Laius

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses (Collection of Transformations), Tale 19 of 41.

Previous tale: Aeropus (Tale 18). This page is Tale 19 only, in Greek. Contents heading: Λάϊος, Κελεός, Κέρβερος, Αἰγωλιὸς εἰς ὁμωνύμους οἰωνούς. An English translation of this tale has not been published yet; translations are added tale by tale as each is finished. See the Antoninus index for all 41 tales.

Ἱστορεῖ Βοῖος Ὀρνιθογονίας β΄.

1

Ἐν Κρήτῃ λέγεται εἶναι ἱερὸν ἄντρον μελισσῶν ἐν ᾧ μυθολογοῦσι τεκεῖν Ῥέαν τὸν Δία καὶ <οὐκ> ἔστιν ὅσιον οὐδένα παρελθεῖν οὔτε θεὸν οὔτε θνητόν.

2

ἐν δὲ χρόνῳ ἀφωρισμένῳ ὁρᾶται καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος πλεῖστον ἐκλάμπον ἐκ τοῦ σπηλαίου πῦρ.

3

τοῦτο δὲ γίνεσθαι μυθολογοῦσιν, ὅταν ἐκζέῃ τὸ τοῦ Διὸς ἐκ τῆς γενέσεως αἷμα.

4

κατέχουσι δὲ τὸ ἄντρον ἱεραὶ μέλιτται, τροφοὶ τοῦ Διός.

5

εἰς τοῦτο παρελθεῖν ἐθάρρησαν Λάιος καὶ Κελεὸς καὶ Κέρβερος καὶ Αἰγωλιός, ὅπως πλεῖστον ἀρύσωνται μέλι· καὶ περιθέμενοι περὶ τὸ σῶμα πάντῃ χαλκὸν, ἠρύσαντο τοῦ μέλιτος τῶν μελισσῶν καὶ τὰ τοῦ Διὸς εἶδον σπάργανα καὶ αὐτῶν ὁ χαλκὸς ἐρράγη περὶ τὸ σῶμα.

6

Ζεὺς δὲ βροντήσας ἀνέτεινε τὸν κεραυνόν, Μοῖραι δὲ καὶ Θέμις ἐκώλυσαν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὅσιον αὐτόθι θανεῖν οὐδένα· καὶ ὁ Ζεὺς πάντας αὐτοὺς ἐποίησεν ὄρνιθας· καὶ ἔστιν ἐξ αὐτῶν τὸ γένος τῶν οἰωνῶν, λάιοι καὶ κελεοὶ καὶ κέρβεροι καὶ αἰγωλιοί· καὶ εἰσὶν ἀγαθοὶ φανέντες καὶ ἐπιτελεῖς παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ὄρνιθας, ὅτι τοῦ Διὸς εἶδον τὸ αἷμα.

Notes

Edition check, still open: this Greek text has not yet been checked against a Teubner or critical edition.

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