(1) περὶ Κόττου καὶ Βριάρεω, ὡς ἑκατὸν ἔσχον χεῖρας ἄνδρες ὄντες, πῶς οὐκ εὔηθες; (2) τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς οὕτως. (3) τούτων τῇ πόλει ὄνομα ἦν Ἑκατογχειρία, ἐν ᾗ ᾤκουν, ἦν δὲ τῆς Χαονίας τῆς νῦν Ὀρεστιάδος καλουμένης. (4) τεκμαίρομαι δὲ ὅτι μετὰ τῶν Ὀλυμπίων ἐμαχέσαντο τὴν πρὸς Τιτᾶνας μάχην· ταῦτα δὲ τὰ χωρία ὅμορά ἐστι τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ. (5) ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι “Κόττος καὶ Βριάρεως [καὶ Γύγης] οἱ Ἑκατόγχειρες βοηθήσαντες τοῖς Ὀλυμπίοις αὐτοὶ ἐξήλασαν τοὺς Τιτᾶνας ἐκ τοῦ Ὀλύμπου.”
notes
According to myth, in the earliest times, Sky and Earth bore the monstrous race of the Titans, Cyclopses, and the so-called, Hundred-Handers, who had fifty heads and, as their name suggests, one hundred hands. There were three: Kottos, Briareos (or Obriareos), and Gyges. P. speaks only of Cottus and Briareus. Legend has it that Sky was so disgusted by his offspring that he trapped them in the bowels of the earth. When the Olympian gods began their ascendency and fought the Titans (near Mount Olympus) for supreme rule, they freed the mighty Hundred-Handers (as well as the Cyclopses), who helped them secure victory. Once secured, the Hundred-Handers cast the Titans into the bowels of the earth and there guard them.
For the basic elements of this myth, see Hesiod, Theogony 147–53, 617–735, 807–19; Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.1.1–1.2.1.
1
περὶ Κόττου καὶ Βριάρεω: “in regards to Cottus and Briareus.”
ἑκατὸν: the word does not decline. It agrees with χεῖρας.
πῶς οὐκ εὔηθες: supply ἐστι, “how is it not naïve (to assume that).”
2
τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς οὕτως: supply ἐστι, “the truth is the following.”
3
τούτων: refers to the so-called Hundred-Handers.
τῇ πόλει: dative of possessor.
Ἑκατογχειρία: “Hundred-Hand-ville,” i.e., the name of the polis.
ἐν ᾗ: antecedent is τῇ πόλει.
ἦν δὲ τῆς Χαονίας: the subject is the polis, “was located in Chaonia.”
τῆς νῦν … καλουμένης: “which is now called.”
4
τεκμαίρομαι ὅτι … μάχην: according to myth, the Hundred-Handers fought against a primordial race of the gods, known as the Titans, while in an alliance with a later race of gods, the Olympians, so-called because they dwelled on Mount Olympus. P. assumes that since they fought an ancient battle near Mount Olympus in the past, they must live nearby.
τεκμαίρομαι: “I infer,” i.e., about where the town is located geographically.
μετὰ τῶν Ὀλυμπίων: “with the Olympians,” in the sense of “alongside the Olympians” (and not “against”).
ἐμαχέσαντο … μάχην: the subject is the Hundred-Handers. Takes μάχην as the direct object.
ταῦτα δὲ τὰ χωρία … ἐστι: neut. pl. nom., subject of a verb in the singular, as usual.
5
Κόττος καὶ Βριάρεως [καὶ Γύγης]: in apposition to οἱ Ἑκατόγχειρες. Traditionally, there were three Hundred-Handers: Briareos, Cottus, and Gyges. Square brackets indicate a word or phrase that the editor suspects to be an explanatory note that was added by a reader and became part of the text.
οἱ Ἑκατόγχειρες: “the Hundred-Handers,” i.e., the ones from “Hundred-hand-ville.”
βοηθήσαντες: takes a dative direct object.
αὐτοὶ: “themselves,” referring to οἱ Ἑκατόγχειρες. An emphatic use of αὐτός.
ἐξήλασαν: 3rd pl. aor. indic. act. > ἐξελαύνω.
vocabulary
1
Κόττος –ου, ὁ Cottus, one of the mythical Hundred–Handers
Βριάρεως –εω, ὁ Briareus, one of the mythical Hundred–Handers
εὐήθης –ες naïve
3
ἑκατογχειρία Hundredhandville
Χαονία –ης, ἡ Chaonia
Ὀρεστιάς –άδος, ἡ Orestias (an unknown location, means "of the mountains")
4
τεκμαίρομαι, τεκμαροῦμαι, ἐτεκμηράμην, —, —, — to conjecture, deduce, infer
Ὀλύμπιος –α –ον pertaining to Mount Olympus, Olympian
Τιτάν –ᾶνος, ὁ Titan, a primordial race of gods
ὅμορος –ον bordering on, neighbor to (+ dat.)
Ὄλυμπος –ου, ὁ Mount Olympus
5
Γύγης –ου, ὁ Gyges, one of the mythical Hundred–Handers
Ἑκατόγχειρες –ων, οἱ the Hundred-Handers
ἐξελαύνω, ἐξελάσω, ἐξήλασα, ἐξελήλακα, ἐξελήλαμαι, ἐξηλάθην to drive out, lead