προμηθεῖ δὲ ἑνὶ τῶν Καβείρων καὶ Αἰτναίῳ τῷ Προμηθέως ἀφικομένην Δήμητρα ἐς γνῶσιν παρακαταθέσθαι σφίσιν· | For they say that once there was a city in this place, and in it men called Cabeiri; Demeter, arriving at Prometheus—one of the Cabeiri—and Aetnaeus, the son of Prometheus, entrusted something sacred to them. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.6 | 3 | ἥτις μὲν δὴ ἦν ἡ παρακαταθήκη καὶ τὰ ἐς αὐτὴν γινόμενα, οὐκ ἐφαίνετο ὅσιόν μοι γράφειν, | Concerning the nature of this trust and the rites performed in connection with it, I did not consider it lawful for me to write. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.6 | 4 | Δήμητρος δʼ οὖν Καβειραίοις δῶρόν ἐστιν ἡ τελετή. | Nevertheless, the initiation (telete) is Demeter’s gift to the Cabeiri. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.7 | 1 | κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἐπιγόνων στρατείαν καὶ ἅλωσιν τῶν Θηβῶν ἀνέστησαν μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀργείων οἱ Καβειραῖοι, ἐξελείφθη δὲ ἐπὶ χρόνον τινὰ καὶ ἡ τελετή. | But during the expedition of the Epigoni and the capture of Thebes, the Cabeirian sanctuary was demolished by the Argives, and the rites themselves ceased for some time. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.7 | 2 | Πελαργὴν δὲ ὕστερον τὴν Ποτνιέως καὶ Ἰσθμιάδην Πελαργῇ συνοικοῦντα καταστήσασθαι μὲν τὰ ὄργια αὐτοῦ λέγουσιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, μετενεγκεῖν δὲ αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀλεξιάρουν καλούμενον· | Later, they say, Pelarge, daughter of Potnieus, along with Isthmiades her husband who lived with her in Pelarge, restored these mysteries once again from the beginning, but subsequently transferred them to a place called Alexiarus. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.8 | 1 | ὅτι δὲ τῶν ὅρων ἐκτὸς ἐμύησεν ἡ Πελαργὴ τῶν ἀρχαίων, Τηλώνδης καὶ ὅσοι γένους τοῦ Καβειριτῶν ἐλείποντο κατῆλθον αὖθις ἐς τὴν Καβειραίαν. | Because Pelarge initiated individuals outside the prescribed boundaries of ancient custom, Telondes and the remaining members of the Cabeirite lineage returned again to Cabeiraea. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.8 | 2 | Πελαργῇ μὲν δὴ κατὰ μάντευμα ἐκ Δωδώνης καὶ ἄλλα ἔμελλεν ἐς τιμὴν καταστήσασθαι καὶ ἡ θυσία, φέρον ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ ἱερεῖον· | Now, Pelarge, according to an oracle from Dodona, was destined to receive other honors, including a particular form of sacrifice—the offering of a pregnant sacrificial victim. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.8 | 3 | τὸ δὲ μήνιμα τὸ ἐκ τῶν Καβείρων ἀπαραίτητόν ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις, ὡς ἐπέδειξε δὴ πολλαχῇ. | Nevertheless, the wrath of the Cabeiri is unavoidable for humans, as has been demonstrated often and in many ways. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.9 | 1 | τὰ γὰρ δὴ δρώμενα ἐν Θήβαις ἐτόλμησαν ἐν Ναυπάκτῳ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἰδιῶται δρᾶσαι, καὶ σφᾶς οὐ μετὰ πολὺ ἐπέλαβεν ἡ δίκη. | Indeed, private individuals in Naupactus ventured to perform rites identical to those done in Thebes, and justice soon overtook them. | ? | ? |
| 9.25.9 | 2 | ὅσοι δὲ ὁμοῦ Μαρδονίῳ τῆς στρατιᾶς τῆς Ξέρξου περὶ Βοιωτίαν ἐλείφθησαν, τοῖς παρελθοῦσιν αὐτῶν ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν τῶν Καβείρων τάχα μέν που καὶ χρημάτων μεγάλων ἐλπίδι, τὸ πλέον δὲ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τῇ ἐς τὸ θεῖον ὀλιγωρίᾳ, τούτοις παραφρονῆσαί τε συνέπεσεν αὐτίκα καὶ ἀπώλοντο ἐς θάλασσάν τε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κρημνῶν ἑαυτοὺς ῥίπτοντες. | As for the soldiers from Xerxes' army who were left behind with Mardonius around Boeotia, some of these, having entered the sanctuary of the Cabeiri—likely motivated partly by the expectation of great wealth, but mostly, it seems to me, by their disregard for the divine—immediately became insane and perished, throwing themselves into the sea or from cliffs. | ? | ? |