DIODORUS OF SICILY
6 aeX'qvrjU Se ttjv firjvqv Trpoaayopevoybivqv . Sieyepdetaav
8e Koi rots 6)(Xols tov re ovetpov /cat ra
TTepl avTTjv aTV^TjixaTa hieXdovaav a^Lcoaai tols
[Jbv TeTeXevrrjKocriv oLTroveLjxaL rtjuas' laodeovs,
TOV 8' avT'r]s acofjiaros fJLTjKeri, fi-qSeva OiyeZv.
7 /^tera Se ravra ifMfiavTJ yevofxevqv /cat rayv rrjs
Ovyarpos naiyvicov ra hwdpieva ijjocfiov imreXetv
dprrdaaaav TrXavdaOai Kara ttjv -^^ojpav, XeXvpLeviqv ^
HV rds Tpi^as, to) Be 8ia tcov rvfiTravcDV Kac
KVH^dXcov i/j6(f>a) ivded[,ovaav, oiore KaraTrX-qr-
8 readai tovs opcovras. Trdvrcov he ro Trepl avrrjv
Trddos eXeovvTcov, /cat tlvcov avrexofievcov tov
adtpiaTOs, emyeveadai nXrjOos op^^pov /cat avvex^ls
Kepavudjv TTTCoaeLs- evTavOa he rrjv p,ev BacriAetai'
d(f>avrj yeveadai, tovs 8' oxXovs davp,daavTas ttjv
TTepiTTeTeLav tov piev "HAtoi' /cat T-)7y TieXrivriv ttj
TTpocrrjyopta /cat rat? ri/xat? /xerayayetr em to.
kut' ovpavov dcTTpa, rrjv he pLTjTepa tovtcov deov re
vop.iaai /cat ^copLovg Ihpvaaadat, /cat rat? 8ta tcov
TVpLTrdvcov /cat Kvpi^dXcov evepyecais /cat tols a'AAot?
diraaiv aTTopupLovpievovs to, irepi avTrjv avpL^dura
dvaias Koi ra? aAAa? Tipcds dTTOveZpiai.
58. riapaSeSoTat he ttjs deov ravTrjS koX /caret
TTjV ^pvyiav yeveais. ol yap ey)(copcoL puvdoXoyovoL
TO rraXaiov yeveaOai ^aaiXea ^pvyias /cat
'
So Eusebius {Praep, Ev. 2. 2. 3U) : KaTaXeXv^iv-qv-
268
BOOK III. 57. 5-58. I
addressed as " menfe " would be called Selene
(" the moon "). When she was aroused from the
swoon she recounted to the common crowd both the
dream and the misfortunes which had befallen her,
asking that they render to the dead honours like
those accorded to the gods and asserting that no man
should thereafter touch her body. And after this she
became frenzied, and seizing such of her daughter's
playthings as could make a noise, she began to
wander over the land, with her hair hanging free,
inspired by the noise of the kettledrums and cymbals,
so that those who saw her were struck with astonishment.
And all men were filled with pity at her
misfortune and some were clinging to her body,^
when there came a mighty storm and continuous
crashes of thunder and lightning ; and in the midst
of this Basileia passed from sight, whereupon the
crowds of people, amazed at this reversal of fortune,
transfen-ed the names and the honours of Helius
and Selene to the stars of the sky, and as for their
mother, they considered her to be a goddess and
erected altars to her, and imitating the incidents of
her life by the pounding of the kettledi'ums and the
clash of the cymbals they rendered unto her in this
way sacrifices and all other honours.
58. However, an account is handed down also that
this goddess ^ was born in Phrygia. For the natives
of that country have the followng myth : In ancient
times Meion became king of Phrygia and Lydia
'
Cp. the scene in Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus, 1620-1,
immediately before Oedipus passes from earth in the storm :
So clinging to each other sobbed and wept
Father and daughters both.
(tr. by Storr in the L.C.L.)
^ I.e. the Magna Mater.
269
DIODORUS OF SICILY
AvStas Mfjova- yrjjxavTa 8e ALfSvixrjv yewrjaai
fiev TTaihLov drjXv, rpe(f>etv S' avro fj.r] ^ovXofxevov
els opos eKdeXvaL ro Trpoaayopevoixevov Ku^eAor.
ivravda rw TratSto) /caret riva deiav Trpovoiav rds
T TTapbaXeis /cat rtva tcov aXXcov rojv dXKjj 8ta<f>p6vT(jt}v
dripioiv TTapix^adai rrjv drjXrjV /cat
2 Siarpecfieiv, yvvaia 8e TLva Trepi rov ronov TTOi/xatvovTa
Karihelv to yLv6fj,evov, /cat davpiaaavTa rqv
TTepiTTereLav dveXeadai. to ^pe^os, /cat wpocrayopevCTttt
K-V^eX-qv 0.770 tov tottov. av^ofxevrjv Se ttjv
TratSa to) re /cctAAet /cat crco^poawT^ Stei^ey/ceti',
eVt 8e avveaei yeveadai OavpiaaT'qv t7]v re yap
TToXvKaXapLov avptyya Trpcorqv eTTLvofjuac /cat TJ-po?
TO.? 77-aiSta.? /cat ^opelas evpelv KVfx^aXa /cat
TVpLTrava, irpos Se Tourot? Kadapfiovs tcov vouovvtojv
KTrjvcov T /cat v7]TTla)V TTaihcov L<j7]yrj(Taa9aL'
3 8i6 /cat Tcbv ^p<l>a)v rat? eTrajSat? (J(x>t,ofxivojv /cat
TCtiv TrXeiaTOiv vtt' avTrjs eVay/caAt^o/xeVojv', Stct
TT^v et? TavTa aTTOvSrjv /cat <j>LXoaTopyLav vtto
TTOVTiov avTTjv opetav puTjTepa TrpoaayopevOilvai.
avvaaTp(f>adaL S' avT-fj /cat j>LXiav e^eti^ ctti
TrXeov (jiacrl Mapcruav rov <I>puya, 9avp.at,6p.evov
tt\ avv(7L /Cttt aa)(f>poauvrj- /cat ttj? /xei' oxij/eaeojs
TeKpL-qpiov Xajx^dvovaL to puii'qaacrdaL tovs
<f)d6yyovs Trjs TToXvKaXdfjiOV avpcyyos /cat /LtereveyKeZv
eTTC tovs avXovs Tr]v oXrjv apf-Loviav,
TTJs 8e aco(f>poavvr]g aiqixelov eLvai (f>a(n to
p-^xpi- Trjs TeXevTTJs dneipaTov yeveudai ToJv a<f)po-
StCTtCDV.
4 Trjv ovv Kv^eXrjv els dKfirjv -qXiKias iXdovaav
dyavrjaaL tcov ey)(a)picov tlvo. veavLOKov tov
270
BOOK III. 58. 1-4
and marrying Dindyme he begat an infant daughter,
but being unwilling to rear her he exposed her on
the mountain which was called Cybelus. There, in
accordance with some divine providence, both the
leopards and some of the other especially ferocious
wild beasts offered their nipples to the child and so
gave it nourishment, and some women who were
tending the flocks in that place witnessed the happening,
and being astonished at the strange event took
up the babe and called her Cybele after the name
of the place. The child, as she grew up, excelled
in both beauty and virtue and also came to be admired
for her intelligence ; for she was the first to devise
the pipe of many reeds and to invent cymbals and
kettledrums with which to accompany the games
and the dance, and in addition she taught how to
heal the sicknesses of both flocks and little children
by means of rites of purification ; in consequence,
since the babes were saved from death by her spells
and were generally taken up in her arms, her devotion
to them and affection for them led all the people
to speak of her as the " mother of the mountain."
The man who associated ^v^th her and loved her
more than anyone else, they say, was Marsyas the
Phrygian, who was admired for his intelligence and
chastity ; and a proof of his intelligence they find in
the fact that he imitated the sounds made by the
pipe of many reeds and carried all its notes over into
the flute,^ and as an indication of his chastity they
cite his abstinence from sexual pleasures until the
day of his death.
Now Cybele, the myth records, having an-ived at
full womanhood, came to love a certain native youth
^ i.e. into a single pipe.
271
DIODORUS OF SICILY
TTpoaayopevoixevov [Xv "Arrtv, varepov S' eTTLKXr]Oevra
HaTrav crvveXOovaav S' et? opuXiav avro)
Xddpa Kal y^vop.ex'-qv eyKvov 7nyv(joadrivaL Kara
TOVTOv rov Kaipov vtto rcov yovecov. 59, SioTTep
dva)(6eLar]s avrrjg elg rd ^aaiAeta, Kal rov
TTarpos ro fXv -npcoTOV as" irapOevov npoaSe^afxevov,
fxerd Se ravra yvovros tt^v (f)6opdv,
KOI rd? re rpo^ovg Kal rov "Arriv dveXovros
Kal rd ad)[xara eKpufjavrog dra<^a, <^aal rrjv
K.v^eX-qv 8td rrjv vpog ro fxcLpdKLOv ^lXoaropylav
Kai rrjv em rats rpo^oZs Xvtttjv eixjjiavrj
yevofievrjv etV rrjv ^(^ujpav eKTrrjSrjaaL. Kal ravrrjv
jjLev oXoXv^ovaav Kal rvinTavit,ovaav jjiovrjv errieVat
ndaav x^P'^^> XeXvfjievr^v rds rptp^a?, rov Se
Mapavav iXeovvra ro rrddos eKovalcos avrfj avvaKoXovdeZv
Kal avinrXavdaOat Sid rr^v rrpovTrdp-
2 -^ovuav (jiiXiav. Trapayei'Ojxevovg 8' avrous rrpos
Alowctov els Tr]v Nuaav KaraXa^elv rov 'AttoAAo)
rvyxdvovra p-eydX-qs d77o§o;^7^S' Std rrjv KiOdpav,
rjv 'Kpprjv evpeZv Saaiv, 'A7T6XXa>va 8e rrpaJrov
avrfj Kara rpoirov -^prjadaf epit^ovros he rov
Mapcrvou Trpo? rov AttoAAo; irepL rijs re)(^V7]s, Kai
rdjv Nucrai'top' dTToSei^^devrcDV BLKaordJv, rov p,ev
AvroAAotP'a TTpojrov KLdapicrai ipiX-qv, rov Be ^lapavav
em^aXovra rols avXoZs KaraTrXrj^ai rag aKod?
rip ^evil,ovri, Kal Std rr^v evpeXetav ^ So^at ttoXv
3 TTpoex^LV rov Trporiycoviapevov . (TvvTedeLp,eva>v S'
avrdJv Trap' dXXv^Xa roZs BiKauraZs eTTiBeLKwaOai
' Reiske suggests e/x^ue'Aeiav ("harmony").
272
BOOK III. 58. 4-59. 3
who was known as Attis, but at a later time received
the appellation Papas ^ ; with him she consorted
secretly and became with child, and at about the
same time her parents recognized her as their child.
59. Consequently she was brought up into the palace,
and her father welcomed her at the outset under
the impression that she was a virgin, but later, when
he learned of her seduction, he put to death her
nurses and Attis as well and cast their bodies forth
to lie unburied ; whereupon Cybele, they say,
because of her love for the youth and grief over the
nurses, became frenzied and rushed out of the
palace into the countryside. And crying aloud and
beating upon a kettledrum she visited every country
alone, with hair hanging free, and Marsyas, out of
pity for her plight, voluntarily followed her and
accompanied her in her wanderings because of the
love which he had formerly borne her. \Vhen they
came to Dionysus in the city of Nysa they found
there Apollo, who was being accorded high favour
because of the lyre, which, they say, Hermes invented,
though Apollo was the first to play it fittingly
and when Marsyas strove with Apollo in a contest of
skill and the Nysaeans had been appointed judges,
the first time Apollo played upon the lyre without
accompanying it with his voice, while Mai-syas,
striking up upon his pipes, amazed the ears of his
hearers by their strange music and in their opinion
far excelled, by reason of his melody, the first
contestant. But since they had agreed to take
turn about in displaying their skill to the judges,
^ "Papa" or "father." Attis-Papas was the supreme
god of the Phrj-giaus, occupying the position held by Zeus
in the Greek world.
273
DIODORUS OF SICILY
TT]t' Txvy]v, Tov jxev
^
AttoXXcovol (f>aaLv em^aXelv to
Sevrepov dpixorrovaav rep /xe'Aet rijs KtOdpag cpS-qv,
Ka9^ ^v VTrep^aXeadai rrji' TrpovTrdp^acrav tojv
auAoJi' dTToho')(iqv tov Se npoTepov dyavaKT-qaavTa
StSaa/cetv' tovs dKpoaTas otl napd rrdv to Si/caiov
avTos iXaTTOVTat' Seiv yap ytveadai Te^vq^
avyKptoLV, ov (fiajvrjs, Kad rjv 7TpocrrjKL ttjv
dpjxoviav kol to /xeAo? i^Tdl,ea6at Trjs Kt-Odpas
Kal Tcov ayAcDt'" xrat Trpos tovtols d'St/cov etvai
8vo T-)(yas d'/Lta Trpo? pbiav avyKpiveadai. tov
Se 'AttoAAoj jxvOoXoyovaLv elTreiv to? ov8ev avTOV
4 irXeoveKTOLT]- Kal yap tov Mapavav to TrapaTrX-qaiov
avT(x) TTOielv, els tovs avXovs jX(^VGd)VTa'
heZv ovv r) tt^v i^ovalav ravTrjv laiqv diJL(f)OTepois
SiSoaOaL TTJg Kpdaecos,^ ^ pur^SeTepov tco aTop-aTL
8iay(x>VL[,6pevov 5id iJi6va)v tcov )(^e.Lpa)V evhetKVV-
5 aOai TTjV Ihiav Te-xyrjv. emKpivdvTcov Se tcov
dKpoaToJv TOV 'AttoXXoj hiKatoTepa Xeyeiv, avyKpiOrjvai
ndXiv Tas Texvag, Kal tov pev Mapavav
XeL(f)drjvaL, tov S' AttoAAcd Sid ttjv eptv iriKpoTepov
)(prjadp,evov eKhelpai t,(i)VTa tov rjTT7]0evTa.
Ta^xp 8e peTapeXrjdevTa Kal ^apecos enl Tolg vtt*
O.VTOV 7Tpa-)(9elaLV eveyKavTa Trjg KtOdpag CKprj^ai
TO,? ;(opSds' Kal ttjv evprjpevr^v appoviav a<f)aviaaL.
6 TavT-qs S' VGTepov Moiiaa? pev dveupeZv ttjv
peo7]v, Aivov 8e Tr]v Xi^o-vov, ^Op6ea 8e Kal
^ Kpdaeojs Eichstadt : Kplaecos-
274
BOOK III. 59. 3-6
Apollo, they say, added, this second time, his voice
in harmony with the music of the lyre, whereby he
gained greater approval than that which had formerly
been accorded to the pipes. Marsyas,
however, was enraged and tried to prove to the
hearers that he was losing the contest in defiance
of every principle of justice ; for, he argued, it should
be a comparison of skill and not of vdice, and only
by such a test was it possible to judge between the
harmony and music of the lyre and of the pipes
and furthermore, it was unjust that two skills should
be compared in combination against but one.
Apollo, however, as the myth relates, replied that
he was in no sense taking any unfair advantage of
the other ; in fact, when Marsyas blew into his pipes
he was doing almost the same thing as himself ^
consequently the rule should be made either that
they should both be accorded this equal privilege of
combining their skills, or that neither of them should
use his mouth in the contest but should display his
special skill by the use only of his hands. When
the hearers decided that Apollo presented the more
just argument, their skills were again compared;
Marsyas was defeated, and Apollo, who had become
somewhat embittered by the quarrel, flayed the
defeated man alive. But quickly repenting and being
distressed at what he had done, he broke the strings of
the lyre and destroyed the harmony of sounds which
he had discovered. This harmony of the strings , however,
was rediscovered, when the Muses added later
the middle string, Linus the string struck with the
forefinger, and Orpheus and Thamyras the lowest
1 i.e. they were both using their breath; Marsyas to make
the pipes sound, Apollo to produce vocal notes.
275
DIODORUS OF SICILY
Qa^ivpav VTrdrrjv Kal Trapvirdrr^v . tov 8' 'AttoAAcu
4>aalv et? to avrpov rod lS.Lovvaov ttjv re Kidapav
Kal rods avXovs dvaOevra, Kal rfjs K.v^eX'qs epaadevra,
GvjjiTTXavr^drjvaL ravrrj p-^XP^ "^^^ 'YTvep^opecov.
7 Kara 8e rrjv (^pvyiav ip.Treaova'qs voaov rols
dvdpdjTTOLS Kal rrjs yrjs aKap-nov yevop.evrjs
eTTepojTrjadvrcov tojv drv^ovvrcDV rov deov ^ -nepL
TTJs Tcov KaKcJjv dTTaXXayfjs vpoora^ai ^aati^
avTOLS OdipaL ro "AttiSoj aco/xa /cat Ttpidv ttjv
K^v^eXrjv CO? Oeov. Stovrep tovs Opuya? rj(f)avL(jp,evov
TOV CTOjpLaTO'S 8ia tov xpovov etScoAoi^ KaraOKevdaai
tov p,ipaKLov, Trpos (h dprjvovvras rat?
OLKeiais Tt/xat? tov Trddovs i^iXdaKecrdai. Trjv tov
Trapavop^TjOevTOS pirjvLV OTrep p-^XP'- '^'-'^ Kra^'
8 T^/xa? ^iov TTOLOvvTas avrovs SLareXeiv. ttjs 8e
Kv^eXrjg to TraXaiov ^cop.ovs lhpvoap.ivovs dvaias
eTTLreXeLV /car' eVo?- voTepov 8' ev YlLaivovvri, rrjs
^pvyias KaTaarKevdaat vewv TToXvTeXrj /cat Ttju-ct?
Kat dvcjiag /caraSei^at pLeyaXoTrpeneaTdTas, MtSoy "
Tov jSaatAecD? ets" ravra avpL(f)iXoKaXriaavTos' rco 8'
dydXpLari t'^? deov irapacrTTJaaL TrapSdXeis Kai
XeovTas 8ta to SoKelv vtto tovtcov TrpcJoTov Tpa(f>rjvaL.
Ylepl p.ev ovv p,r]Tp6s Oecov TOiavra pcvdoXoyetrat
vrapa re rot? Opu^t /cat rot? 'ArAavrtoi?
rots TTapd rov oiKeavov oIkovolv.
^ So Dindorf : tov deov arvxovvTwv D, arvxovvrwv omitted
in Vulgate.
* Mi'Sou VVesseling : M-qhov.
^ Hermes had discovered the three-stringed lyre (cp. Book
1. 16. 1), and ApoUo had presumably added four more strings.
276
BOOK III. 59. 6-8
string and the one next to it.^ And Apollo, they say,
laid away both the lyre and the pipes as a votive
ofFerinff in the cave of Dionysus, and becoming enamoured
of Cybele joined in her wanderings as far
as the land of the Hyperboreans.
But, the myth goes on to say, a pestilence fell
upon human beings throughout Phrygia and the
land ceased to bear fruit, and when the unfortunate
people inquired of the god how they might rid
themselves of their ills he commanded them, it is
said, to bury the body of Attis and to honour Cybele
as a goddess. Consequently the Phrygians, since
the body had disappeared in the course of time,
made an image of the youth, before Avhich they sang
dirges and by means of honours in keeping with his
suffering propitiated the wTath of him who had been
wronged ; and these rites they continue to perform
down to our own lifetime. As for Cybele, in ancient
times they erected altars and performed sacrifices
to her yearly ; and later they built for her a
costly temple in Pisinus of Phrygia, and established
honours and sacrifices of the greatest magnificence,
Midas their king taking part in all these
works out of his devotion to beauty ; and beside the
statue of the goddess they set up panthers and lions,
since it was the common opinion that she had first
been nursed by these animals.
Such, then, are the myths which are told about
the Mother of the Gods both among the Phrygians
and by the Atlantians who dwell on the coast of the
ocean.
It is these additional four strings which then had to be
rediscovered.
277