(1) περὶ Μήστρας τῆς Ἐρυσίχθονος φασὶν ὡς, ὁπότε βούλοιτο, ἀλλάσσειν τὴν ἰδέαν. (2) ὃ μύθου καταγελάστου. (3) πῶς γὰρ εἰκὸς ἐκ κόρης γενέσθαι βοῦν καὶ αὖθις κύνα ἢ ὄρνεον; (4) τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς ἔχει ὧδε. (5) Ἐρυσίχθων ἦν ἀνὴρ Θετταλός, διαφθείρας δὲ τὰ χρήματα πένης ἐγένετο. (6) ἦν δὲ θυγάτηρ αὐτῷ καλὴ καὶ ὡραία Μήστρα ὀνόματι· ὅστις δὲ εἶδεν αὐτήν, ἐπιθυμητικῶς διέκειτο. (7) ἀργυρίῳ μὲν οὖν οἱ τότε ἄνθρωποι οὐκ ἐμνηστεύοντο, ἐδίδοσαν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἵππους, οἱ δὲ βοῦς, τινὲς δὲ πρόβατα ἢ ὅ τι ἂν ἐθέλῃ ἡ Μήστρα. (8) ἔλεγον δὲ οἱ Θετταλοί, ὁρῶντες ἀθροιζόμενον τῷ Ἐρυσίχθονι τὸν βίον, “ἐγένετο ἐκ Μήστρας αὐτῷ καὶ ἵππος καὶ βοῦς καὶ τἄλλα.” (9) ὅθεν ὁ μῦθος προσανεπλάσθη.
notes
According to myth, Mestra was the daughter of Erysichthon. Once upon a time, Erysichthon needed wood for a banquet hall. He ventured into a grove sacred to Demeter. The goddess disguised herself as a priestess and tried to warn Erysichthon. He refused to heed the warning and threatened the priestess with an axe. In revenge, Demeter cursed Erysichthon with bottomless hunger. Erysichthon lost all of his property as he tried to satiate the hunger. He even sold his daughter. As it turned out, she was able to shape-shift, which allowed him to sell her over and over again. Ultimately, the hunger was too much, and Erysichthon consumed his own body.
For the basic elements of this myth, see Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.738–878.
1
τῆς Ἐρυσίχθονος: “daughter of Erysichthon.”
φασὶν: “people say.”
ὁπότε βούλοιτο: the iterative optative (without ἄν) in a past time temporal clause refers to a habitual or repeated action: “whenever she wanted.”
ἀλλάσσειν: understand a verb of ability here, “(she was able) to change.”
2
ὃ μύθου καταγελάστου: “what a ridiculous myth.”
ὃ: absolute relative clause where the antecedent of the neuter relative pronoun is the entire preceding sentence.
μύθου καταγελάστου: genitive of quality (S. 1320).
3
πῶς γὰρ εἰκὸς: “for how is it likely that.”
4
ἔχει ὧδε: “is as follows.” LSJ ἔχω B.II.2.
6
Μήστρα: in apposition to θυγάτηρ.
ὀνόματι: “by name.”
ἐπιθυμητικῶς διέκειτο: “was in a state of lust.” LSJ διάκειμαι A.II.
7
οὖν: the particle signals a change of topic. Here, it is a shift out of the narrative and into a discussion of ancient life prior to the advent of currency.
ἀργυρίῳ μὲν … ἐδίδοσαν δὲ: the μέν clause notes that early people lacked currency, while the δέ introduces the items used in place of currency.
οἱ μὲν … οἱ δὲ … τινὲς δὲ: “some … others … still others.”
ἢ ὅ τι: “or whatever.” 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.”
ἂν ἐθέλῃ: the subjunctive with ἄν in a relative clause in primary sequence indicating a repeated action.
8
ἀθροιζόμενον: agrees with τὸν βίον.
τῷ Ἐρυσίχθονι: dative of possessor.
καὶ ἵππος καὶ βοῦς καὶ τἄλλα: all are subjects of ἐγένετο.
τἄλλα: τὰ ἄλλα.
αὐτῷ: indirect object with ἐγένετο.
9
ὅθεν: “from which.” The antecedent to this relative is the entire preceding narrative.
vocabulary
1
Μήστρα –ης, ἡ Mestra, the mythological daughter of Erysichthon
Ἐρυσίχθων –ονος, ὁ Erysichthon, father of Mestra
ὁπότε, conj whenever
ἀλλάσσω, ἀλλάξω, ἤλλαξα, ἤλλαχα, —, ἤλλαγμαι, ἠλλάχθην/ἠλλάγην to change
ἰδέα –ας, ἡ form
2
μῦθος –ου, ὁ tale
καταγέλαστος –ον laughable, ridiculous
3
κόρη –ης, ἡ girl
κύων κυνός, ὁ/ἡ dog
ὄρνεον –ου, τό bird
5
Θετταλός –ή –όν of Thessaly, Thessalian
πένης –ητος, ὁ a poor man; (pred.) poor
6
ὡραῖος –α –ον ripe; beautiful
ἐπιθυμητικός –ή –όν desirous
διάκειμαι, διακείσομαι, —, —, —, — to have a disposition, be disposed
7
μνηστεύω to woo; seek the hand of
πρόβατον –ου, τό sheep
8
ἀθροίζω, ἀθροίσω, ἤθροισα, ἤθροικα, ἤθροισμαι, ἠθροίσθην to accumulate
προσαναπλάττω, —, προσανέπλασα, —, —, προσανεπλάσθην to fabricate in addition