(1) καὶ περὶ τούτων πολὺ γελοιότερος φέρεται λόγος, ὡς ὁ Φόρκυς εἶχε θυγατέρας τρεῖς, αἵτινες ἕνα ὀφθαλμὸν ἔχουσαι ἀνὰ μέρος ἐχρῶντο· τούτων δὲ ἡ χρωμένη ἐνετίθει αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ οὕτως ἔβλεπε· καὶ οὕτως, μιᾶς αὐτῶν ἀποδιδούσης τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τὸν ὀφθαλμόν, ἔβλεπον πᾶσαι. (2) ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Περσεὺς ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἐν ἠρεμαίῳ βαδίσματι καὶ λαβὼν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν αὐτῶν, ἔφησεν οὐκ ἀποδώσειν, ἐὰν μὴ φράσωσιν ὅπη ἐστὶν ἡ Γοργώ. (3) φράζουσι δ’ οὖν οὕτως· ὁ δὲ ἀποτεμὼν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς, εἰς Σέριφον ἦλθε καὶ δείξας ταύτην τῷ Πολυδέκτῃ, λίθινον αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν. (4) καὶ τοῦτο δὲ γελοιότερον, ἄνδρα ζῶντα ἰδόντα νεκροῦ κεφαλὴν ἀπολιθωθῆναι. (5) τίς γὰρ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ νεκροῦ; (6) ἐγένετο οὖν τοιοῦτόν τι. (7) Φόρκυς ἦν ἀνὴρ Κερναῖος· οἱ δὲ Κερναῖοι γένος μέν εἰσιν Αἰθίοπες, οἰκοῦσι δὲ νῆσον τὴν Κέρνην ἔξω τῶν Ἡρακλείων Στηλῶν, ἀροῦσι δὲ Λιβύην παρὰ τὸν † Ἄννονα ποταμὸν κατ’ εὐθὺ Καρχηδόνος, εἰσὶ δὲ σφόδρα χρυσοῖ. (8) οὗτος ὁ Φόρκυς ἐβασίλευε τῶν νήσων τῶν ἔξω <τῶν> Ἡρακλείων Στηλῶν (εἰσὶ δὲ τρεῖς), καὶ ποιεῖ τετράπηχυ ἄγαλμα Ἀθηνᾶς χρυσοῦν. (9) καλοῦσι δὲ Κερναῖοι τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν Γοργώ, ὥσπερ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν Θρᾷκες μὲν Βένδιν, Κρῆτες δὲ Δίκτυναν, Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ Οὖπιν. (10) ὁ μὲν οὖν Φόρκυς ἀποθνῄσκει πρὶν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἀναθεῖναι τὸ ἄγαλμα· κατέλιπε δὲ κόρας τρεῖς, Σθενώ, Εὐρυάλην, Μέδουσαν. (11) αὗται γήμασθαι μὲν οὐδενὶ ἠβουλήθησαν, διελόμεναι δὲ τὴν οὐσίαν ἑκάστη νήσου μιᾶς ἦρχε· τὴν δὲ Γοργὼ οὔτε πω ἀναθεῖναί γ’ αὐταῖς ἐδόκει, οὔτε διελεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἐν μέρει κατετίθεντο [ἐναλλὰξ] θησαυρὸν ἑαυταῖς. (12) ἦν δὲ τῷ Φόρκυνι ἑταῖρος, καλός τε καὶ ἀγαθὸς ἀνήρ, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐν παντὶ πράγματι ἐχρῶντο ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμῷ. (13) Περσεὺς δ’ ἀνὴρ φυγὰς ἐξ Ἄργους ἐληίζετο τὰ κατὰ θάλασσαν ἔχων πλοῖα καὶ ἰσχύν τινα περὶ αὑτόν· πυθόμενος δὲ ταύτῃ βασιλείαν εἶναι γυναικῶν καὶ πολύχρυσον μέν, ὀλίγανδρον δέ, ἀφικνεῖται· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ναυλοχῶν ἐν τῷ πορθμῷ μεταξὺ τῆς Κέρνης καὶ τῆς Σαρπηδονίας, διαπλέοντα παρὰ τῆς ἑτέρας πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν τὸν Ὀφθαλμὸν λαμβάνει. (14) οὗτος δὲ αὐτῷ φράζει ὅτι ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν ἔχει λαβεῖν παρ’ αὐτῶν ἄξιον λόγου ὅ τι μὴ τὴν Γοργώ, μηνύει τε αὐτῆς τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ χρυσοῦ. (15) αὐταὶ δὲ αἱ κόραι, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ἧκεν ὁ Ὀφθαλμὸς ἐν τῷ μέρει κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, συνῄεσαν ὁμόσε καὶ ᾐτιᾶτο ἡ ἑτέρα τὴν ἑτέραν. (16) ὁπότε δὲ ἀπηρνοῦντο μὴ ἔχειν, ἐθαύμαζον τί ἂν εἴη τὸ γεγονός. (17) ἐν τούτῳ προσπλεῖ αὐταῖς ὁ Περσεὺς ὁμοῦ οὔσαις, καὶ φράζει ὡς αὐτὸς ἔχει τὸν Ὀφθαλμόν, καί φησι μὴ ἀποδώσειν αὐταῖς, ἐὰν μὴ φράσωσιν ὅπη ἐστὶν ἡ Γοργώ· ἐπηπείλει δὲ καὶ προσαποκτενεῖν μὴ εἰπούσας. (18) ἡ μὲν οὖν Μέδουσα οὔ φησι δείξειν, ἡ δὲ Σθενὼ καὶ ἡ Εὐρυάλη ἔδειξαν. (19) τὴν μὲν οὖν Μέδουσαν ἀποκτείνει, ταῖς δὲ ἄλλαις τὸν Ὀφθαλμὸν ἀποδίδωσι. (20) λαβὼν δὲ τὴν Γοργὼ κατέκοψεν· ἀπαρτισάμενος δὲ τριήρη, ἐπέθηκεν ἐπ’ αὐτῆς τὴν τῆς Γοργοῦς κεφαλὴν καὶ τῇ νηὶ ὄνομα ἔθετο Γοργώ. (21) ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ περιπλέων χρήματα παρὰ τῶν νησιωτῶν εἰσεπράττετο καὶ τοὺς μὴ διδόντας ἀνῄρει. (22) οὕτω δὴ καὶ τοὺς Σεριφίους ᾔτει χρήματα προσπλεύσας· οἱ δὲ ἡμέρας αὐτὸν ᾐτήσαντο, ἐν αἷς συλλέξουσι τὰ χρήματα. (23) συναγαγόντες οὖν λίθους ἀνδρομήκεις ἔθηκαν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ ἐκλιπόντες τὴν Σέριφον ᾤχοντο. (24) προσπλεύσας οὖν πάλιν ὁ Περσεὺς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν τῶν χρημάτων καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἀγοράν, ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδένα εὗρε, λίθους δὲ ἀνδρομήκεις. (25) τοῖς οὖν λοιποῖς τῶν νησιωτῶν ἔλεγεν ὁ Περσεύς, ἐπειδὴ μὴ παρεῖχον τὰ χρήματα, “ὁρᾶτε μή, ὡς Σερίφιοι θεασάμενοι τῆς Γοργοῦς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπελιθώθησαν, καὶ ὑμεῖς τοῦτο πάθητε.”
notes
In Greek myth, the Daughters of Phorcys were ancient sisters who shared the use of a single eye and a single tooth. Their father, Phorcys, was a sea god. The hero Perseus stole the Daughters’ eye in order to extort information from them about the Gorgons, another trio of mythical (and monstrous) sisters, in preparation for his combat with Medusa. As Stern notes in his commentary, Palaephatus’ rationalization conflates the Daughters of Phorcys (elsewhere known as the “Graeae”) with the Gorgons, treating them as the same set of sisters and mixing their names up.
For the basic elements of the myth concerning Perseus and the Daughters of Phorcys, see Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.4.2; Pindar, Pythian Odes 12.1–17. For a similar rationalization of the Daughters’ “eye” as a human being, see Heraclitus, De incredibilibus 13.
For ancient depictions of this myth, see …
1
περὶ τούτων: i.e., about the daughters of Phorcys.
φέρεται: “is handed down.”
ἀνὰ μέρος: “in turn, successively” (LSJ μέρος II.2).
τούτων δὲ: “and of these [sisters].”
αὐτὸν: refers to ὀφθαλμός.
καὶ οὕτως: adverbial καί, “in this way, too.”
μιᾶς … ἀποδιδούσης: genitive absolute.
αὐτῶν: refers to the sisters.
2
αὐτῶν: refers to the sisters.
ἔφησεν οὐκ ἀποδώσειν: indirect discourse; the future infinitive represents the future indicative apodosis of a future-more-vivid condition. Perseus is the subject of ἔφησεν as well as the subject of ἀποδώσειν.
ἐὰν μὴ φράσωσιν: future more vivid protasis.
3
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is a change from the narrative portion of the myth to the grand finale.
αὐτῆς: refers to the Gorgon.
ταύτην: refers to Gorgon’s head.
4
τοῦτο δὲ γελοιότερον: supply ἐστι.
ἄνδρα … ἀπολιθωθῆναι: exclamatory infinitive, “(to think) that a man was turned to stone.”
6
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is from a description of what people say to a description of what really happened, i.e., from myth to history.
7
γένος: accusative of respect; take with Αἰθίοπες.
νῆσον τὴν Κέρνην: Kerne is an Island described by Hanno the explorer in Periplus 8.
ἔξω τῶν Ἡρακλείων Στηλῶν: “beyond the Pillars of Heracles,” i.e., west of the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean.
κατ’ εὐθὺ Καρχηδόνος: “equidistant as Carthage (is to the Pillars of Heracles).” Palaephatus’ source here may be Hanno (see note above), who uses the same turn of phrase (κατ’ εὐθὺ) and explains it as follows, “for the journey from Carthage to the pillars and from there to Kerne is equal” (Periplus 8).
8
(εἰσὶ δὲ τρεῖς): the number of islands.
9
καλοῦσι … τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν Γοργώ: Athena traditionally bore an image of the Gorgon on her armor.
Βένδιν … Δίκτυναν … Οὖπιν: regional names for Artemis.
10
οὖν: the particle marks a change of topic. Here, it is from the setting to the narrative.
πρὶν: “before,” + infin.
Σθενώ, Εὐρυάλην, Μέδουσαν: three Gorgons with names that befit seaborn potentates: Σθενώ (= σθένος “strength”), Εὐρυάλη “wide sea” (> εὐρύς, “wide,” and ἅλς, “sea”), Μέδουσα “ruler” (> μέδω, “to rule”).
11
τὴν οὐσίαν: their father’s property, which they inherited after his death.
οὔτε … αὐταῖς ἐδόκει: “and it did not seem right to them (i.e., the daughters of Phorcys)” + infin. LSJ δοκέω II.4.b.
ἐν μέρει: “by turns, in succession” (LSJ μέρος II.2).
12
αὐτῷ: refers to the companion (ἑταῖρος) of Phorcys; dative object of the verb ἐχρῶντο.
13
τὰ κατὰ θάλασσαν: the areas along the sea; i.e., the coast.
ταύτῃ: “there,” “in that place.”
διαπλέοντα: modifies Ὀφθαλμὸν.
παρὰ τῆς ἑτέρας πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν: “from the one place to the other,” i.e., between Kerne and Sarpedonia.
τὸν Ὀφθαλμὸν: the old king’s companion, who was merely “like an eye” (ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμῷ) for Phorcys’s daughters a few lines earlier, is now revealed to be named “the Eye.”
14
οὗτος: refers to the Eye.
αὐτῷ: refers to Perseus.
ὅ τι μὴ τὴν Γοργώ: “except for the Gorgon” (LSJ μή Β.2.b and ὅτι II). A space is placed between ὅ and τι to distinguish the neuter singular indefinite relative pronoun (ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ τι) from the conjunction ὅτι “that,” “because.”
αὐτῆς τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ χρυσοῦ: “the amount/quantity of gold in it.”
15
ἐν τῷ μέρει: “in his allotted time (for the journey).”
κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον: “according to what had been agreed upon.”
συνῄεσαν: 3rd pl. impf. indic. act. > σύνειμι.
16
ἀπηρνοῦντο μὴ ἔχειν: “they were denying that they had it.”
τί ἂν εἴη τὸ γεγονός: potential optative with substantivized perfect participle, “what might have happened.”
τὸ γεγονός: ptc. sing. pf. neut. nom. > γίγνομαι, “what has happened.”
17
ἐν τούτῳ: “in the meantime” (LSJ οὗτος C.VIII.6.b).
φησι μὴ ἀποδώσειν αὐταῖς, ἐὰν μὴ φράσωσιν: future more vivid conditional, with an indirect statement in the apodosis: “He says that he will not give it to them, if they do not show him.”
μὴ εἰπούσας: the participle has a conditional sense, “if they did not talk.” Conditional circumstantial participles take the negative μὴ.
18
οὖν: the particle here and in the next sentence mark turning points in the narrative.
οὔ: receives an accent because it is followed by an enclitic.
20
κατέκοψεν: this verb, which normally means “to cut down” or “slaughter,” is used here to refer to the act of “dismantling” or “breaking down” the Gorgon statue, thus introducing a further ambiguity that accommodated the invention of the myth.
ἐπ’ αὐτῆς: refers to the trireme.
21
ἐν ταύτῃ: refers to Perseus’s newly christened ship, the “Gorgon.”
διδόντας: the participle has a conditional sense, “if they did not give.” Conditional circumstantial participles take the negative μὴ.
22
καὶ: adverbial.
ἡμέρας αὐτὸν ᾐτήσαντο: “They asked him for [a few] days.”
23
οὖν: the particle here and in the next two sentences punctuate the turning points in the narrative.
ἐκλιπόντες … ᾤχοντο: “they left after abandoning.” The verb οἴχομαι means “go” and can combine with a participle to indicate the manner of the departure.
24
ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπαίτησιν τῶν χρημάτων: ἐπὶ + acc., indicating purpose, “for the claiming of his money.”
25
ἐπειδὴ μὴ: temporal clauses referring to repeated actions in the past take the negative μή.
ὁρᾶτε μή: imperative triggering a fear clause; “take care lest.”
ὡς: “just as.”
vocabulary
1
γελοῖος –α –ον ridiculous, absurd
Φόρκυς –υος, ὁ Phorcys (male name of a sea god)
ἐντίθημι, ἐνθήσω, ἐνέθηκα, ἐντέθεικα, ἐντέθειμαι, ἐνετέθην to set in, place in
2
Περσεὺς –έως, ὁ Perseus, the Greek hero
ὀπίσω, adv. behind (also can function as preposition + gen.)
ἠρεμαῖος –α –ον calm, gentle
βάδισμα –ατος, τό gait
ὅπη (also ὅπῃ), adv. to where, where?
Γοργώ –οῦς, ἡ Gorgon
3
ἀποτέμνω, ἀποτεμῶ, ἀπέτεμον, ἀποτέτμηκα, ἀποτέτμημαι, ἀπετμήθην to cut off
Σέριφος –ου, ἡ Seriphos, an island of the Cyclades
Πολυδέκτης –ου, ὁ king of Seriphos
λίθινος –α –ον of stone, stone
4
νεκρός –οῦ, ὁ corpse
ἀπολιθόω, contr. to turn into stone, petrify
7
Κερναῖος –α –ον Cernian, of Cerne
Αἰθίοψ –οπος, ὁ Ethiopian
Κέρνη –ης, ἡ Cerne, an island off the western coast of Africa; described in Hanno’s Periplus
Ἡράκλειος –η –ον of Heracles
στήλη –ης, ἡ pillar
ἀρόω, ἀρόσω, ἤροσα, —, ἀρήρομαι, ἀρόθην to plough, cultivate
Λιβύη –ης, ἡ Libya
Καρχηδών –όνος, ἡ Karchedon (i.e., Carthage)
σφόδρα, adv. very much
χρυσός –οῦ, ὁ gold
8
βασιλεύω to be king, rule (+ gen.)
τετράπηχυς –υ, (gen. –ους) four cubits (≈ 6 feet)
ἄγαλμα –ατος, τό statue, sculpture
Ἀθήνη –ης, ἡ Athena
χρύσεος (–οῦς) –εα (–ῆ) –εον (–οῦν) golden
9
Ἄρτεμις –ιδος, ἡ Artemis
Θράκιος –α –ον Thracian
Βενδῖς –ῖδος, ἡ Bendis
Κρής –ῆτος, ὁ Cretan
Δίκτυννα (also Δίκτυνα) –ης, ἡ Dictyna
Λακεδαιμόνιος –α –ον Lacedaemonian, Spartan
Οὖπις (Ὦπις) –ιδος, ἡ Oupis (name associated with Artemis traditions)
10
ἀνατίθημι, ἀναθήσω, ἀνέθηκα, ἀνατέθεικα, ἀνατέθειμαι, ἀνετέθην to dedicate
καταλείπω, καταλείψω, κατέλειψα/κατέλιπον, καταλέλοιπα, καταλέλειμμαι, κατελείφθην to leave behind
κόρη –ης, ἡ girl, maiden
Σθενώ –οῦς, ἡ Stheno
Εὐρυάλη –ης, ἡ Euryale
Μέδουσα –ης, ἡ Medusa
11
γαμέω, γαμῶ, ἔγημα, γεγάμηκα, γεγάμημαι, ἐγαμήθην to marry
διαιρέω, διαιρήσω/διελῶ, διεῖλον/διεῖλα, διῄρηκα, διῄρημαι, διῃρέθην to divide
πω, adv. yet, at all, ever
κατατίθημι, καταθήσω, κατέθηκα, κατατέθεικα, κατατέθειμαι, κατετέθην to lay aside, store
ἐναλλάξ, adv. in turns, successively
θησαυρός –οῦ, ὁ treasure, store, hoard
12
ἑταῖρος –ου, ὁ companion
13
φυγάς –άδος, ὁ/ἡ fugitive, exile
Ἄργος –ους, τό Argos
ληΐζομαι, ληΐσομαι, ἐληϊσάμην, —, λέλῃσμαι, ἐληΐσθην to raid, plunder
πλοῖον –ου, τό boat, vessel
ἰσχύς –ύος, ἡ (military) force, troops (LSJ ἰσχύς II)
βασιλεία –ας, ἡ kingdom
πολύχρυσος –ον rich in gold
ὀλίγανδρος –ον poor in men
ναυλοχέω, contr. to lie at anchor (in order to ambush another ship)
πορθμός –οῦ, ὁ narrows, strait
Σαρπηδονία –ας, ἡ Sarpedonia
διαπλέω, διαπλεύσω, διέπλευσα, διαπέπλευκα, —, — to sail through
14
μηνύω, μηνύσω, ἐμήνυσα, μεμήνυκα, μεμήνυμαι, ἐμηνύθην to disclose, reveal
15
σύνειμι to assemble, gather
ὁμόσε, adv. to the same place
αἰτιάομαι, αἰτιάσομαι, ᾐτιάσάμην, —, ᾐτίαμαι, ᾐτιάθην to accuse
16
ὁπότε when
ἀπαρνέομαι, ἀπαρνήσομαι, ἀπηρνησάμην, —, ἀπήρνημαι, ἀπηρνήθην to deny
17
προσπλέω, contr. to sail against; attack by ship (+ dat.)
ὁμοῦ, adv. together, in the same place
ἐπαπειλέω, contr. to threaten
προσαποκτείνω, προσαποκτενῶ, προσαπέκτεινα, —, —, — to kill in addition
20
κατακόπτω, κατακόψω, κατέκοψα, —, κατακέκομμαι, κατεκόπην to break into pieces, dismantle
ἀπαρτίζω, ἀπαρτιῶ, ἀπήρτισα, ἀπήρτικα, ἀπήρτισμαι, ἀπηρτίσθην to get (something) ready
τριήρης –ους, ἡ tri-rowed ship, trireme
ἐπιτίθημι, ἐπιθήσω, ἐπέθηκα, ἐπιτέθεικα, ἐπιτέθειμαι, ἐπετέθην to place (+ acc.)
21
περιπλέω, contr. to sail around, voyage by sea
νησιώτης –ου, ὁ islander
εἰσπράττω, εἰσπράξω, εἰσέπραξα, —, εἰσπέπραγμαι, εἰσεπράχθην to exact tribute
22
Σερίφιος –ου, ὁ Seriphian, inhabitant of Seriphos
συλλέγω, συλλέξω, συνέλεξα, συνείλοχα, συνείλεγμαι / συλλέλεγμαι, συνελέχθην / συνελέγην to gather together
23
συνάγω, συνάξω, συνήγαγον, συνήχα, συνῆγμαι, συνήχθην to gather, assemble
ἀνδρομήκης –ες of a man’s height
ἀγορά –ᾶς, ἡ marketplace, public assembly area
ἐκλείπω, ἐκλείψω, ἐξέλιπον, ἐκλέλοιπα, ἐκλέλειμμαι, ἐξελείφθην to leave behind
οἴχομαι, οἰχήσομαι, —, ᾤχηκα and ᾤχωκα, ᾤχημαι, — to depart
24
ἀπαίτησις –εως, ἡ claim, demand; the act of claiming
25
θεάομαι, θεάσομαι, ἐθεάσάμην, τεθέαμαι, —, ἐθεάθην to gaze at